Q: Which doctor should I consult if my child has symptoms of dysgraphia?
A: Consult a child specialist who will refer you to a specialized health professional trained to manage children with learning disabilities
Q: How can parents help kids with dysgraphia?
A: Parents should identify triggers that lead to writing difficulties and work at minimizing those. Praise efforts genuinely and encourage the child. Playing games that improve hand muscle strength like clay modelling or squeezing a soft ball can be tried. Just before writing the child may be asked practise some measures that reduce hand muscle tension such as rubbing the hands together or shaking the hands.
Q: Is dysgraphia the same as dyslexia?
A: Both are learning disorders but are different. Dyslexia refers to difficulty in reading while dysgraphia involves difficulty in writing.
Q: Is dysgraphia a brain disorder?
A: The exact cause of dysgraphia is unclear. Some experts believe that dysgraphia occurs due to a problem in interaction between the two main brain systems that is needed for a person to process words stored in memory into written language ( i.e., mental to written word) or spoken/copying written words to writing (sound/symbol to written word).
Q: Can dysgraphia be cured?
A: It depends on the type. Dysgraphia due to lack of fine motor skills can be overcome by working with an occupational therapist from an early age to improve hand and finger muscle tone. Writing skills can also be improved with training starting early.
Q: What are the complications of dysgraphia?
A: A child with dysgraphia may have low self-esteem, social problems as well as learning difficulties if not diagnosed early and treated.
Q: What is the long term prognosis in a child with dysgraphia?
A: The prognosis depends on how soon the condition is treated and its severity. In most children there is improvement following treatment.
Q: Can dysgraphia be prevented?
A: Dysgraphia may not be preventable. However if there is a family history of learning disability early assessment and treatment of the child can reduce the impact of the condition at school and will have a better outcome.
