Dysgraphia Diagnosis, a thing of the past?
I saw an interesting news report this morning, that outlined how manuscript and handwriting are worsening with students in elementary school, middle school and into high school. The news report attributed this to the rise in computer use and other technological advances (cell phones, PDA's etc.). My question or thought for this blog is: If this is the case, that student's handwriting and manuscripting capabilities are being diminished by the use of computers and PDA's, will then dysgraphia be a thing of the past? Will dysgraphia be eliminated, eventually from the DSM IV as even a description of an LD, because as students type more, as teachers request papers to be typed (not written), as cell phones and PDA's become more "typing friendly", will not dysgraphia disappear altogether? Should regular education teachers continue to focus on handwriting/cursive skills or shift their focus and teach students how to type? Should special educators continue to work diligently on the writing skills with students with dysgraphia or shift the focus to a more friendly writing tools like the alpha smarts and a variety of word processors? Some things to consider:
1). If a true longitudinal study was conducted with a number of students depicting the diminished capability of handwriting skills was shown, then what does this say for our technological society?
2). Are other societies also finding (cross culturally) the same output in their own school systems as well? (concentrating on more of the technologically advanced societies)
3). Is legible cursive/handwriting becoming a thing of the past as computer technology takes over? (keep in mind that e-books can be read and written online, blogs, comments, thoughts, even the e-portfolio for teachers to keep with students is online..) It has even gotten to the point that students are able to e-mail me their documents (papers) if they need to.
4). Are we doing our students a diservice, by allowing for so much technology integration to take over, or is it an actual beneficial service?
5). As computer technology furthers, there will be so much more in the way advances. I use "Dragon Software" with many of my students with Dysgraphia. It is software that allows them to speak, and it types the words for them. While still working on their handwriting skills, this gives them the capability of effectively communicatingt their thoughts. Will things like, Dragon Software then eliminate the dysgraphia LD diagnosis altogether, as students won't NEED to write any longer as we continue down this technological pathway.
I would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this. I found this report on the news absolutely fascinating. Would love to see more studies on this phenomena.
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Comments
Dysgraphia
Justine,
I never thought of dysgraphia as a failure of handwriting so much as the failure of the brain to produce thoughts that could be put on paper. To the extent that dragon speak eliminate the blockage experienced by dysgraphic individuals, I think we can say that the problem is now conquered.
We have to recognize when a diagnosis can now be conquered by technology. There is no effort to preserve near-sightedness - the person is just fitted with glasses or contacts. Same with a hearing deficit. And mobility issues are solved by wheelchairs, scooters, and the old fashioned cane or ubiquitous walker.
So, now we can prescribe dragon-speak for dysgraphics in the same way that we prescribe glasses for the sight-impaired.
Anne
Anne Pemberton
Vice President, Educational Synthesis
weezo45@gmail.com
dysgraphia
It is true that technology can help eliminate the need for handwriting, but it is important to understand that dysgrahpia encompassesmore than the physcial act of writing. It is a problem with the writing process. According to Occupational Therapists I've spoken with, it also involves the processing system involved with sequencing, especially motor movements that should be sequential and very automatic. Dysgraphia also ties in to language disorders as children having trouble organizing and expressing their ideas orally using also have motor planning issues, something speech therapist deal with. To take it a step further it seems to me it ties in with reading. Reading is sequential , involves the movement of the eyes (tracking) and should eventually be automatic. Computers should be seen as accomodations or bypass strategies, but I think we still need to analyze the root of student's problem and remediate it. Some examples are use of writing graphic organizers (of which I have many if anyone is interested), use of metacognitive strategies, (acronyms for specific steps student should learn to do automatically, spelling needs to be phonetic equivalent , then student can use a spell checker. Fatigue when writing can be addressed by an O.T. using sensory integration techniques, i.e.; warming up hands, shake hands, rub hands, sitting pushups, push down on hands when seating lifting body slightly off chair. Model model model provide models. I feel handwriting is important esp for beginning learners as it sends sensory messages to the brain and helps integrate all the other academic subjects.
Elyse Baruch-Halperin
Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant
Elyse.Halperin@gmail.com
Written Expression....
Hi Anne,
I am finding different views on how educators define dysgraphia, as I have always stuck to the typical DSM IV definition The Diagnostic Statistical Manual 4th Edition identifies a "Disorder of Written Expression" as "writing skills (that) ...are substantially below those expected given the person's ...age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education". Of course, I am just more glued to the DSM IV because that is what our school system and psycho-educational professionals refer to when diagnosing, but that does not mean that is everyone's definition, or even the right one. I do find it interesting, that you see it as the "brain to produce thoughts that could be put on paper." I believe what you are saying, please correct me if I am wrong, is that you don't need "hand to paper or keyboard" contact to write. If we eliminate that, how might we look at writing as a "skill" from the DSM IV definition?
I think my premise was rather than looking at ways to accomodate, because what is mentioned are all fantastic accomodations, I was a little stuck on the definition and how the DSM IV might have to revise it's definition on the basis of the elmination all together of the writing aspect. If it does elimate the word "writing" out of it's definition... will it then change how dysgraphia is essentially defined as in your particular definition? Will we then look at dysgraphia without the writing aspect, and focus more on the brain to paper aspect? If I am not mistaken, you are saying that Dragon Speak is writing, but I might interject that it is coming from speech, rather than hand to computer or paper. While the interpretation of speech is a wonderful tool, is that actually writing? I really don't know... I am just throwing it out there.
