https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65 Disabilities and Delays in Children en-us 2017-11-13 15:58:05 UTC 2025-04-21 16:34:38 UTC hello@padlet.com 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206316695 This video provides a quick summary of what dysgraphia is and how to combat it. Narrated by Dr. Sheldon Horowitz of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, he begins by explaining that dysgraphia is a writing disability concerning physical writing and expression of ideas. He breaks up the fields dysgraphia effects into three bubbles: visual and spacial skills, fine motor skills, and language processing skills. Horowitz explains dysgraphia's negative effects on these fields, then offers possible solutions or alternatives to help with their disability, like using a larger pencil or writing in cursive.]]> 2017-11-13 16:08:11 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206316695 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206316817 This video is most likely directed at parents who are just discovering their child's dysgraphia. Marianne Mullally of dyslexia.com.au uses very simple, clear terminology to outline what dysgraphia is. She stresses that the disorder is not the fault of the child, reasoning that it might just be very hard for some kids to write logical ideas down. She also describes the difference between sloppy writing and dysgraphia: there is a major difference in fine motor skills between the two. Dysgraphia may entail difficulty in direction of words and speed of writing. While she doesn't go into great detail about the difference between dysgraphia and dyslexia, she stresses that there is a difference between them. Mullally closes by encouraging parents to seek therapy to treat dysgraphia.]]> 2017-11-13 16:08:21 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206316817 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206316859 "How I Fixed My Dysgraphia" is the only video on this site that is narrated by a child with dysgraphia. Introducing himself as Geekboy, the narrator first shows the camera what his writing used to look like as an obvious example of the disorder. He then discusses how he worked on posture and grip to help fix the problem, specifically demonstrating how his arm moves with the paper. This video has a focus on movement of the body and pencil in particular: the way you're positioned and how you use your writing utensil can seriously impact writing skill. Geekboy tells the viewers how he used to write letters from bottom to top and how he switched. He makes sure to stop and think about what he's about to write. The video includes a comparison of how he used to write, and his current progress towards fixing dysgraphia as well.]]> 2017-11-13 16:08:25 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206316859 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206316908 This video is arguably the most straightforward of all of the videos here. Dr. Phyllis Books takes the viewer through a series of exercises intended to help with dysgraphia by strengthening muscles and motor skills. Books opens by encouraging viewers to think of a goal for why they are completing these exercises, or things to write about. She then has an assistant demonstrate a variety of exercises. Books works from the shoulders down to the fingers, using repetitive motions like rolling and flexing joints to stimulate muscles. Others require the interlocking of fingers or rotationg of hands. From exercise to exercise, she purposely changes the speed to warm up the hands for writing. This video is simple, but can be incredibly helpful for those with subpar motor skills.]]> 2017-11-13 16:08:29 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206316908 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206316951 "Dysgraphia: What it Is" is a short clip focusing mostly on the causes of dysgraphia. The video, animated by Brennen Morton, first defines it as a specific learning disability and a visual processing disorder that impacts written expression. Morton also suggests that those with dysgraphia may have trouble writing, spelling, and translating thoughts to paper. He then lists multiple reasons why someone may have dysgraphia. Primarily, sequencing problems in the brain are to blame for dysgraphia, but the disorder is not just limited to them. People with ADHD typically struggle with detail organization, which could lead to dysgraphia; auditory processing weakness can also increase the probability of dysgraphia and other language-based issues. Morton reassures viewers that dysgraphia does not equal dumbness, even providing historical figures who have persisted with dysgraphia.   ]]> 2017-11-13 16:08:32 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206316951 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206317003 This video discusses what dysgraphia is and how it affects children at all stages of development. The narrator opens by stating that dysgraphia comes from the "dys," meaning difficulty and "graphia," meaning writing. She then moves on to discuss signs and possible causes of the disorder. Pencil use and letter writing can both show signs of dysgraphia, as they involve muscle control issues. She offers a possible strategy for solving pressure issues, then continues by discussing how putting thoughts into sequence can help aid children with dysgraphia. The narrator describes how children with dysgraphia tend to be phonic spellers, and typically have issues with vowels and sound blending. The teacher closes by showing the viewers an example of what written dysgraphia looks like, and a slide of how that child would spell certain words.]]