Atrocious Handwriting - Dysgraphia Could Be The Problem, Not Laziness
December 2nd, 2008

Have you ever wondered why your child has such horrible handwriting? Do you consider this mere laziness when it comes to their homework or class studies? It may not be that simple. There is a condition that causes poor page line organization, communication in writing skills and hand fatigue. It is known as Dysgraphia, and this disorder is also a progressive condition.

This disorder can be seen in many forms, but it mostly affects inconsistencies in letters. Often a person will mix up lower and upper case print or letters. However, it is not merely reserved for that, but also cursive letters as well. It creates the mix up of the sizes and shapes of letters, makes one forget letters all together, and generally makes one struggle with communication throughout handwriting communication altogether. The disorder Dysgraphia is not laziness, nor is it a lack of trying. Many associate the sloppy writing with not caring, or carelessness. This is not the case either. Trouble in remembering the muscle motor sequences that are needed to write numbers or letters is part of the condition know as Dysgraphia. This condition really has nothing to do with the lack of understanding in the classroom, or processing information. It has nothing to do with teaching or poor teaching in general. This condition is solely based in neurology and can easily vary from person to person. This is a condition that can be overcome, and the degrees of it are varying from the start. Some can be stricken hard in the beginning, and some can gradually grow into it.

This condition is clearly remedied by practice and repetition. It tends to fade, as the progress can be made daily. This disorder is seldom present without an underlying condition already active in the individual. It not impossible for Dysgraphia to be the only condition that someone will have; yet it is rare. As the student progresses throughout elementary school, the problem will increase if not treated. This will make for a troubling time in secondary school, where much of the written assignments will count for a good portion of grades and credits. This inefficiency in writing will definitely be a barrier in the learning process. This disorder can affect many other levels of learning as they go. The frustrations of this writing problem can lead to many misunderstandings by the parents, and most of which by the teachers who teach the individual. The notion of a gifted student having trouble with handwriting, or expression because of a lack of word formation is the biggest stumbling block. The biggest problem is that it truly denies the teacher a chance to understand where the student is really coming from. A parent or teacher that is astute may see reason for testing of Dysgraphia in a student, merely by noticing their writing performances. Many times though this goes untreated and the student is just deemed as sloppy.

This condition inhibits the student from having any control over their poor penmanship. Many times this can be discounted for other factors that may include the following. The teacher may assume the student has cramped fingers on their writing tool, or odd wrist, or body and paper per portions. The use of the eraser too many times may lead the teacher to believe that the student is just working too quickly, and not taking the time out to do things right the first time. This however can be a clear sign of Dysgraphia.

Another sign, which should be noticed, is the mixture of cursive and printed letters, or the combination of lower case and upper case letters. The constant changing of the writing slant, or inconsistent letter formation is another indication. It is easy for someone who does not have such a condition, to assume the lack of effort in someone else. Taking the time to research the possibilities that a student may indeed have an underlying problem, rather than just sheer laziness, will go a long way in understanding how to correct this condition. It is not a situation where the student just does not care. The lack of concern for his or her work will be most evident; this is not the case for someone with Dysgraphia. They may be too embarrassed to bring it to the teacher's attention

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