Many people ask about dysgraphia screening or testing and how specific learning disability of written expression is diagnosed. Testing for dysgraphia is typically done as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation by either a private psychologist or in a school-based setting. There is not one standard test or set of tests used to diagnose dysgraphia.
Dysgraphia Tests:
Beery VMI – Visual Motor Test of Integration (ages 2-100) – This test is designed to identify deficits in visual perception, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination.
NEPSY–II Sensorimotor Subtests (ages 3-16) – This testing tool includes subtests for tactile sensory input, fine motor speed, imitative hand functions, rhythmic and sequential movements and visual-motor precision.
Rey Complex Figure Test (ages 6-89) – This test is where you draw a complex figure by copying it and then from memory. It tests visual-spatial abilities as well as visual-spatial recall.
Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ-IV) (ages 2-90+) – This is a comprehensive set of different tests that are designed to test all cognitive abilities and identify strengths and weaknesses. There are “clusters” of subtests for fluid intelligence, visual-spatial ability, processing speed, long-term retrieval, auditory processing, short-term memory, and crystallized intelligence.
Test of Written Language Fourth Edition (TOWL-4) (ages 9-17 ) — This test measures writing readiness and ability including vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, logical sentences, combining sentences, contextual conventions, and story composition.
Woodcock–Johnson IV Test of Achievement (WJ IV) (ages 2 to adult) – This is a comprehensive test measuring strengths and weaknesses of achievement, language, and cognitive abilities with many different subtests including writing skills and written expression.
Wechsler Individual Achievement Test–Third Edition (WIAT-III) (ages 4-50) – This test is designed to measure academic capabilities and has subtests to measure listening, speaking, reading, writing, and mathematical skills.
Feifer Assessment of Writing (FAW) (PreK – College) — Assesses written language skills to help diagnose written language disorders. Designed to measure three subtypes of written language disorders (graphomotor index, dyslexic index, executive index). Results help specify, from a neuropsychological perspective, exactly why a student struggles with written language so you can develop appropriate, customized interventions.
If appropriate, a psychologist will use the combination of all the test results to make a diagnosis. There are official medical diagnosis codes for dysgraphia. It is important to note that “dysgraphia” is not officially recognized by schools, and for school purposes, it may be described as a “Specific Learning Disability in Written Expression.”
