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District Dysgraphia Program – Oh, the
Possibilities!Setting up a Plan to Provide
Identification and Intervention for One of those “Related Disorders”
Region 10 ESC December 11, 2014
Sue Cuculic, M.Ed.
Cypress-Fairbanks ISDDyslexia Specialist/Teacher Facilitator
[email protected]@cfisd.net
Prepare your brain…
Take 30 seconds to:
• Turn to your neighbor
• State one thing you hope to gain from this workshop
• When you hear the 3rd chime, we move on…
Today’s Plan:
Why the district began this journey into Dysgraphia Land
How we developed our dysgraphia identification process
The interventions provided
Current state of dysgraphia in our district
Plans for the future
You don’t have a
hard copy of this
presentation, but
it is available to
you online...
http://cuculicr10DysgraphiaWorkshop2014.wikispaces.com/
Address for the resources for today’s workshop:
(NO SPACES)
Why should we identify dysgraphia?
The Handbook:From the TEA Dyslexia Handbook 2014, page 16
Dysgraphia is one of those “related disorders” that is specifically mentioned
(2) Related disorders includes disorders similar to or related to dyslexia such as developmental auditory imperception, dysphasia, specific developmental dyslexia, developmental dysgraphia, and developmental spelling disability.
(http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ED/htm/ED.38.htm#38.003)
The Texas Education Code (TEC) §38.003 defines related disorders in the following way:
• Outside assessments
• Parent requests
• We want to provide appropriate interventions
Why else should we identify Dysgraphia?
First, we decided we would need to define this related disorder in order to identify and provide intervention.
What is Dysgraphia? Numerous Definitions from around the World...
What is dysgraphia? (retrieved from the International Dyslexia Association website 10/26/12 at www.interdys.org)
Dysgraphia is a Greek word. The base word graph refers both to the hand’s function in writing and to the letters formed by the hand. The prefix dys indicates that there is impairment. Graph refers to producing letter forms by hand. The suffix ia refers to having a condition. Thus, dysgraphia is the condition of impaired letter writing by hand, that is, disabled handwriting. Impaired handwriting can interfere with learning to spell words in writing and speed of writing text. Children with dysgraphia may have only impaired handwriting, only impaired spelling (without reading problems), or both impaired handwriting and impaired spelling.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Richards, R.G. (1999). The source for dyslexia and dysgraphia. LinguiSystems, Inc., East Moline, IL.
Dysgraphia is primarily a processing problem, that is, an impairment in the process of writing rather than merely a poor product or end result... has weak motor memory... may form a letter several different ways within the same sentence..________________________Regina Richards
Dysgraphia is a form of agraphia, the total inability to write. It is seen in children who are slow to develop writing skills and in adults who acquire the syndrome because of brain injury. ... Older children who have practiced writing a lot can sometimes produce legible writing. Closer observation of their technique, however, often shows that the sequence of motion has been distorted...It is essential to watch children with dysgraphia write, because their performances give an indication of the deficiencies.
_______________Cavey, D. W. (2000). Dysgraphia: Why Johnny can’t write – a handbook for teachers and parents – 3rd ed., Pro-Ed, Inc., Austin, TX
Diane Cavey
HANDOUT
What Is Dysgraphia?By: National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD)Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing abilities. It can manifest itself as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper.________________________________________
Ldonline.org by NCLD
What is Dysgraphia? (retrieved from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dysgraphia/dysgraphia.htm on 10/26/12)
Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder characterized by writing disabilities. Specifically, the disorder causes a person's writing to be distorted or incorrect. In children, the disorder generally emerges when they are first introduced to writing. They make inappropriately sized and spaced letters, or write wrong or misspelled words, despite thorough instruction. Children with the disorder may have other learning disabilities; however, they usually have no social or other academic problems. Cases of dysgraphia in adults generally occur after some trauma. In addition to poor handwriting, dysgraphia is characterized by wrong or odd spelling, and production of words that are not correct (i.e., using "boy" for "child").