I think that "writing skills" needs to be a little more explained or defined. So, how do we define writing skills if we are to look to the DSM IV? Or, it certainly could be left up to interpretation.
An important distinction
Anne,
Voice input does eliminate the problem of dysgraphia, but there is an important distinction. Dysgraphia means a disconnection between the thoughts in the brain and the motor movements necessary to put those thoughts on paper. If a child has a problem with handwriting but not keyboard input then the problem is handwriting. If the keyboard and handwriting output are both impaired, then I would consider this dysgraphia. Otherwise I would say the problem is handwriting. It is possible that there is a brain dysfunction that is limited to cursive but not keyboarding, but I have never heard of it.
Just an update
One thing I did not mention, which is extremely important, is that some school programs are actually eliminating teaching cursive/handwriting in the lower elementary levels and replacing them with computer classes for typing. I don't know the percentage of schools that are doing this, but I do also find that interesting. This then begs another question, which is: Will then cursive become more of an "art" form like calligraphy as we move into the techno-speak future instead of a communication tool?
.Justine's Point on Cursive Writing
Justine you bring up a good point:; If we delete cursive writing and replace it with computer skills, will cursive writing become an art form rather than a communication tool. From my experience in a typical high school classroom. four to six students use print as a preferred handwriting mode. As long as it is legible, we can expect that these students will continue to be print-preferred students. If the writing is legible, at this stage I don't address the "dysgraphia" unless there are other significant issues.
One of those issues is the ability to sustain the legibility and the concentration. If the attention to the content is being drained, then I ask for an "amenuensis" (scribe). this works for many students who have attention issues as well as the "dysgraphia". The place where I have the most difficulty supporting this population is when note-taking is a challenge. Some teachers prefer that the student do his best and then copy a classmate's notes others will accept a laptop. Access to the printer is becoming a solution but planning must be negotiated. With success mainstream teachers become more cooperative. However, our campaign for support needs to continue.
When I teach check writing, I instruct signature writing and initialing. Students in the resource room need skills such as these and it is often neglected in the planning process of the high school program.
"Dysgraphia" is a much more eventful difficulty in the elementary school. One parent thought that her son's thoughts would not mature without a pen in hand. We agreed to work on handwriting with small or short projects as long as an "amenuesis" was available.
I recall a time that bright children with significant problems in writing were told they were future "MDs"; executives dictated to a stenographer or a dictaphone. Now the computer can take dictation. I guess time will be on the side of the dysgraphic as technology improves. However, parents and mainstream teachers will continue to need coaching to accept this ever-increasing shift. Occupational therapists are brought in for the more complicated difficulties. I encourage education evaluators to make referrals as early in the process as possible to avoid the tears at home and school.
Sheila
Sherose School Psychologist
Developmental Learning Specialist
Talk about coinicidence
I just posted this message on two groups at Gather.com
Back to basics is a mantra we often hear about the direction Education should take. The point of this post is to disagree and propose an alternative: Forward to Basics.
In the 19th century handwriting, computation, and spelling were the basics, or in the words of the song, "reading, writing, and arithmetic". They are still desirable in the 21st century, but no longer the basics. In this post, I want to speak about writing.
Writing is still a basic, but using a quill pen no longer has the same importance as it did in the 19th century. Writing means to be able to put your thoughts in a form that can be shared by others who are distant in time and space. It does not mean that a first grade child has to learn writing with paper and pencil. Consider the effort and strain that this child, whose fine motor coordination is still developing, to write a single word, much less a sentence. I propose we teach children to write primarily by using a keyboard and teach them to use paper and pencil as a secondary skill. The employer of the 21st Century is more interested in keyboard skills then handwriting.
I am not proposing to eliminate paper and pencil. There are times when a handwritten note is a wonderful touch and calligraphy is wonderful skill. But a child's ability to write a story should not be hampered by the need to use a pencil neatly, with no reversals, staying within the margins, etc. Writing with paper and pencil may disappear by the next generation where texting will have become a new basic. I will mourn its loss.
Let's move forward to the basics of the 21st Century
I want to add another comment on dysgraphia
What is meant by dysgraphia in grammar school? Is it a matter of poor handwriting? Would a child not be able to "write" using a keyboard.
Dysgraphia as the result of brain damage means the ability to write whether with pencil or keyboard is disrupted. The person can speak but the connection between the thought and the manual movement necessary for writing is missing.
A child who can write on a keyboard but not with a pen presents a much different problem and solution than one who can do neither. In the first case let the child use a keyboard. In the second let the child use voice input to a computer.
DRZ'S point regarding dysgraphia
I wonder why some classroom teachers take the responsibility to reject a dysgrphic student's work when they would never consider taking a pair of crutches away from a student with a broken leg. From my experience the serious dysgraphics now have access to laptops. However, fear of students having access to the internet or spell check undermines their judgment.
How can we work to minimize the number of incidents where teachers remain blind to their negative impact? I used to use electronic keyboards with spell correction turned off. We need an inexpensive text writer that makes the teacher feel in charge. Teachers need to be in the loop in order for change to be successful. Why hasn't a teacher controlled keyboard appeared on the market? It seems so simple.
Sherose School Psychologist
Developmental Learning Specialist
The Netbook
Today, I stopped by a display of computers to see the touted Netbook. It is is light weight (two and a half pounds) and reasonably priced. It has access to the internet and word processing software; however, it does not fit the description of providing control to the teacher. I was disappointed. Ralf Fletcher aptly described the forces that hold teachers in check in the book Walking Trees. I would be interested in knowing if anyone who read the book agrees.
Sherose School Psychologist
Developmental Learning Specialist