Dysgraphia: Early diagnosis can be critical in the long-run

NEUROSCIENCE | Oct. 23, 2019

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One of the most common diagnoses in kids who learn differently, particularly in kids who deal with dyslexia and ADHD, is called dysgraphia. Dysgraphia at its core boils down to a miscommunication between the brain and the body - most notably the hands or mouth. This means...

DMA was founded for the students who are left to fall through the cracks in the current educational system. This is happening in both public and private schools because they simply don’t have the resources and infrastructure in place to address the issues of students that learn differently. 

We talk a lot about how every one in eight students possess some kind of learning difference that inhibits their performance in school. What results is about 13% of students progressing through their education with little to no signs of success. They can feel embarrassed because they don’t perform as well as their classmates and they can’t understand why. They can feel isolated because maybe they have to attend special education classes or maybe they get held back while their friends move to the next grade. 

These kinds of experiences so early in a student’s life can literally be life-changing. 

One of the most common diagnoses in kids who learn differently, particularly in kids who deal with dyslexia and ADHD, is called dysgraphia. Dysgraphia at its core boils down to a miscommunication between the brain and the body - most notably the hands or mouth. This means that kids who possess dysgraphia can struggle with speaking or writing what’s on their mind, putting these students at odds with the current education system. From this perspective, writing an essay or giving a presentation seems like a pretty unfair demand of a dysgraphic student.

Here, we can start to see the long-term impact of these early childhood experiences. Parents can feel helpless when it comes to understanding why their child is struggling so much and teachers can be just as much in the dark. Without a diagnosis, issues like dysgraphia get overlooked and the root of the actual problem is never addressed. As time goes on, these students are inaccurately profiled by each institution they end up getting involved with. 

The symptoms of dysgraphia occur because it is a condition that deals with motor symbol sequencing in the brain. In our last video from our Educational Series, Todd explains this cognitive function in great detail. Watch this video to get a better understanding of motor symbol sequencing:

Dysgraphia is only one of the many problematic, underlying issues DMA is trying to tackle - head-on. There are serious limitations in the current education system and along with them come some serious implications for these students who are just trying to get an education.

We can’t beat around the bush anymore as a society. we need to start tackling this problem head-on because the current system is simply not equipped to adequately address these students who have learning differences. But it’s just like our Director of Education always says, “For DMA, failure is not an option.” It’s time to teach each individual child in the way that they learn best.