> 2017-11-13 16:08:36 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206317003 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206317061 This video is the longest of the ten in this set. Narrated by Jen Osen-Foss of Understood, "Webinar..." presents a series of graphic organizers and stressing their importance in helping with dysgraphia. Jenn describes what a good graphic organizer should achieve and who it can help. She then introduces the sequence chart organizer and persuasion map, both of which are useful in constraining letter size for students who have height issues. Next is the spider map, which can help children with dysgraphia organize the ideas that they may have difficulty translating to paper initially. The T-table and Hamburger paragraph have similar goals; the Hamburger uses a visual cue to further help. Lastly, Jenn recommends some accomodations for these organizers (such as partial phrasing or rewording practice) to encourage and develop the student's writing skills. In addition, she offers supportive strategies when they begin using graphic organizers. The final few minutes of the video offer a glimpse into a dialogue with Andrew from the Understood Team, where the two discuss questions about the graphic organizers they have just discussed. ]]> 2017-11-13 16:08:41 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206317061 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206317096 This is a quick video focusing on dysgraphia's causes, symptoms, and problems it can cause. Dr. Shelja Sen stresses that dysgraphia comes from a deficit in graphomotor skills. She reveals that posture can affect dysgraphia in multiple ways. Body position, grip, and pressure can all impact a child's writing skills. Sen also informs parents about what to look for to spot dysgraphia in their child. The video ends with Sen encouraging any parents who might be watching, promoting psychology as a possible mechanism to help fix dysgraphia. Though this video may be short, it summarizes dysgraphia's causes and noticeable features well.]]> 2017-11-13 16:08:45 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206317096 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206317196 "The Subtypes of Dysgraphia" describes how the aforementioned disability is not just an issue with writing. Lucy of DysgraphiaHelp explains that there are at least five subtypes of dysgraphia that can be identified. First is motor dysgraphia, which occurs when illegible handwriting comes from below-average fine motor skills. Spacial dysgraphia is a result of difficulties with visual spacing, while dyslexic dysgraphia has more of a focus on spelling when writing by hand. More difficult to grasp is phonological dysgraphia: similar to dyslexic dysgraphia, this occurs when writers fail to remember previous spelling rules they used to understand. Last is visual dysgraphia, where handwriting can be legible but unorthodox, and some words are completely misspelled. People with dysgraphia could have just one or possibly multiple subtypes. Lucy closes by inferring that finding out which subtype a child has could lead to better treatment.]]> 2017-11-13 16:08:53 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206317196 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206317399 This video is different from the others on this list as it presents a more personal narrative. Ronnie Sidney narrates this video, telling the viewer of his struggles with handwriting as a child. Sidney says he felt isolated, as being African-American and disabled meant he had to work "three times as hard." His teacher, Ruth Tobey, explains that Ronnie was an excellent talker, but struggled as a writer. Afraid of the stigma of being "special ed," he only really began to express himself through music in high school. Working with kids during college inspired Ronnie to pursue a major in human services. Now a published author, this video exemplifies how those with dysgraphia can be successful.]]> 2017-11-13 16:09:12 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/206317399 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/208967251 2017-11-21 06:07:28 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/208967251 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/208967412 2017-11-21 06:08:47 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/208967412 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/208967441 2017-11-21 06:08:54 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/208967441 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/208967455 2017-11-21 06:09:00 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/208967455 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/208967508 2017-11-21 06:09:31 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/208967508 18cumminsm https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/209077378 Before doing this project, I hadn't even heard of dysgraphia. Much like most, I assumed that handwriting issues were specialized to the child and that everyone fixed their writing as they grew older. However, the problem of dysgraphia is legitimate, and requires some hard work to fix. In simple terms, dysgraphia is a lack of fine motor skills that leads to trouble with handwriting and translating ideas to paper. This disability is typically discovered at an early age when children begin writing full words or sentences with a pencil.
The majority of videos on Youtube about dysgraphia were concerned with what dysgraphia is and its symptoms. Most often, signs of dysgraphia include an incorrect grip on a writing utensil, visible pressure on the paper, and illegible or difficult-to-read handwriting. Children with dysgraphia have difficulty forming letters on paper, and tend to make consistent spelling errors when writing. The usual form of fixing dysgraphia is to get theraputic help, or practice exercises intended to strengthen motor control and idea progression. Typically, kids with dysgraphia use tools like graphic organizers and lined paper to keep their writing in check.
When I first started this project, I was going in blind. I had zero idea about the serious causes of dysgraphia and how the brain played a role. My dad has mild dyslexia, but I had never thought a disability like that could extend into writing. Of all the videos, I was most impressed by the story of Ronnie Sidney. He struggled with dysgraphia as a child, but was able to turn his difficulty communicating ideas into a children's book and is now a successful author. In addition, I found it really interesting that handwriting is not the only way dysgraphia can show itself: idea communication is a major issue for children with dysgraphia and can continue to effect the child long after they have corrected their handwriting. Overall, I'm very surprised by the amount of information on this topic available, as well as the fact that it is not well-known.]]> 2017-11-21 13:32:40 UTC https://padlet.com/18cumminsm/wquvasunvy65/wish/209077378