whereditgo,
Dysgraphia isn't "doctor's handwriting". Please understand, I have relatives who are doctors (several), relatives who aren't doctors and have sloppy handwriting, and a ds who is dysgraphic.
Why do we need labels? We need diagnoses, not labels. We can think of them as labels, or we can think of diagnoses as a way to describe and define to other people what the issue is that is causing a challenge. Why do other people need to know *what* is causing certain behaviors? One example you mentioned above was a child who is punished for not completing a written assignment during class by being held in from recess. Another example is a child who doesn't score as high as they are able to because their slow handwriting prevented them from completing a test that is timed. If a teacher was going to arbitrarily decide that they'll let student X have extra time on a test because he has slow handwriting, then what does that same teacher do when the parent of student Y asks for the same thing, but the teacher doesn't think student Y really has slow handwriting and just wants extra time to go over the test and try to get a better grade? This is basically what has happened with SAT/ACT testing over the years - the diagnosis is necessary because there are people who will request accommodations who *don't* need them.
That's one reason diagnoses are needed and one way in which they are used. It's also what you'll probably see pop up as the *first* reason when you ask around on forums like this. JMO, I think it's an important reason, but not *the* most important reason. The important thing, from my perspective, is understanding *why* handwriting is slow or sloppy or whatever. It's important to understand why our children struggle with a behavior or to complete a task or whatever it is that is keeping them from being able to function to their ability inside or outside the classroom.
So back to the idea of "doctor's handwriting". Yep, doctors seem to have sloppy illegible handwriting (although there is one dr in my family who has beautiful handwriting). Plus often I think that the "sloppy handwriting" is simply happening with drs because when we see them write, they are in a hurry writing a prescription as the last thing during an appointment, their brain has headed on to the next patient they'll be seeing and no one is expecting them or asking them to write neatly. Dysgraphia isn't the same thing as "sloppy handwriting". Dysgraphia is a neurological condition in which there is a disconnect between the brain and the hand that causes a person to not develop automaticity in handwriting, which is very different than "sloppy" handwriting. Anyone can have sloppy handwriting, whether or not you know how to form the letters. For most of us, forming letters becomes second nature after just a bit of instruction and practice. For a person with dysgraphia, it takes a *lot* of practice, and automaticity sometimes never develops. For instance, my ds (15 years old, having been through handwriting OT and countless years of practice in school, can not remember how to write in cursive and will tell you that he "likes writing numbers better than letters because there are only 10 numbers to remember how to draw"). He has been through spells (particularly after handwriting OT and after learning how to write cursive) where his handwriting was very legible. His 5th grade teacher was constantly trying to tell us he wasn't dysgraphic because his cursive writing was so neat and easy to read. His handwriting now is nowhere near that legible, but fwiw, I have heard of dysgraphic students who do develop legible neat handwriting.
What truly dysgraphic students don't typically develop the ability to compensate for is the impact of dysgraphia on working memory. While a dysgraphic person is using handwriting all of their working memory is used up simply by figuring out how to form each letter. There is nothing left over to think about spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc, and the really big impact is in the ability to get their thoughts. Most dysgraphic will have a notable difference in the quantity and quality of their "writing" if you compare what comes out with handwriting vs a verbal response.
Which brings us around to the whole idea of why does a diagnosis matter? I mentioned understanding the root cause of what is causing an observed challenge. If a child was dysgraphic, for instance, and if every teacher that child had thought, ok, I"ll give him more time to finish his work, or I"ll do my best to try to read what is written and not count off for handwriting, that may seem like "enough" but it's missing the point. The child has missed out on the chance to learn how to use accommodations which will let him/her communicate fully, which eventually is going to cause both frustration for the child and most likely cause them to fall below where they could be in school due to their true potential.
Most importantly, diagnoses give the people with the challenge an understanding of why something is difficult for them. It may seem like you're saddling your child with an uncomfortable label, but ultimately it's the *challenge* that causes frustration and possibly loss of self esteem, not a label that's attached to it. The diagnosis/label provides understanding. Pretending it doesn't exist by not giving its "label" won't make a challenge disappear and won't make other people not notice that there is something "different" about a child.
Last thing, your ds is a teen now and in high school. It's not easy trying to help a teen accept that they might have a challenge or be different. The thing is, not everyone gets diagnosed when they are young, but it doesn't mean they haven't lived through years of wondering why their handwriting is "slow" or why they struggle with getting their thoughts out or why they feel different from other kids. I'll end with the example of a relative of mine who *isn't* a doctor, but becoming a doctor was her dream. The thing is, she's dyslexic, and she compensated so well for so many years in many ways without a diagnosis that she was able to go all the way through college with amazing grades and professors who loved her and recommendations galore for med school, but she always ran out of time on the verbal portions of standardized tests. She didn't get into med school because of that, and by the time she, as a young adult out of college finally realized that she could get a diagnosis, she also was no longer in school and also didn't have the $ for a private diagnosis.
polarbear
ps - one other reason for a diagnosis - by the time a student is in high school (here), the school staff expects them to be advocating for themselves, not having a parent step in when there is an issue. Having the diagnosis and understanding it makes it much easier for my ds to advocate for himself.
pps - I wrote everything above specifically about dysgraphia - I am not sure if your ds has actually been diagnosed, or it's being assumed he's dysgraphic? If he hasn't been diagnosed, I'd suggest you pursue a diagnosis either through the school or privately asap. He won't be able to get extended time etc on the ACT/SAT without it, and even with a diagnosis at this point in time it might be tough. The ACT/SAT sites request documentation showing a history of accommodation, so you may want to go back and get written letters from teachers in the past who have accommodated and who believe he needs extra time.