What are the Warning Signs of Dysgraphia?Just having bad handwriting doesn't mean a person has dysgraphia. Since dysgraphia is a processing disorder, difficulties can change throughout a lifetime. However since writing is a developmental process — children learn the motor skills needed to write, while learning the thinking skills needed to communicate on paper — difficulties can also overlap.___________________________________________
NIH - NINDS
(retrieved from WrightsLaw.com 10/26/12)
What is dysgraphia? Dysgraphia is a specific learning disability that affects how easily children acquire written language and how well they use written language to express their thoughts. Dysgraphia is a Greek word. The base word graph refers both to the hand’s function in writing and to the letters formed by the hand. The prefix dys indicates that there is impairment. Graph refers to producing letter forms by hand. The suffix ia refers to having a condition. Thus, dysgraphia is the condition of impaired letter writing by hand, that is, disabled handwriting and sometimes spelling. Impaired handwriting can interfere with learning to spell words in writing. Occasionally, but not very often, children have just spelling problems and not handwriting or reading problems. What causes dysgraphia?Research to date has shown orthographic coding in working memory is related to handwriting. Orthographic coding refers to the ability to store unfamiliar written words in working memory while the letters in the word are analyzed during word learning or the ability to create permanent memory of written words linked to their pronunciation and meaning. Children with dysgraphia do not have primary developmental motor disorder, another cause of poor handwriting, but they may have difficulty planning sequential finger movements such as the touching of the thumb to successive fingers on the same hand._____________________________________
WrightsLaw.com (they got theirs from IDA)
(retrieved from MedicineNet.com 10/26/12)Dysgraphia: A specific developmental disability that affects a person's handwriting ability. Problems may include fine-motor-muscle control of the hands and/or processing difficulties.
________________________________
(retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysgraphia on 04/20/14)Dysgraphia is a deficiency in the ability to write, primarily in terms of handwriting, but also in terms of coherence.[1] Dysgraphia is a transcription disability, meaning that it is a writing disorder associated with impaired handwriting, orthographic coding (orthography, the storing process of written words and processing the letters in those words), and finger sequencing (the movement of muscles required to write).[2]
______________________________
MedicineNet.com
Wikipedia
The DSM V (US ‘Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders’)
Dysgraphia is defined in the DSM-5 as a “Disorder of Written Expression,” where “writing skills, as measured by individually administered standardized tests (or functional assessments of writing skills), are substantially below those expected given the person's chronological age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education.”Dysgraphia interferes with the communication of ideas in writing, and contributes to poor organization on the line and on the page. This difficulty is out of harmony with the person's intelligence and regular teaching instruction. Dysgraphia often exists alongside language-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia._______________________________
The New DSM V
(RETRIEVED 10/27/12 FROM HTTP://WWW.DYSLEXIAA2Z.COM/LEARNING_DIFFICULTIES/DYSGRAPHIA/DYSGRAPHIA_WHAT_IS.HTML)
WHAT IS DYSGRAPHIA? DYSGRAPHIA SYMPTOMSDysgraphia (pronounced: dis-graf-ia) affects approximately 10% of the population. Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder, dysgraphia symptoms are characterised by the inability to write properly. Dysgraphia in fact refers specifically to the inability to perform operations in handwriting. It could be described as an extreme difficulty with fine-motor skills.
Fine-motor skills are essential for good writing. Students with dysgraphia symptoms may have difficulties with the simplest of writing tasks; their handwriting will barely be legible; the writing will appear incorrect; distorted; have letters of different sizes and different size spaces between letters. Student’s have particular difficulties following a straight line and keeping to a margin. Students with dysgraphia find it particularly painful when writing by hand. Dysgraphia Checklist
DEFINITION OF DYSGRAPHIA
‘Dysgraphia means having severe problems with the written word, which is affected by extreme difficulty with fine-motor skills - in spite of having normal intelligence and ability’.
by Dr David Cowell & Maria Chivers, 2008
Dyslexia A2Z
(England)
(retrieved from http://www.
merriam-webster.com
/medical/dysgraphia on 04/20/12)
dys·graph·ia noun \(ˈ)dis-ˈgraf-ē-ə\
Definition of DYSGRAPHIA
Impairment of the ability to write caused by
brain damage
_______________________
Say what ?!?
