A writing disorder is part of a larger category of disorders, called learning disorders. Typically, a child diagnosed with a writing disorder falls substantially below what would be expected given the child's age and intelligence. In other words, the child may have normal or above intelligence, but then not be able to perform at that level. One can only imagine how frustrating that can be for a child -- to know what they want to write, but not be able to put their thoughts onto paper.

Children with writing disorders tend to have poor organizational skills, may use poor handwriting, or have difficulty spelling or pronouncing words. Common behaviors include:

• several false starts at beginning a writing project,
• frequent erasing of the assignment to the point of tearing the paper,
• displaying hyperactive behavior when asked to complete a writing project,
• acting out when asked to do a writing assignment, or
• slow work, falling behind the rest of the class.

The federal government requires schools to assist children with learning disabilities in the classroom. There are several strategies that can be provided to assist a child with a learning disorder, including:

• Lessons can be rewritten or presented in an alternative way to assist the child.
• Extra writing time can be allotted or testing can be altered to accommodate the child's disability.
• One-on-one instruction can be provided to catch the child up in his/her work.
• Buddies can be assigned to help a child organize or complete assignments.
• The child can be seated away from others to eliminate distractions.

Please check the 'Parent's Rights' to learn more about how to get a child tested for a learning disability and what services can be provided.