Handwriting can be defined as producing letters and numbers to support writing, sentence structure and text to transform ideas into written language.  It is an advanced skill that requires the coordinated application of motor, sensory, visual, postural, perceptual, cognitive  and psychosocial abilities.

 

In short, handwriting is making speech visible.  The marks on the page that we call letters and numbers represent spoken language. 

 

The term dysgraphia (from the Greek; dys meaning difficulty and graphia meaning the written word) has been applied to handwriting difficulties, with a distinction between motor-based  dysgraphia and language-based dysgraphia.

 

Motor-based  dysgraphia, now more commonly known as Developmental Coordination Disorder, exists where  the difficulty is predominantly in the mechanical production of the letters and numbers, i.e., the physical act of handwriting. Skilled occupational therapy intervention can assist to develop automatic, readable and functional handwriting.  The Foundations for Handwriting program goes beyond the basic motor components to include an introduction to phonics-based spelling, sentence generation and grammar.

 

 Language-based dysgraphia is an impairment in written expression. A student may have trouble formulating what to write, incorporating the conventions of written language such as grammar and syntax and producing mature written text appropriate to their school level and intellectual ability.  Difficulties with language-based dysgraphia should be referred to a speech therapist.

 

Some people argue that handwriting is neither important nor required today as recent technological advances, such  as  laptop computers, tablets and mobile phones have diminished the need for handwritten communication.  However, students still spend a significant amount of the school day in writing for academic purposes.

 

 In the infant or early school years time is devoted to the development of handwriting readiness skills, such as colouring, tracing and drawing.  These pre-skills are underpinned by competence in abilities such as crossing the midline, selecting and maintaining a dominant writing hand, having a functional pencil grip, in-hand manipulation, etc. Handwriting also requires organisational skills, working, memory retention and retrieval skills, language and vocabulary, and the ability to generate ideas, etc.  Handwriting also requires the graphomotor skills of producing upper and lowercase letters and numerals in an automatic and efficient way that generates legible and readable text at a reasonable rate of output while maintaining the space, size, shape and sequence of the letter formation.

 

Handwriting is hard work!