The Dictionary People ?!?
DysgraphiaSome children have diagnosable motor problems and also related handwriting problems, but the larger number have dysgraphia (Greek word meaning impaired letter form production by hand), that is, handwriting problems despite motor function that falls within the normal range; see Berninger (2004) for further information on this distinction. The hallmark features of dysgraphia, a biologically based learning disability, are impaired orthographic coding and/or graphomotor planning for sequential finger movements, which together function as the orthographic loop (Berninger, Raskind et al., 2008).
From: Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, May 2009; 24(2): 69–80.doi: 10.1111/j.1540-5826.2009.00281.x
PMCID: PMC2717633 NIHMSID: NIHMS124304Highlights of Programmatic, Interdisciplinary Research on Writing
Virginia W. Berninger
MS042 Differential Diagnosis and Treatment for Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, OWL
LD, and Dyscalculia
Virginia W. Berninger
Nicole Alston-Abel
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
National Association of School Psychologists Boston, Feb. 25, 2009, 2-3:50 pm
Dysgraphia
Problem in handwriting automaticity—retrieving and producing legible letters effortlessly and fast,
Problem in spelling with or without indicators of dyslexia,
Problem in finger motor planning, and/or
Problems in executive functions for self-regulating the composing process (fluency and quality).
“Dysgraphia is unusual difficulty with handwriting and/or spelling that may occur alone or with dyslexia (impaired word decoding, word reading, and spelling) or OWL LD (impaired morphological and syntactic awareness and comprehension). Children with dysgraphia who have difficulty with handwriting may have illegible letter formation and/or excessively slow, non-automatic letter writing. The handwriting problems may also interfere with their spelling and written composition (Berninger & Amtmann, 2003). Children with dysgraphia who have difficulty spelling experience difficulty in translating all their ideas into written language “ (p. 93).
Students’ “handwriting may be impaired in 1) legibility—how easily others can recognize their letters out of word context, 2) automaticity—how many legible letters they can write in 15 seconds, and 3) speed—how much time it takes them to complete a writing task” (p. x). Berninger, V.W., & Wolf, B.J. (2009). Teaching students with dyslexia and dysgraphia, lessons from teaching and science, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD
Berninger & Wolf
In other words….
Unexpected
Time to Move …• Stand up and take 15 steps away
from your seat (toward people)
• Share with one or two nearby people, two or more ideas and/or characteristics many of the various definitions have in common.
• When the music gets louder, please return to your seat
So, this is what we developed for our working definition:
The Texas Education Code (TEC) §38.003 defines dyslexia in the following way:
(1) Dyslexia means a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by a difficulty in learning to read, write, or spell, despite conventional instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity.
The Unofficial Definition of Dysgraphia:
Dysgraphia is a disorder of constitutional origin manifested by an unexpected difficulty in handwriting and/or spelling, despite appropriate
instruction, adequate intelligence, and sociocultural opportunity.
Now that we had a definition of dysgraphia,
we decided we would need to develop the Primary Characteristics of dysgraphia,
just like TEA did with dyslexia.
Now what?
The committee (§504 or ARD) must first determine if a student’s difficulties in the areas of reading andspelling reflect a pattern of evidence for the primary characteristics of dyslexia with unexpectedly lowperformance for the student’s age and educational level in some or all of the following areas:
• Reading words in isolation• Decoding unfamiliar words accurately and automatically• Reading fluency for connected text (both rate and/or accuracy)• Spelling (An isolated difficulty in spelling would not be sufficient to identifydyslexia.)
Using TEA’s example for Dyslexia:
Dysgraphia
Problem in handwriting automaticity—retrieving and producing legible letters effortlessly and fast,
Problem in spelling with or without indicators of dyslexia,
Problem in finger motor planning, and/orProblems in executive functions for self-
regulating the composing process (fluency and quality).
