Handwriting can be a very difficult skill that many children find hard to master. Handwriting difficulties in children can cause distress and frustration and can even affect your child’s willingness to write. It might even cause you anxiety. There are a number of difficulties children can struggle with and you and your pediatric occupational therapist have to take your child’s age and experience into account when trying to assess the problem.
Most likely you’re familiar with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and dyslexia. However, you might not have heard about dysgraphia yet. This might be a condition to look into if your child is having difficulty putting his or her ideas down on paper.
Dysgraphia is a disorder that can cause problems with written expression. Many children who have the condition find it difficult to even hold their pencil and organize letters on a line. This results in sloppy handwriting. Other children struggle with written expression and spelling. Writing tasks, such as putting ideas into organized and stored language that is retrieved from memory, can also add to the struggle.
Signs of Dysgraphia and Other Handwriting Difficulties in Children
There are some common signs you can look for in your child that could indicate dysgraphia or other writing problems including:
- Sloppy handwriting.
- Writes very slow and intently.
- Writing assignments overwhelm easily.
- Doesn’t want to do any work involving writing.
- Leaves out or mixes letters and words.
- Can’t master punctuation and spelling.
- Has problems with written expression and can’t put ideas on paper.
Handwriting difficulties in children are typically noticed first by parents. However, to truly figure out what is causing these difficulties and get the support your child needs, you should work with your child’s school teacher and pediatric occupational therapist in San Diego. They can work with your child and provide you with certain activities that can help improve your child’s handwriting.