Fact · Accessibility and health
At its broadest, a 2020 clinical review says dysgraphia covers problems with letter formation, letter spacing, spelling, fine motor coordination, rate of writing, grammar and composition.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“At its broadest definition, dysgraphia is a disorder of writing ability at any stage, including problems with letter formation/legibility, letter spacing, spelling, fine motor coordination, rate of writing, grammar, and composition.”
Disorder of written expression and dysgraphia: definition, diagnosis, and management, Peter J Chung and Dilip R Patel, Translational Pediatrics, 2020, Introduction: definitions and disagreement.
Open the original (DOI 10.21037/tp.2019.11.01)- What it measures
- The review says the field does not agree on one definition, and it separates developmental dysgraphia, which appears as children learn to write, from acquired dysgraphia, which follows damage to brain pathways. Both forms are covered by the broad definition.
- What it does not show
- A broad definition covers more than the handwriting problem many people picture. The review notes that the scope varies between sources, so a diagnosis should come from a qualified clinician rather than from this list.