Dysgraphia

[MetallicaMom]

Well, my 10 year old son has severe ADHD and has had trouble with writing from the beginning.  This year, his Dr. suggested we have him tested for Dysgraphia and this week he was tested.  We had an ARD (IEP) meeting today and the results were that he has Dysgraphia.  It is a good feeling to finally know  that he can be helped with this.  It's not the end of the world.  As a matter of fact, it's a relief. It all makes sense now!!!  If you don't know what it is, here is a little definition....

Nick has dysgraphia, a learning disability that can accompany attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD). Dysgraphia affects handwriting, spelling, and the ability to put thoughts on paper. It makes the process of writing maddeningly slow, and the product often illegible. Forming letters requires such effort that a child may forget what he wanted to say in the first place.

[DanaWar]

Apr. 24, 2008 at 7:36 PM my brother had  that situation in school and they never had a  name for it....they taped his paper down, pushed him to write with the other hand, all kinds of things....he went on to have a long and successful military career....so it is NOT the end of the world.  Look at all those other accomplishments of Nick's in his short life!

[Mommy22boys]

Apr. 24, 2008 at 8:14 PM It's always good when you find out there is a way to address the problem.  It sounds like what Aydan has only Nick's is writing and Aydan's is talking!

[betzyboop]

Apr. 24, 2008 at 10:35 PM Having  a diagnosis is great because you now can get him all the help he needs. You are the best advocate for your child and only you can make sure that he gets all the needed IEP modifications.  I am also challenged (blessed) by having my Nicky (7) who has ADHD and he is currently being tested to see if headphones would help him concentrate more in the classroom. I wish you and your son all the best. Prayer helps too. God Bless. 

[musicgirl77]

Apr. 25, 2008 at 8:45 AM My son always struggled with writing.  He can talk a blue streak and tell the wildest stories but when anyone would say, "Just put what you just said on paper" a paragraph of talking would turn to 3 sentences.  Bad handwriting and sentence structure.  We have been on him all through school and he has finally gotten better----except for his handwriting.  He just took his state test for writing (he's a junior) and it came back that he stayed on subject and did everything they were looking for.  He is also currently writing his own science-fiction book.  He writes as he can and when he finishes a chapter he posts it online so his friends can read it.  Most of it doesn't make much sense to me but I don't care for science fiction, so that's probably why.  Hang in there!  We are their biggest advocates!

[ARmom]

Apr. 25, 2008 at 8:46 AM It must be a relief to finally put a name with his problem.  I hope the school will give him the help he needs. 

[hmomshell]

Apr. 25, 2008 at 10:09 AM Wow I've never heard of that! My son has never been diagnosed with ADHD..but he has serious problems with writing and comprehending what he reads...maybe I will get him checked out! I'm glad you got it figured out, that would be a relief to know you can get him the help he needs!!

[Triscuit]

Apr. 25, 2008 at 2:45 PM

I think everyone said what I wanted to say. From meeting Nick myself I certainly never would have guessed...I didnt even notice the ADHD, proly cause mine are just as wild, lol.  But I'm sure it is a relief to finally have a name for it. What can be done to help him?

[Heartlight617]

Apr. 26, 2008 at 1:29 AM Been reading up on this. I'm sure my son has it too! I didn't know there was a test. We are headed for a meeting in the next week, as I'm rejecting the IEP :he is not progressing. There is talk of retaining him(over my dead body)His teacher got all church lady on me and said" He can barely hold a pencil and his letters are illegible" I told her that's why I'm trying to get his O.T. back, as he gets weak and tired when he works with his hands. He has very low muscle tone since he is a 32-34 week preemie.I read that it's a sign of Dyslexia.Any input?His Neurologist says he has ADD/ADHD . His teacher, who denied my requests for increased SPED services denies he has any attention problems.Right!!!!

[MiasMama123]

May. 2, 2008 at 12:43 AM So good you got diagnosed!  It IS a relief to know what it is, and how it can be managed.  Sort of sounds like how my son is, but he was born without a corpus collosum (the seperation membrane between the left and right side of his brain) and he has a baseball-sized mass in the center of his brain.  But he has those same writing and focus problems, and they say he is ADHD too, but it may just be because of these birth defects he has.