Symptom Tests

[Screener] Dysgraphia in Children

Could your child’s struggles with handwriting and fine motor skills be symptoms of dysgraphia? Take the results of this screener quiz to your doctor or an education specialist to find out.

By ADDitude Editors Verified Medically reviewed by Kendra Wagner, M.A. Reviewed on September 10, 2019
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Could your child’s struggles with handwriting and fine motor skills be symptoms of dysgraphia? Take the results of this screener quiz to your doctor or an education specialist to find out.

Dysgraphia is a learning disability that makes the process of writing difficult, and the product often unreadable. Without proper diagnosis and treatment, children with the condition are left at a disadvantage, unable to gather their thoughts on paper and demonstrate what they know.

Dysgraphia looks different in everyone, and usually changes as your child grows and learns to compensate for her most challenging symptoms. But untreated dysgraphia can have consequences that extend to adulthood — meaning it’s imperative for parents to seek a diagnosis as soon as they start to notice their child falling behind in writing and other fine motor skills.

Use this quick screener test to determine if your child might be showing signs similar to those of dysgraphia. If you get a positive result, consider discussing the possibility of dysgraphia with an occupational therapist in your child’s school district who can help devise interventions to address challenges.

This screener is created from criteria from the Learning Disabilities Association of America. This is not a diagnostic tool. If you have concerns about the possibility of dysgraphia, see a health professional. An accurate diagnosis can only be made through clinical evaluation. This screener is for personal use only.

Does your child have difficulty following the rules of grammar when writing — but not when speaking?

Is your child restless when writing — jumping out of her seat or asking to be excused?

Does your child move in a way that doesn’t appear fluid? Do her opposite arms and hands ever seem to move out-of-sync with one another?

Does your child make spelling errors in common words when writing?

Can your child talk confidently about what he knows, but resists writing it down?

Is your child’s handwriting illegible? Is it ever so bad that even she can’t read it?

Does your child seem to avoid coloring or drawing?

Over the last month or more, have you worked with your child for at least 10 minutes a day using a handwriting workbook, and seen zero or very little improvement?

Does your child complain that writing or drawing hurts or makes his hand tired?

Does your child hold pencils, pens, crayons, or markers awkwardly?

Does your child leave out critical facts or details when writing?

Does your child make excuses to try to get out of at-home writing assignments?

Does your child seem to have difficulty picking up small objects?

Does your child have trouble using scissors, buttoning clothes, or zipping zippers?

Does your child omit letters or word endings when writing quickly?

Does your child use a random assortment of letter sizes, line spaces, spaces between words, or print and cursive?

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Dysgraphia in Children: Next Steps

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6. Find: Specialists or Clinics Near You