1.ThisistheVOASpecialEnglishEducationReport.Peoplewhohaveunusualdifficultywithreading,writing,listeningorworkingwithnumbersmighthavealearningdisability.Wetalkedlastweekaboutareadingdisorder,dyslexia.Todaywediscussawritingdisorder,dysgraphia.Writingisnotaneasyskill.Notonlydoesitrequiretheabilitytoorganizeandexpressideasinthemind.Italsorequirestheabilitytogetthemusclesinthehandsandfingerstoformthoseideas,letterbyletter,onpaper.Expertssayteachersandparentsshouldsuspectdysgraphiaifachild'shandwritingisunusuallydifficulttoread.Lettersmightbesizedorspacedincorrectly.Capitallettersmightbeinthewrongplaces.Thechild'shand,bodyorpapermightbeinastrangeposition.Thesecanallbesignsofdysgraphia.Spellingproblemscanalsoberelatedtothedisorder.Manypeoplehavepoorhandwriting,butdysgraphiaismoreserious.Dsygraphiaisaneurologicaldisorderthatgenerallyappearswhenchildrenarefirstlearningtowrite.Writingbyhandcanbephysicallypainfulforpeoplewhohaveit.Therearedifferentkindsofdysgraphia.Anditcanappearwithotherlearningdisabilities,especiallyinvolvinglanguage.Expertsarenotsurewhatcausesit.Buttheysayearlytreatmentcanhelppreventorreducemanyproblems.Forexample,specialexercisescanincreasestrengthinthehandsandimprovemusclememory.Thisistrainingmusclestoremembertheshapesoflettersandnumbers.Childrencantryawritingaidlikeathickpenciltoseeifthathelps.Schoolscanalsoprovidesimpleinterventionslikemoretimetocompletewritingactivitiesorassistancefromanotetaker.Teacherscouldhavestudentswithdysgraphiataketestsbyspeakingtheanswersintoarecorder,ortypetheirworkinsteadofwritingit.Childrenwithdysgraphiamightbeabletoavoidtheproblemsofhandwritingbyusingacomputer.Yetexpertssaytheycouldstillgainfromspecialinstructiontohelpthemorganizetheirthoughtsandputthemintowriting.Suchskillsbecomemoreimportantaschildrengetolderandschoolworkbecomesmoredifficult.Andthat'stheVOASpecialEnglishEducationReport,writtenbyNancySteinbach.Ourcontinuingseriesonlearningdisabilities,alongwithlinkstomoreinformation,canbefoundatvoaspecialenglish.co