Dysgraphia and How to Manage It

Dysgraphia is a learning disorder that affects writing ability and motor skills. A person with dysgraphia can be identified by his illegible handwriting, inconsistent spacing, and poor to no spatial planning while writing on a piece of paper. He may also exhibit much difficulty in composing when writing.

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Whether he writes in print or cursive, the handwriting of a person with dysgraphia is very difficult to understand. Sometimes, the inconsistencies even involve mixing print and cursive handwriting as well as capitalization and lower case writing. He may also have a lot of unfinished words in his compositions.
As far as the writing itself goes, he may write in a weird and awkward position with regard to his body and the paper. Even his grip on the pen or pencil seems highly uncomfortable.
To help people with dysgraphia, medical and psych experts have suggested using a word processor. To learn more, they have also been recommended tape recorders or note takers when listening to lectures. Some teachers also forgo written exams for these individuals, creating specialized oral exams.
For the instruments being used, people with dysgraphia are suggested to utilize wide rule and graphing paper. Pens with specially-designed grips have also proven helpful.

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Curtis Cripe, Ph.D. is the director of research and development of NTL Group -- a neuroengineering services provider specializing in technology that diagnoses and repairs brain dysfunction, including learning disorders in both children and adults. Learn more about the NTL Group by checking out this website.

First eight years of life critical in preventing substance abuse

Studies suggest that the vast majority of people who become addicted to alcohol, tobacco, and drug usually had their first taste of the bad stuff when they were young – in fact very, very young. In recent decades, substance abuse has even become more prevalent among pre-teen children, showing the sad reality that no child is safe from an epidemic of addiction. 

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Now it appears that different factors affect a child’s self-control and overall mental health from pregnancy through the eighth year of life, according to an online guide on early childhood interventions launched by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in March 2016. While substance abuse usually begins during teenage years, it has existing biological, psychological, social, as well as environmental roots that start even prior to birth. 

“We now know that early intervention can set the stage for more positive self-regulation as children prepare for their school years,” said NIDA director Dr. Nora D. Volkow in a media release announcing the launch of “Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention for Early Childhood,” which tackles major influences on early development issues such as lacking school readiness skills and uncontrolled aggression. 

It is deemed crucial to understand what draws kids to drugs, and be armed with basic information about the substances that currently prevail in their neighborhood. It is also important to be cognizant of the signs that a drug problem might be taking root in the home. 

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Dr. Curtis Cripe was the founder of the Crossroads Institute, which formulated neuroengineering programs to diagnose and treat a wide array of neurological dysfunctions, including addiction and learning disorders. Learn more on this page.