Our interpretation of the definition of Dysgraphia is:
Dysgraphia is indicated by the presence of poor handwriting that is less than 75% legible when read without context. Poor Handwriting must have persisted for at least 6 months. For Dysgraphia to be indicated there will have been no significant improvement in legibility despite the provision of targeted evidence-based interventions including handwriting and motor skills interventions.
Handwriting is a complex skill which requires motor, sensory, perceptual and cognitive functions, and the integration of these functions. A difficulty in any of these areas could lead to the diagnosis of Dysgraphia. Therefore at HSR Psychology we recognise the following types of Dysgraphia.
There are a number of indicators which may suggest that an individual has Dysgraphia, including:
A girl providing a handwriting sample, using writing aids
At HSR Psychology we ensure that we meet the needs of children and young people. To achieve this we ensure that any specific assessments, intervention, or direct work, is only carried out following an initial discussion.
An initial discussion allows us to understand the background and your expectations of our involvement. Having an initial discussion ensures any services we provide appropriately identify or address needs.
Our process for any specific assessments, intervention, or direct work is as follows:
We assess Dysgraphia by assessing the child or young person’s motor, sensory, perceptual and cognitive functions.
Examples of outcome measures we use include the following:
The DASH is used to assess the speed of handwriting. During the assessment our psychologists can observe how the child or young person writes in terms of posture, facial expressions, strategies used alongside letter formation.
A free writing task will be used to assess the legibility of the child or young person’s writing.
The Beery VMI is an assessment which looks at how a child or young person integrates what they see in connection with a movement, in this case writing or drawing.
A cognitive assessment is used to create a profile of strengths and difficulties in addition to checking cognitive ability.
A combination of results related to written language, processing speed, fine motor, visual spatial and perceptual skills work together to form a conclusion relating to the child or young person’s needs.
The specific assessments used will be chosen based on the child or young person. The main assessments we use are:
There are other assessments which may be used during a Dysgraphia assessment, if these are predicted beforehand then they will be discussed during the Initial Discussion. If it is thought during the Initial Discussion that it would be more appropriate for one of our in house occupational therapists (OTs) to carry out the DASH 17 and the Beery VMI then this would be discussed beforehand.
After an assessment we may recommend a targeted evidence-based intervention or strategies to be put in place. Following a period of intervention we would then carry out a re-assessment after 6 months to see if there has been an improvement. If there has been a significant improvement in handwriting following intervention then the intervention has been successful and can continue if required. If there has been no significant improvement in 6 months a diagnosis of Dysgraphia may be made and we can recommend further support strategies. A report will be provided following an assessment.
It is important to note that in some cases Dysgraphia may be a transient diagnosis as the child or young person continues to develop.
Recommendations for intervention would be suggested according to areas of need found during the assessment process, which may include working on a specific fine motor skill. Evidence-based handwriting interventions which have not previously been used may be recommended. A recommendation may involve focusing on alternative forms of written expression such as typing, or speech to text software, or mind mapping and notetaking strategies.
If you believe that you require a Dysgraphia assessment then please contact us to find out more.
Once again thank you for all your help and for actually listening to me when others wouldn’t.
Jodie (Parent)
Thank you Julie once again for the excellent report, it captured the child’s needs entirely - SENDIASS, parents and me commented on how well written it was. Many thanks for your continued assistance.
SENCO
Sarah Ward was brilliant with us. Really happy with the help and support, would recommend.
Joanne (Parent)
I think the work you have been doing has been great to help break the stigma of mental health and as a fellow sufferer I know how important that is.
Mental health professional
Many thanks for Sarah W’s hard work with our students which has been very well received.
Deputy Head
Really enjoyed it and learnt lots that I can take back to school. Thank you for the quality experience.
Sarah Tindal
Thank you Julie once again for the excellent report, it captured the child’s needs entirely - SENDIASS, parents and me commented on how well written it was. Many thanks for your continued assistance.
SENCO
We provide bespoke solutions to suit all budgets and requirements for children and young people aged 0-25 in homes, education settings and the community. Our clinical, educational and child psychology services are cost effective.
To make a referral and arrange an initial discussion please complete our referral form.
Ready to get started? The next step is to speak to our team to find out more about the services we provide and how we can help. Call us on 0161 820 9229 or email office@hsrpsychology.co.uk
Part of Tx Group
