3 of 7

Write now Article Tools

Writing provides us with the ability to express information to the world around us. Notes to a friend, reminders, lists, and many employment tasks may be impossible for many people with a learning disability in basic writing. It is often felt that children with LD's in basic writing skills lack the general ability to learn or are suffering from a low IQ. This is far from the truth. Students with writing disabilities are just as intelligent as or more intelligent than their peers. It is not that the child is lacking knowledge. He or she is merely unable to show their level of comprehension in the standard method. A basic writing disability means that the student is unable to physically reproduce letters and words onto paper. Learning letter sounds and usage of words in the correct way might also be a problem.

There are a wide variety of characteristics and causes of LD's in basic writing, also known as dysgraphia. If the child holds a pencil very tightly or has poor writing posture, they may be suffering from a difficulty in writing. Learning disabled students will often print and write in the same sentence, use a mix of capitol and little letters inappropriately, or form letters and words in a peculiar way. Written words are often spelled badly or are formed untidily making the learner's writing completely illegible. If a child's writing skills appear far behind those of their peers, the possibility of dysgraphia should be looked into. Heredity and brain injury are thought to cause learning disabilities in basic writing. Disabilities in motor skills, expressive or receptive language, hearing, or vision may also be present complicating written learning disabilities.

When working with a writing disabled student, evaluations should be conducted to determine the extent of the problem and which instructional methods should be used. Observation is a key tool to discovering the extent of LD's in writing. It is a good idea to carefully examine the learner's work as well as posture, attitude, and behavior while performing written tasks. After items of interest or concern are noted, they may then be discussed with an educational specialist prior to any assessments being performed. This type of input from parents and teachers can then be added to information gathered by a professional through language, behavioral, occupational, and cognitive assessments. It can also ease some of the stress on parents during the initial steps of dealing with written disabilities.

After assessments

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about How to deal with learning disabilities in basic writing skills?
We want to hear your view. Write now!