Treating Writing Difficulties in Children: Tips and Strategies

Many children suffer from writing difficulties , which are a type of learning difficulties and a neurological problem. The percentage of children who suffer from writing difficulties is estimated at 5-20% of all children, and 50% of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder suffer from writing difficulties. In this article, we review the definition of writing difficulties, types of dysgraphia, tips and strategies for treating writing difficulties in children, and treating dysgraphia in particular.

What is the problem of writing difficulties in children?

The problem of writing difficulties in children is a neurological problem characterized by the emergence of problems and difficulties in writing compared to the age group to which the person belongs, and difficulties in holding the pen in general. This problem can also be found in children and adults alike, and appears in children when learning to write, and it can also appear in adults after they are exposed to head trauma.

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What are the symptoms of writing difficulties in children?

Symptoms of writing difficulties in children vary greatly, but children with writing difficulties or dysgraphia do not have difficulties speaking. In fact, speaking is often easier than writing. Symptoms of writing difficulties are as follows:

• Inability to write letters well.
• There are errors in sentence construction or grammar.
• Inability to stick to writing on the same line.
• There are errors in the size of the letters or the spaces left between the letters.
• Writing at a slower than normal speed.
• Writing words and letters upside down.
• Inability to spell sentences correctly.
• Lack of ability to organize words to form sentences.
• Difficulty transferring words and letters in the classroom.

How are writing difficulties diagnosed in children?

Writing difficulties are diagnosed by psychologists and psychiatrists, and educational experts, special education experts, and speech therapists are consulted. Correct diagnosis is a condition for reaching treatment for writing difficulties in children (or treatment for dysgraphia). Dysgraphia is diagnosed as follows:

• Take a medical history of this problem and ask if this problem exists in the family.
• Asking about the child's academic level and progress.
• Conduct some tests to test for the presence of this problem, and measure the progress of the condition.
• Ensure that there are no other learning difficulties such as ADHD , dyslexia , autism , etc., as dysgraphia is more common in cases of ADHD and autism, and dysgraphia can be accompanied by dyslexia.

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Treatment of writing difficulties in children (dysgraphia treatment) in general

Treatment of writing difficulties in children or dysgraphia depends on treatment through practice and training. This treatment should be started as early as possible to achieve the best results. Strategies for treating writing difficulties in children include including the family and school teachers in the treatment plan for treating the child. It also includes using many skills to help the child deal with this problem.

Strategies and steps to treat writing difficulties in children

• Early diagnosis of the problem, to determine its progress and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the case.
• Give the child with this problem extra time to write homework and assignments, or take tests.
• Using all of the child's senses in learning and helping to overcome the problem. This is done by using many activities that ensure the use of all senses in the treatment plan.
• Encouraging the child and pushing him to improve. This can be helped by not constantly blaming and scolding him for bad handwriting, and encouraging him to improve his handwriting and reduce his writing time.
• Continuous writing training.
• Reducing the number of written assignments given to the child. This includes replacing written assignments with printed assignments, and reducing the number of written assignments given to the child to help him gain self-confidence and overcome his fears about writing.
• Give your child tools that can help him overcome his problems, such as pencils with erasers, easy-to-grip pens, etc.
• Training the child to pronounce the words he writes, as this helps the child write correctly.

Strategies used to treat types of dysgraphia according to each type.

Dysgraphia is classified into five types according to the cause of the dysgraphia and according to the timing of the problem. All types of dysgraphia are similar in treatment, but each type has different strategies that distinguish it from the other types. The different types of dysgraphia are as follows:

• Dyslexic dysgraphia: In this type, the problem is only in writing words automatically or spelling words without help, but the child can write normally if texts are copied from another place. In this case, dysgraphia is accompanied by dyslexia.
• The most important treatment strategy in this case is intensive reading and writing training, training in pronouncing the words that are written, as well as using educational games and applications that treat dysgraphia and dyslexia together.
• Motor dysgraphia: This type is caused by motor problems in the hands, and therefore the problem is present in spontaneous written and transmitted speech. This type is also accompanied by an inability to hold a pen, but the spelling of different words is correct and there are no problems with it.
• Treatment of motor dysgraphia requires practicing holding the pen well, as well as providing tools that help learn to write and hold the pen correctly, in addition to correcting the sitting position to facilitate adjusting the child’s motor rhythm.
• Spatial dysgraphia: The problem with this type is difficulty in perceiving the appropriate space for writing, as their writing usually contains a lot of spaces and spaces between words. There is no problem with spelling for this type, and there is no difference between automatic writing and copied writing, as the problem is only in the spaces between words.
• Treatment of this type of dysgraphia depends on adjusting the child’s visual vision, teaching him how to estimate spaces and write regularly, in addition to helping him by providing tools that help him write well.
• Lexical Dysgraphia: This type is related to problems in the language itself, as the child does not have problems with spelling, but the problem is in writing words that contain letters that are not pronounced, and there are no problems in how to hold the pen.
• Treatment of linguistic dysgraphia is done using educational books and applications that help learn to pronounce and write different words.
• Phonological Dysgraphia: The problem here is only present in new words that the child does not know. There is no problem here in the motor part, the problem is only in the spelling part, meaning the inability to spell new words, and the inability to arrange the letters to write a correct word.
• Treatment strategies for phonological dysgraphia are similar to those used for treatment of linguistic dysgraphia.

Dysgraphia is also classified according to the time of acquisition into acquired dysgraphia, which may occur in adults and children as a result of an accident or head trauma, and developmental dysgraphia, which occurs in children from the beginning of learning to write.

Tips for parents in treating writing difficulties in children

• Help children practice writing constantly, and give rewards to encourage continuous practice.
• Teaching and training the child on letter models made of cardboard, foam, etc. They can also be helped to make shapes for the letters themselves, as this helps to memorize the shape of the letter and facilitates the way of writing it.
• Use books that help teach writing, by teaching how to write letters and words in a simplified way through dots or repetition.
• Using computer applications that help teach writing letters and words.

Treating writing difficulties in children (dysgraphia treatment) requires early diagnosis to determine the extent of the condition’s progress, and to start a treatment plan quickly to get the child to the best possible educational level. There must also be cooperation between the school and parents at home in order to ensure the integration of the treatment plan.

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