The tests that were useful in diagnosing our ds' dysgraphia were finger-tapping - the results of the finger tapping tests combined with the Beery VMI will give you a clue re is it a fine motor issue or a visual-perceptual issue.
So I'm assuming he did Ok on the finger tapping? I think my DS would do poorly on that, just like screwing pegs into the board. If he has dysgraphia, it's the motor type and related to his Developmental Coordination Disorder.
blackcat, I'm not sure if you're asking the OP about the fingertapping or me - fwiw, my dysgraphic ds (who has DCD), had low scores on fingertapping, which indicates a neurological disconnect between the brain signals and fine motor function in the hands... which is why it's helpful determining if the dysgraphia is due to fine motor or not. You can sorta check finger tapping yourself at home if you want to try it - the "tapping" is just putting together different combinations of fingers with thumb (all on same hand) and asking the child to repeat what you do. It looks really easy - but my ds can't do it! When his neuropsych showed us the first time, I didn't believe her because it was something that just *looks* so simple. Turns out neither my ds or my dh can do it - they think they are copying what you show them but their hands and fingers are doing totally different things.
polarbear
Thanks polarbear, yes I was asking you. I think I'm confused because with DCD I thought everything with motor skills was pretty much poor. So how is it that your DS is able to do well on OT assessments?
My DS does well on any fine motor task that also involves visual processing...so for instance he can draw the state of Texas pretty well from memory (or any other random state). But anything that is purely physical and looks JUST at coordination, he does poorly on. The school is in the process of evaluating him and I'm worried that they are going to come back and tell me he is just fine for writing, whereas if they just asked him to manipulate small objects or tap his fingers he would tank it. So does that mean he is not dysgraphic, he just has DCD? When he writes, the main problem seems to be controlling the pencil and it goes in directions it's not supposed to go. I guess I'm confused about how this all ties together.
