Tag: disorder

Could that difficulty in writing be a sign of laziness or Dysgraphia?

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Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder characterised by a difficulty in handwriting. Having dysgraphia doesn’t make a child lazy. Writing involves a number of complex skills including visual and language processing, use of working memory, and fine motor skills- all properly coordinated. This means for a child to write, they need to first process what they have seen or heard, what they want to write, how they should write it and finally translate these into marks, letters, or characters. Sometimes you may find that this skill is poorly developed and this may not be due to any underlying issues except the time it takes for children to develop and perfect these skills. But, if there was an underlying issue how would you as a parent/carer or educator know? The answer is: there are indications that can be seen which may suggest the presence of an underlying problem. The final diagnosis of the presence of dysgraphia would only be made by educational psychologist after due assessment and fine motor assessment input from an occupational therapist.

Below are some indicative signs that a child might have dysgraphia:

  • Poor memory or ability to recall and retain age appropriate information. This could lead to incomplete letters or words and may be further evidenced by constantly saying words aloud while writing.
  • Poor visual spacing or overall spatial planning which may be further seen in the way the child writes. You might see letters that go in all directions, writing that is not in line or writing that is not spaced out.
  • Poor pencil grip- this should originally be the fisted grasp, then the palmer’s grip followed by the five finger pencil grasp and finally tripod or three finger grip. A 5 year old using the five finger grip for example could be a sign of poor grip.
  • Poor muscle strength and finger dexterity which may result in pains or constant tiredness. This can arise from fine motor difficulties so such child might experience other difficulties such as the use of a scissors or cutlery.
  • Other speech and language difficulties suggesting a child might not be processing auditory or visual information properly.

As in most cases of neurological difficulties, early intervention can be very helpful. There are also several activities which can be done both at home and in the school to support children with dysgraphia.

Remember, no concern is trivial. So, if you notice anything unusual or have concerns about a child, please consult a licensed professional or a pediatrician.

Developmental delay or Developmental disorder???

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Without understanding fully what either term means, you are probably thinking one is worse than the other. This is not necessarily so. Somewhere in your mind you may be tempted to believe that a delay just means late and therefore your child will catch up with time but what if it is a delay which will last into adulthood or through life? Or what if it is a delay that lasts long enough to become a disorder? The extent of the lag and the presence of other symptoms should give you a clue. For instance, if a child is not walking by 24 months, you may be worried that the child has a delay. However, if the same child is also not using any words by this time or not gesturing appropriately for their age, it could then be an indication of other underlying conditions.

Whilst a developmental delay could simply mean that a child is not meeting their developmental milestones (in one or all areas of physical, cognitive, behavioural, emotional and social development) as expected, it might also be an early warning sign for some other underlying issues which would need to be resolved by a professional. A developmental disorder on the other hand means that the process of development is either not following the right order or is even missing a particular step resulting in impairment in one or more areas of functioning. Think of a disorder this way: A, B ,C, D, E, F is the natural sequence of alphabets but if it then starts to go A,B,D, C,F, you call that a disorder. The symptoms of a disorder can improve over but the impairment itself would not be outgrown.

The question now is why should it matter to you as a parent if it is a delay or a disorder? Maybe the comfort you get from thinking the particular developmental challenge will eventually pass away? Whatever you think please share your comments below.

At the end of the day, you should remember that be it a delay or a disorder, early intervention is key and makes a lot of difference to how the child will be able to overcome their challenges. Track your child’s development, trust your instincts and if you have any concerns, speak to your paediatrician.

Before you offer that unsolicited parental advice…

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This is a society where we believe “it takes a community to raise a child”. Therefore, we are automatically entitled to giving parenting advice to others- bad enough before they ask for it, and worse still in the face of a child that is not well behaved.
Well, just in case you did not realise, these are the assumptions you may have consciously or unconsciously made about the recipient of your advice:
1. That they need it
2. That they don’t already know about it
3. That they have not tried it before
4. That they are not doing a great job at parenting

A badly behaved child is not always a result of bad parenting. Some children genuinely struggle with appropriate behaviour.

That child who just can’t sit in one place or follow instructions might have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
That other child who keeps making that “weird noise” might have Tourettes syndrome.
Oh! and that child who had a meltdown at the hairdresser’s might have SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder).
That child who can’t wait their turn and keeps crying might have AUTISM.
And that child that seems very violent, temperamental and disruptive might have ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder).

So when you feel the urge to dole out that unsolicited parenting advice, or cast that judgemental look or murmur “na wa oh!”, how about trying EMPATHY. It is understanding what someone else is going through by putting yourself in their shoes. If you have not parented a special needs child, you don’t know what it takes to parent a special needs child.