Related quotes, referencing important concepts about dysgraphia

From The Source for Dyslexia & Dysgraphia (LinguiSystems):

• Dysgraphia is defined as "a writing pattern characterized by substantial effort which interferes with a student's ability to convert ideas into a written format."
• The basic prerequisite skills for letter form and use of space are inefficient, causing great energy drain and consequently interfering with the higher level performances of expression using a written format.
• Primarily, the student experiences difficulty in automatically remembering and mastering the sequence of muscle motor movements needed in writing letters or numbers.
• It is a difficulty which is out of harmony with the person's intelligence, regular teaching instruction, and (in most cases) the use of a pencil in non-learning tasks. It is an unexpected underachievement -- an unexpected underachievement based on the student's strong skills in other areas. (Page 72)
  

From When Writing's a Problem (RET Center Press):

• Dysgraphia is an inefficiency would seldom exists in isolation without other symptoms of learning problems. While it may occasionally exist alone, it is most commonly related to learning problems involved within the sphere of written language. (Page 26)
• Mel Levine identifies six different areas of dysfunction which contribute to a diminished written output. These are selective attention, simultaneous production, sequential production, memory, language, and fine motor skills. (Page 27)
• A dysgraphia pattern may exist in many degrees. Some children are able to draw a simple design and can trace within boundaries, but they are unable to develop automatic consistencies in writing letters.they struggle to copy figures that require reciprocal movement and contained a repetitive pattern. Some students especially those who are older and a practice writing a great deal, and sometimes produce legible writing; however, closer observation of their technique indicates a distorted sequence of movements.(page 31)
• a message to students: a dysgraphia pattern is often misunderstood. Parents and teachers may think you are lazy or that you don't care about maintenance. This means that you have to work even harder to show that you do care. (Page 6)

From IDA Fact Sheets (available at the web site for the International Dyslexia Association):

• Emotional factors arising from dysgraphia often exacerbate matters. At an early age, these students are asked to forego recess to finish copying material from the board, and are likely to be sent home at the end of the day with a sheaf of unfinished papers to be completed. They are asked to recopy their work but the second attempt is often no better than the first. Because they are often bright and good at reading, their failure to produce acceptable work is blamed on laziness or carelessness. The resulting anger and frustration can prevent their ever reaching their true potential.
• Prevention, remediation and accommodation are all important elements in the treatment of dysgraphia. Many problems can be prevented by early training.
  Young children in kindergarten and grade one should learn to form letters correctly; kinesthetic memory is powerful and incorrect habits are very difficult to eradicate. Muscle training and over-learning good techniques are both critical for the remediation of dysgraphia. Specifically designed exercises are needed to
  increase strength and dexterity. A specialist can recommend the most appropriate plan of exercises.
• For all students, kinesthetic writing, that is writing with eyes closed or averted, is a powerful reinforcer. Work needs always to begin with the formation of
  individual letters written in isolation. Alphabets need to be practiced daily, often for months.
• Individuals can benefit from a variety of modifications and accommodations. One effective method is to teach the use of a word processor, bypassing
  the complex motor demands of handwriting. Many students may find learning the keyboard by the alphabet method easier than beginning with the
  home keys. For many, touch typing offers a whole new opportunity to learn to spell through a different kinesthetic mode. Students should also experiment
  with different writing tools; some people with dysgraphia may find pencil grips helpful.

Informative related articles by Regina G. Richards that may be downloaded from the Inland Empire Branch of the IDA and from LD on Line .

All of the sources listed above provide recommendations for accommodations and bypass strategies.