Spatial Dysgraphia: When Writing Becomes a Spatial Puzzle
Spatial dysgraphia represents the most intricate manifestation of dysgraphia. Individuals affected by this condition struggle to grasp the spatial relationship between their writing and the medium they are using. While this impairment impacts various aspects of their lives, it particularly hampers their ability to write and draw. Interestingly, spelling proficiency, as well as letter and word recognition, remains intact for individuals with spatial dysgraphia. Despite this, experts still lack a comprehensive understanding of the underlying causes for this specific form of dysgraphia, and its symptoms remain distinctly unique from other types.
Causes
Dysgraphia is often caused by difficulties with working memory, which can lead to the inability to establish the necessary connections between different regions of the brain involved in the development of writing skills. This condition can specifically impact orthographic coding, the orthographic loop, and graphomotor output. Orthographic coding refers to the storage of memories related to letters and words, while graphomotor output pertains to the mechanical aspect of writing. The orthographic loop, on the other hand, encompasses the overall connection between orthographic coding and graphomotor output. In certain cases, motor dysgraphia may occur as a result of traumatic injury to the motor cortex in the brain.