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Dysgraphia and Writing Difficulties

What Parents Most Often Come to Us With

“The handwriting is illegible.”

“Writing takes an enormous amount of effort.”

“My child writes slowly and resists it.”

“Their hand hurts after just a few lines.”

Sometimes the child has a diagnosis of dysgraphia.

In other cases, there are significant writing difficulties that do not match the child’s age, abilities or effort.

The common denominator is frustration – the child feels that they are failing, even though they are trying.

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How Dysgraphia May Be Related to Persistent Primary Reflexes

Writing is not just about the hand and the pencil. It is a complex neurodevelopmental skill that depends on the whole body. For writing to work well, the nervous system needs:

  • stable sitting posture and postural control

  • appropriate regulation of muscle tone

  • good hand–eye coordination

  • mature visual processing and orientation on the page

  • the ability to maintain attention and an appropriate pace

In some children, persistent primary reflexes may also play a role – automatic responses that should gradually have been inhibited during early development. If they persist, they may use up the capacity the child needs for fluent and effortless writing.

Typical Examples We See in Connection With Writing

  • STNR may make stable sitting and desk work more difficult – the child fidgets, changes position, leans on the desk or “slumps” over it.

  • ATNR may interfere with crossing the midline and hand–eye coordination – handwriting may be uneven, the child may compensate by using the whole body, and may find it harder to maintain direction and stay on the line.

  • The Spinal Galant reflex may make sitting still more difficult, especially when using a backrest – the body reacts to contact with the back and attention quickly breaks down.

  • TLR may affect posture and muscle tone – the child may be either too “floppy” or, on the contrary, unnecessarily tense, press too hard with the pencil and tire quickly.

  • The Moro reflex may increase the stress response – under pressure, such as speed, dictation or grading, performance may deteriorate significantly.

  • This does not mean that “reflexes are responsible for everything”. It means that for some children, they are one of the developmental layers that can place a significant burden on writing – and it makes sense to assess them.

How We Address This Area in NDS

We do not begin with the shape of the letters. First, we look for what is making writing difficult at a more fundamental level – in the body, coordination, regulation and sensory processing.

As part of our work, we focus on:

  • assessing persistent primary reflexes and their impact on sitting, hand function and endurance

  • stability of the trunk, shoulder blades and shoulders as a foundation for fine motor skills

  • hand–eye coordination and orientation on the page

  • regulation of muscle tone – relaxation versus precision, and endurance without excessive tension

  • pace and attention during writing, so that the effort does not become overwhelming

  • short home activities lasting a few minutes a day, which we continuously adjust

💡 Important to Know

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You do not book “dysgraphia therapy”. Writing difficulties are always addressed as part of Neuro-Developmental Stimulation (NDS), and the specific approach is based on the initial assessment.

This means we do not focus only on what the handwriting looks like, but on making writing manageable and sustainable for the child.

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Book an Initial NDS Assessment

Your initial assessment is with Marja. We will recommend a therapist for follow-up appointments based on the assessment results and your child’s needs.

We will look at key developmental functions, including persistent primary reflexes and sensory processing.

We will then create a plan together: what to support first and how to work on it at home for just a few minutes a day.

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  • Writing requires the coordination of postural stability, motor control and nervous system maturity.

    1. Feder, K. P. & Majnemer, A. (2007). Handwriting development, competency, and intervention. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 49(4), 312–317.

    2. McWhirter, K. et al. (2024). The association between learning disorders, motor function, and primitive reflexes in pre-school children: A systematic review. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health.

    3. Goodarzi, S. et al. (2025). The Relationship Between Retained Primitive Reflexes and Motor Proficiency of Elementary School Children. J. of Motor Control and Learning, 7(1).

    4. Volemanová, M. (2013). Přetrvávající primární reflexy, opomíjený faktor poruch učení a chování. Praha: Red Tulip.

    5. Volemanová, M. (2016). Možnosti ovlivnění vybraných oblastí psychomotorického vývoje dítěte pomocí Neuro-vývojové terapie. Diplomová práce, UK Praha, PedF.

    6. Volemanová, M. (2024). Teoretické základy metody Neuro-vývojové stimulace. Druhý dotisk 1. vydání (z r. 2021). Statenice, INVTS. ISBN 978-80-907369-4-8

    7. Volemanová, M. (2025). Přetrvávající primární reflexy, opomíjený faktor problémů učení a chování. 3rd expanded edition. Statenice, INVTS. ISBN 978-80-907369-2-4

    The complete list of scientific references can be found on the Scientific Evidence page.

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