Dysgrahia
Dysgraphia: How It Affects A Student’s Performance and What Can Be Done About It
Alyssa L. Crouch Jennifer J. Jakubecy
A Case Study Published in
TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus
Volume 3, Issue 3, January 2007
Copyright © 2007 by the author. This work is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
Dysgraphia: How It Affects A Student’s Performance and What Can Be Done About It
Alyssa L. Crouch Jennifer J. Jakubecy
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to apply two techniques, drill activities and fine motor activities, to find whether they help improve the handwriting of a student with dysgraphia. This action research used an ABAB single subject design to find which technique worked better over an eight-week period. The results were inconclusive on which technique worked better. However, the combination of both improved the subject’s handwriting and increased his score by 50%. Therefore, this study suggests that using both techniques can help improve the problems associated with dysgraphia, especially in the area of handwriting.
Keywords handwriting, dysgraphia
SUGGESTED CITATION: Crouch, A. L., & Jakubecy, J. J. (2007). Dysgraphia: How it affects a student’s performance and what can be done about it. TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, 3(3) Article 5. Retrieved [date] from http://escholarship.bc.edu/education/tecplus/vol3/iss3/art5
“The ability to write is truly one of the most important factors in the academic process.”
Timothy Dikowski
Introduction Writing is a skill highly valued in our society, even in a time of computers and technology. In the past, handwriting was prized because it was a primary form of communication; people needed to get notes to others that were legible (Ediger, 2002). Now that typewriters and computers are used to communicate between people, handwriting has become a rare form of communication. However, handwriting is still a critical skill and needed for many reasons
Alyssa L. Crouch Jennifer J. Jakubecy
A Case Study Published in
TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus
Volume 3, Issue 3, January 2007
Copyright © 2007 by the author. This work is licensed to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
Dysgraphia: How It Affects A Student’s Performance and What Can Be Done About It
Alyssa L. Crouch Jennifer J. Jakubecy
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to apply two techniques, drill activities and fine motor activities, to find whether they help improve the handwriting of a student with dysgraphia. This action research used an ABAB single subject design to find which technique worked better over an eight-week period. The results were inconclusive on which technique worked better. However, the combination of both improved the subject’s handwriting and increased his score by 50%. Therefore, this study suggests that using both techniques can help improve the problems associated with dysgraphia, especially in the area of handwriting.
Keywords handwriting, dysgraphia
SUGGESTED CITATION: Crouch, A. L., & Jakubecy, J. J. (2007). Dysgraphia: How it affects a student’s performance and what can be done about it. TEACHING Exceptional Children Plus, 3(3) Article 5. Retrieved [date] from http://escholarship.bc.edu/education/tecplus/vol3/iss3/art5
“The ability to write is truly one of the most important factors in the academic process.”
Timothy Dikowski
Introduction Writing is a skill highly valued in our society, even in a time of computers and technology. In the past, handwriting was prized because it was a primary form of communication; people needed to get notes to others that were legible (Ediger, 2002). Now that typewriters and computers are used to communicate between people, handwriting has become a rare form of communication. However, handwriting is still a critical skill and needed for many reasons
References: Berry, J. (1999). Fine motor skills in the classroom: Screening and remediation strategies. (“The Give Yourself A Hand Program” Booklet). Framingham, MA: THERAPRO. Keller, M. (2001). Handwriting club: Using sensory integration strategies to improve handwriting. Intervention in School and Clinic, 37, 9-12. Meese, R. L. (2001). Teaching learners with mild disabilities: Integrating research and practice (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Orton, S. T. (1937). Reading, writing, and speech problems in children. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company. Richards, R. (1998). The writing dilemma: Understanding dysgraphia. Riverside, CA: Richards Educational Therapy Center. Richards, R. (1999). The source for dyslexia and dysgraphia. East Moline, IL: LinguiSystems. Smits-Engelsman, B. C. M. & Van Galen, G. P. (1997). Dysgraphia in children: Lasting psychomotor deficiency or transient developmental delay? Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 67, 164-184. About the authors: Alyssa L. Crouch is a teacher in Fairfax, Virginia. Jennifer Jakubecy is an assistant professor in the Education Department at the University of Mary Washington.