Dysgraphia assessment recommendations - London

[nvcontrolfreak]

Could anyone recommend a specialist who is experienced in dysgraphia assessments?

The school suspects dyslexia/dyspraxia but from my research DD's difficulties are much more in line with dysgraphia. However, none of the EdPsychs from the school's list mention dysgraphia in their profiles/websites - it's all about dyslexia/sometimes dyspraxia/ADHD etc.

Many thanks!

Dysgraphia tends to be a diagnosis when threshold for Dyspraxia hasn't been met. In truth, there is very little agreement on definition or even the existence of the condition.

It needs to be more than poor handwriting, and should include an inability to recognise the structure of written language. However, both of these would be covered by dyspraxia, hence when dysgraphia becomes a nod to certain difficulties when an assessor doesn't think dyspraxia is clear.

That's interesting. I am not a specialist and my views are based purely on online research, but my understanding is that dyspraxia implies difficulties with motor skills in general (like riding a bike, catching a ball, zips/buttons, etc). DD has no difficulties in this regard whatsoever.

Her difficulties are only with writing: slow speed of handwriting, messy, lots of crossings out, poor letter formation, mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, almost no spacing between words, difficulties with staying on the line, sizing etc. Also, big discrepancy between verbal and written expression, difficulty with sequencing/retelling a story etc.

Also, she is pretty well organized in general - to do lists, diary for homework, almost never forgets homework, no issues packing her bag (even in Year 7, she is now Year 10), very good with maps, etc

So I am struggling with regards to who would assess that? And what it might be...

I have replied to this one in PM.

EeAichCeePee seems to be making it up as they go.
Dysgraphia, a.k.a. disorder/impairment of written expression, is a recognised condition and is listed as such in the DSM and ICD, which are the definitive references. There is no debate about it's existence.
Also, it's not an "inability to recognise the structure of written language". It's a difficulty in producing legible written output, though this can stem from organising what is to be written and holding it in working memory, as well as the mechanics of handwriting.
Diagnosis needs to take account of age, ability and prior instruction - what is normal for a 16 year old is not normal for a 6 year old, and a 6 year old in the UK who has had two years in school will be subject to different expectations than a child of the same age in a country with a later school start. An ed psych familiar with age-appropriate expectations in the local school system should be able to confirm the presence/absence of dysgraphia.
There is a good article here
Dyspraxia, on the other hand, is more general and requires a norm-referenced test of gross and fine motor function to diagnose.

With respect, that it exists as a term in dsm5 does not mean it is well defined. I am not making it up as I go along. This article summarises the difficulty with definition very clearly if you wish to read up:

www.educational-psychologist.co.uk/sen-resources-blog/2016/1/22/cannot-pass-the-knowledge-of-life-and-language-in-the-uk-test-knoll-1

But EeAicheCeePee you wrote that "In truth, there is very little agreement on definition or even the existence of the condition". That amounts to spurious misinformation given that both the DSM and ICD (and every qualified specialist I've discussed it with) are in no doubt that it exists.
You also wrote that dysgraphia is "should include an inability to recognise the structure of written language" which is simply not true. I've seen severe dysgraphia in a child who had no difficulties in recognising the structure of written language, but still had significant difficulties in producing written output.
Lastly you muddied the waters concerning dyspraxia and dysgraphia by suggesting that "dysgraphia becomes a nod to certain difficulties when an assessor doesn't think dyspraxia is clear", which is again untrue. Difficulties associated with dysgraphia are specific to producing written language. Difficulties with dyspraxia are far more generalised. The former is not a "fall-back diagnosis" when the latter is not clear.
I'm fully aware of the difficulty surrounding diagnosis - that's why I made the point that it needs to take account of age, ability and prior instruction and should be made by a specialist familiar with age-appropriate expectations in the local school system. As for the blogpost you've linked, I've seen it before. The diagnostic criterion they list (a quarter of words illegible when read in reverse order) takes no account of age, ability or prior instruction and is therefore too crude to be useful.

You've also just written on this thread about screening tests for specific learning difficulties that "I have never known a screening test to not suggest some kind of difficulty. They are very blunt instruments". However screening tests are generally norm-referenced and will only identify a difficulty if the performance is outside the normal range. The tests are thus constructed to ensure that only a small percentage of results will be identified as abnormal. If this were not the case the screening test would generate far too many false positives and would fall out of use. So again what you've written is not true in general, though it might perhaps reflect your very limited experience.

Hello, I was just wondering if you finally found where to get an assessment for dysgraphia.
My son has been diagnosed with it in France 3 years ago and when I talked about it with the SenCo she first said she didn't know what it was and after research that it wasn't recognised in UK. I really stuggle to get him the support he needs and I'm fed up with the school doing nothing.