Once again:
Berninger & Wolf
Based on the district’s definition and several mentioned research sources, the district determined that the following are the: Primary Characteristics of Dysgraphia - Unexpected difficulty with:
Handwriting legibility based on formation, alignment, size, slant consistency, and spacing
Handwriting speed in near-point copying and dictation
Spelling words in isolation and in context
Once defined and the primary characteristics
clarified, now we needed to determine the most
effective, efficient, and appropriate way to assess
for dysgraphia.Unlike the dyslexia
evaluation, assessment for dysgraphia is not described
in the TEA Dyslexia Handbook, or any other Texas
Education Agency resource that we could locate.
The actual process of identification and intervention of dysgraphia mimics the process and identification for dyslexia:
1.Data Gathering/Review
2.Formal Evaluation3.Identification4.Intervention
Dysgraphia IdentificationData Gathering/Review
From the new Handbook:
Dysgraphia IdentificationData Gathering/Review
Dysgraphia IdentificationData Gathering/Review
From the Teacher:
HANDOUT
HANDOUT
HANDOUT
https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/writing-issues/understanding-your-childs-trouble-with-writing
Case Study
Using your checklist
Handouts…
Sample Data
ReviewHANDOUT
Time to Process…Table Talk:
Could you now explain/teach what to look for before deciding whether or not to go on to Formal Dysgraphia Evaluation?
Formal Evaluation Process:
General Education – 504 ProcessSpecial Education – Special Education Process
Now, for assessment, we turned to our Region 13 experts from Austin, Texas:
Judy ButlerAcademic Services
Education Specialist: Dyslexia & Related Disorders512-919-5168
and
Nichole KertisAcademic Services
Education Specialist: Special Education512-919-5246
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=285042
http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=285042
HANDOUT
HANDOUT
HANDOUT
Sample Formal
Evaluation
HANDOUT
Why should we provide an intervention for dysgraphia?
The Handbook:
From the TEA Dyslexia Handbook 2007, Updated 2010
And, because we are
teachers!
Based on a survey conducted by Handwriting Without Tears®. The survey interviewed 459 kindergarten through fifth grade teachers from June to August 2013
There are sooooo many programs out there!
And, there are sooooo many different handwriting styles:
http://www.educationalfontware.com/
Handwriting Intervention
Each school must provide an identified student access at his/her campus to an instructional program that meets the requirements in 19 TAC §74.28(c) and to the services of a teacher trained in dyslexia and related disorders. While the components of instruction for students with dyslexia include good teaching principles for all teachers, the explicitness and intensity of the instruction, fidelity to program descriptors, grouping formats, and training and skill of the teachers are wholly different from coreclassroom instruction. Page 26
From the Handbook:
Handwriting Intervention
What does effective
Handwriting Intervention
look like?Berninger, Wolf, and IDA
Handwriting Intervention
HANDOUT
Instruction for Dysgraphia• Teach manuscript letters first. If children become
automatic in manuscript proceed to cursive.• Research showed no advantage for cursive writing for at-
risk 1st graders. Manuscript writing has greater transfer from writing to reading and from reading to writing (especially in word processing environment).
• Introduce cursive writing. If too difficult (e.g. child has dysgraphia) focus on becoming a reader of cursive rather than writer of cursive. Let children choose preferred writing format and teach and practice that until automatic. Research showed that good writers choose a mix of manuscript and cursive or manuscript only. In Australia children can choose their preferred writing format more choose manuscript.
Food for Thought:From Berninger
Let’s look at which of the descriptors for dyslexia intervention instruction could and should be applied to instruction for students with dysgraphia.
