When just learning to write, some children may have difficulty. However, if the child continues to have difficulty in writing so that his learning activities are disrupted, this condition needs to be watched out for. It could be the cause is dysgraphia.
Dysgraphia is a disorder in the learning process which is characterized by difficulty in writing and spelling. This condition is not a mental disorder, but a problem with brain function that plays a role in carrying out fine motor skills for writing
So, people with dysgraphia have difficulty in aligning their thoughts and hand muscle movements when they want to write. Dysgraphia is usually experienced by children, but adults can also experience it.
Recognize the Symptoms of Dysgraphia
The hallmark symptom of dysgraphia is handwriting that is unclear and difficult to read. Even so, people who have sloppy handwriting don't necessarily have dysgraphia, do they.
In addition to handwriting that is difficult to read, people with dysgraphia may also exhibit the following symptoms:
- Difficulty expressing words or sentences in writing
- Often misspelling or writing, for example lacking letters or words
- The writing that can be made can be a mixture of cursive and printed letters
- Often uses the wrong punctuation
- Difficulty adjusting the margins or distance between words and sentences in writing
- Frequently deleting posts over and over
- Tend to write slowly
- Often gripping stationery very tightly, so that it can cause hand cramps
- It is difficult to express the contents of thoughts and feelings through writing
- Likes to talk when writing
Despite having difficulty writing, children with dysgraphia generally still have a normal level of intelligence. Research has shown that children with dysgraphia do not have a significant difference in IQ with children with normal writing abilities.
Knowing the Causes of Dysgraphia
The cause of dysgraphia that appears in childhood is not known with certainty. However, this condition is thought to be related to problems in the part of the brain that functions to remember words in writing into memory, as well as analyze their meaning and how to read them.
Children born prematurely are known to be at higher risk of developing dysgraphia. In addition, dysgraphia can also occur along with other learning disorders, such as dyslexia, and ADHD. If left untreated, this condition can continue to carry over until the children grow up to be teenagers and adults.
Meanwhile, new dysgraphia in adults is generally caused by disorders or diseases in the brain, such as stroke, brain injury, or dementia.
Sometimes, dysgraphia is often mistaken for dyslexia. However, these two conditions are not the same. People with dyslexia usually have difficulty reading, but can still write. Meanwhile, dysgraphia patients can read fluently, but have difficulty or even cannot write at all.
However, sometimes dyslexic patients can also have difficulty reading and writing. This is what makes it difficult to distinguish the two conditions.
Therefore, learning disorders in children, both dyslexia and dysgraphia, are important to be examined by a doctor so that they can be treated appropriately.
Treatment for Dysgraphia
Children with dysgraphia can experience obstacles in the learning process. They are also often accused of being careless or lazy because they have sloppy handwriting. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, embarrassment, or fear of going to school.
To overcome this, children with dysgraphia need to get proper treatment from a doctor. In order to support the ability of children with dysgraphia in writing, doctors can do occupational therapy and exercise motor skills.
If dysgraphia is accompanied by other health problems, such as ADHD, your doctor can also prescribe medications to treat the condition.
In addition to therapy and medication, Mom and Dad also need to provide home care, so that your little one's writing skills can improve. Some things that can be applied at home include:
- Train your little one to write on broad-lined paper to make it easier to align letters and words.
- Help him to grip the pencil and teach him how to use a comfortable pencil.
- Avoid criticizing the results of his writing.
- Give praise when your little one manages to write correctly.
- Train your little one to relieve stress before writing, for example by asking him to rub his hands quickly.
- Give your little one a ball the size of his hand to squeeze. This can improve hand muscle strength and coordination.
- Invite your little one to play with clay to strengthen his hand muscles.
Mothers and Fathers also need to work closely with teachers at your Little One's school to monitor their writing progress and ensure that they are still able to study well.
Dysgraphia that is detected and treated early will also be easier to overcome, so that children can still learn to write neatly and smoothly. Therefore, it is important for parents to recognize the symptoms of dysgraphia in children.
If your child appears to be showing symptoms of dysgraphia or other learning disorders, consult a pediatrician or child psychiatrist for proper examination and treatment.
