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Not-Think — Disgraphia
Published: 2011-05-08 08:34:23 +0000 UTC; Views: 1350; Favourites: 26; Downloads: 6
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Basically someone told me that my handwriting was my fault on Friday- and that if I really wanted to I could 'make it better'. Yes, that is MY handwriting. I have a condition called disgraphia, a disability dealing with fine motor control (or in my case, lack thereof). Disgraphia is an incurable, untreatable disorder that can only be minimal helped by physical therapy. Coupled with another disorder that I have (Thoratic Outlett Syndrome -the pinching of the nerves and vessels in the thorax) makes it near impossible for my writing to be 'good'. If I try hard, my hand will tense up, I will exert so much pressure on the tip of the pencil in an effort to control it's movement that it will break. The physical act of writing legibly is painful for me.To put it in simple terms, my brain is miswired, and attempting to correct that hurts.
More or less the person told me that I was a nuisance to society, and that she was sick and tired of people blaming all of their problems on medical disabilities.
I asked her if her opinion was the same for someone who had head trauma, and she said 'no'.
So something that I was born with is my fault- but a person who got so piss drunk that they got into a car accident and became a vegetable isn't at fault? Real good logic there.
Ironical, one of the other people on my speech and debate team is paraplegic. She has full feeling in her legs, but cannot, and never will walk. The one who told me that I could 'fix my problem' mentioned her, and 'how amazing she is.' Yes, she is an amazing person. Yes, she does more than most fully functional people do. That does't change the fact that she cannot walk, and NEVER WILL.
Both of our problems are deal with motor function on a neurological and biological basis. What makes me any different from her? Is it that you can't SEE my problem?
Well, You just lost damn near all of my respect.
Sometime in the near future I will write this whole thing out, so you can see more than two words; and attempt to read it. My writing has been described as 'like trying to read another language.'
I also might make it into a font.....
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Comments: 31
Ohhh, so that's the name for it in English. Dummy me XD
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I just have ADHD, and I've had it since I was in 1st grade. it stinks
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I've got disgraphia as well.
What gets me is when people say "Your handwriting's not that bad. I can read it."
Sure you can read it now. I'd like you to see if you can read it by the time i reached the end of the page. That is, of course, asuming i get that far before the tremors start from tensing all the muscles in my body just to keep my hand steady and my hand cramps have me crying in pain.
When that happens, I always take a deep breath and remind myself everything going digital anyway.
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Yeah.... I've learned just to let my writing be bad, and not cause myself the pain of making it look right. And if they don't think my "readable" writing (the kind I use for essays and such) is bad- I show them an example of my notes.
I am SO glad I can type things. I'm faster at it too.
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Yup. She was a real bitch... I will refrain from mentioning names though O_o
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That's probably for the best, yeah.
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Brilliant! It's nice to know that this problem is not totaly unknown. Thank you for the comment!
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What a douchebag! Ignore that person. They obviously have not stopped to walk in your shoes.
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I've seen f people who have worse "chicken scratches" that are harder to read than your handwriting (including someone who could only write them in italics) and yet they are perfectly functional motor wise
So no, I don't view you as having a disability. You are a person who has a problem (like everyone else) but at least you're doing your best not to live behind a label, as that person suggested. If you were you wouldn't be here typing and make other people aware
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It's the same with depression and other like mental illnesses. Many people write-off afflictions that they can't see, but that doesn't make them any less real or debilitating.
Don't worry about that person. A person who is so ignorant that they write-off your condition because it wasn't caused by an accident is beneath your notice or anger.
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Thank you- that really does help for people to remind me that it's not my fault. It just hurts, you know?
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I'm pretty sure that I don't have this condition, but I would like to say that your artist comments speaks for many people who've been given the ridiculous "you should change your writing" comment. One's handwriting style can change, but seldom does dramatically after 4th grade. Why can't people get that through their heads?! I think that handwriting is a part of you, can't be helped! Thank you for sharing!
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Cant believe someone would say that. 
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Brave soul that you are, you keep going. You're you and you do the best you can. Don't let others get you down. Hang in there. (Yes, do the font. It's you. 
(others who know nothing about you and tell you how to "fix it" are ignorant and might not wish to learn the real picture. At first...)
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Thank you- that really means a lot.
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You're welcome. I meant every word. 
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Yup, disgraphia's not easy. Especially when it's coupled with something else. I have disgraphia, as well as ADHD and anxiety. All of that led to really bad frustrated crying jags when I was in elementary school. At least now I'm allowed to type most of what I write instead, so it's not as bad, but still.
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Indeed. It wasn't diagnosed in me until late elementary school, coupled with the diagnosis of ADD (a year previous) and then (three years later) I was diagnosed with TOS. Even though I have (and do) have a 504 agreement, they would often make me write anyway. That was also a close to seven years ago, when laptops were more expensive and bulky. I am SOO glad that I'm graduating in a month. Finaly, I'll be able to go to a school where people won't look at me funny if I have a computer to take notes on.
One of the other people in my class comented about another person in the school who always uses a laptop 'even though he's seen him write' and aluding to how annoying it is that he gets special privledges. thankfully he didn't say anything more than that (the other kid is a bit of an jerk- to put it nicely. Paticularly where polotics are concerned.) I never brought up the Americans with Disability Act- and the acomodations that are required by law. Which, if I can prove writing is a "major life activity" and that disgraphia "substantially limits" it, I'm covered under the act.
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It took absolutely forever to get a 504 agreement for me (most of elementary, middle, and freshman year, actually), and even after all that I still have to remind my teachers that, yes, I do have this agreement. I wish I could carry a laptop around (would make things so much easier), but knowing how often I trip over my own two feet, I'd probably break it.
I think I know someone like that, and he's pretty much an ass (pardon my language, I can't think of anything less strong to describe him) in general.
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There was a time that my geology teacher didn't know about my 504 - it was at the begining of the year. When I gently told him that I do have acomodations, and that I can't write any better (it was an end of unit test) we got talking of the specifics. Thankfully because I know much of the terminology, the actual diagnosis and such he believed me. Now he lets me go down to the computer lab to do those tests
Every school has those people, I think :/
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Yes, a font would be cool!
This is very interesting to me, I had never heard of dysgraphia before. However, I've never been too pushy around people. Not everyone can do everything, even people that aren't disabled.
In English subject at school our teacher grades our dictations from 1(very poor) to 8(all correct). I rarely study before and never get a mark lower than 6. Usually 8 if I read the text at least once before. But my friend told me she studied for 2 hours and got a 2. Can I tell her she is not trying hard enough?
But yet I can say you're in a much better place. You're not retarded, and -damnit- we got computers! 
Tell those people that the fact you can't write the way as most people can, is like having an allergy for, say, peanuts. So tell them: deal with it!
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It's not a very common condition- I also show atypical presentation of it. Most people get disgraphia after brain trauma. The thing that bugs me the most is that my condition is not a secret. I was offering it up as a conversational peice; that backfired
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Well, that's no good then.
Actually, I don't know what to say. If a teacher insists on you writing with hand, knowing you can't do it very well, then they shouldn't be disapproving of the result.
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