From the Handbook:
There are several available programs:A few good Handwriting intervention resources:
Region 4 ESC Handwriting Intervention Program (HIP)
Handwriting Without Tears Program (http://shopping.hwtears.com/)
Berninger, V. (1998). Process assessment of the learner (PAL) Handwriting lessons: a program for handwriting automaticity (http://www.pearsonclinical.com/psychology/products/100000220/process-assessment-of-the-learner-guides-for-intervention.html)
Loops and Other Groups Program (http://www.pearsonclinical.com/therapy/products/100000277/loops-and-other-groups-a-kinesthetic-writing-system.html)
EZ Write Program (http://www.ezwriteonline.com/)
Zaner-Bloser Handwriting Program (http://www.zaner-bloser.com/zaner-bloser-handwriting)
Big Strokes for Little Folks (http://www.pearsonclinical.com/therapy/products/100000369/big-strokes-for-little-folks.html)
Let's Write Right Program (http://www.avko.org/Info/handwriting.htm)
Based on a survey conducted by Handwriting Without Tears®. The survey interviewed 459 kindergarten through fifth grade teachers from June to August 2013
“It is a (darn) poor mind indeed which
can think of only one way to spell a word.”
1933
Spelling Intervention
What does effective Spelling
Intervention look like?
Berninger, Wolf, and IDA
Spelling Intervention
HANDOUT
Some good Spelling intervention resources:
Region 4 ESC Spelling Intervention Program (SIP)
Spellography (http://www.soprislearning.com/literacy/spellography),
Scientific Spelling (http://neuhaus.org/spelling-instruction/),
All About Spelling (
http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/all-about-spelling),
How to Teach Spelling (
http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/products/details.cfm?series=1847M),
Sitton Spelling (
http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/products/details.cfm?series=1886m)
Sequential Spelling (http://www.avko.org/sequentialspelling.html)
The main
programs
we use…
The HIP (Handwriting Improvement Program)
24 sequential, cumulative 30-minute lessons1. Relaxation and Reflection2. Review3. New Concept(s) with Linkage page4. Practice:
a) Near Point Copyingb) Far Point Copyingc) Signatured) Instant Writinge) Spontaneous Writing
5. Review and Close
Region 4 ESC Intervention
HIP Lesson 4
HANDOUT
The SIP(Spelling Improvement Program)
37 sequential, cumulative lessons that take 20-30 minutes each
1. Relaxation/Reflection2. Phonological Awareness3. Review of Sounds4. New Learning
a) Introduce New Conceptb) Practicec) Spelling Notebook
5. Review by Writing
Region 4 ESC Intervention
SIP Lesson 4
HANDOUT
http://youtu.be/MioksLrNPdU
Any program must be provided with fidelity. If an intervention is locally developed based on the student's needs, you would need to be sure it is specific, systematic, cumulative, and provided at least 3 days per week.
Best practice for accelerated improvement would be to provide an appropriate intervention daily for, at least, 15-20 or 20-30 minutes.
From our previous
TEA Dyslexia Handbook
HANDOUT
Dysgraphia InterventionAttendance / Progress Monitoring:
HANDOUT
Write it down… and Share
• Write down an idea for your next step toward identifying and/or serving students with dysgraphia, or for training
• Find a neighbor and share that idea
• 3 chimes to wrap it up
• Prepare to share
What about Accommodations?• There’s classroom
accommodations and• There’s assessment
accommodations
HANDOUT
Current State of Dysgraphia
in Our District
Since December 201253 Elementary Campuses
General Ed Completed 16 “Initial Section 504 Evaluations” for Dysgraphia
Special EdCompleted 4 Dysgraphia Formal Evaluations
Current State of Dysgraphia
in Our District
We have about 12 students receiving handwriting/spelling
interventions through the dysgraphia services program.
Many more are receiving Tier 2 writing/spelling interventions.
Most of these students receive their instruction from a dyslexia
teacher.
The Future of Dysgraphia in Our District
Expect the number of requests to increase as the word spreads and as more teachers are trained
Training the dyslexia teachers to complete the dysgraphia assessments (who currently complete the dyslexia evaluations)
Increased writing/spelling intervention(s) training also being provided.
Sue Cuculic, M.Ed.Cypress-Fairbanks ISD
Dyslexia [email protected]
If you need more
information …...
