Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Feb;9(Suppl 1):S46-S54.
doi: 10.21037/tp.2019.11.01.

Disorder of written expression and dysgraphia: definition, diagnosis, and management

Peter J Chung  1 , Dilip R Patel  2 , Iman Nizami  2
Affiliations
Review

Disorder of written expression and dysgraphia: definition, diagnosis, and management

Peter J Chung et al. Transl Pediatr. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Writing is a complex task that is vital to learning and is usually acquired in the early years of life. 'Dysgraphia' and 'specific learning disorder in written expression' are terms used to describe those individuals who, despite exposure to adequate instruction, demonstrate writing ability discordant with their cognitive level and age. Dysgraphia can present with different symptoms at different ages. Different theories have been proposed regarding the mechanisms of dysgraphia. Dysgraphia is poorly understood and is often undiagnosed. It has a high rate of co-morbidity with other learning and psychiatric disorders. The diagnosis and treatment of dysgraphia and specific learning disorders typically centers around the educational system; however, the pediatrician can play an important role in surveillance and evaluation of co-morbidity as well as provision of guidance and support.

Keywords: Dysgraphia; accommodation; disorder of written expression; modification; remediation; specific learning disorder.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: DRP serves as the unpaid Deputy Editor-in-Chief of TP and the unpaid Guest Editor of the focused issue “Neurodevelopmental and Neurobehavioral Disorders in Children”. TP. Vol 9, Supplement 1 (February 2020). The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

References

    1. Nicolson RI, Fawcett AJ. Dyslexia, dysgraphia, procedural learning and the cerebellum. Cortex 2011;47:117-27. 10.1016/j.cortex.2009.08.016 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Tseng MH, Chow SM. Perceptual-motor function of school-age children with slow handwriting speed. Am J Occup Ther 2000;54:83-8. 10.5014/ajot.54.1.83 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fournier del Castillo MC, Maldonado Belmonte MJ, Ruiz-Falcó Rojas ML, et al. Cerebellum atrophy and development of a peripheral dysgraphia: a paediatric case. Cerebellum 2010;9:530-6. 10.1007/s12311-010-0188-3 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Deuel RK. Developmental dysgraphia and motor skills disorders. J Child Neurol 1995;10 Suppl 1:S6-8. 10.1177/08830738950100S103 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Berninger VW. Defining and Differentiating Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, and Language Learning Disability within a Working Memory Model. In: Mody M and Silliman ER. editors. Brain, Behavior, and Learning in Language and Reading Disorders. New York: the Guilford Press, 2008:103-34.