Perhaps the ideas pour out when your child talks but freeze the moment a pencil is in hand, or every writing assignment turns into a standoff. Perhaps you are an adult who has spent years dreading anything handwritten. When someone clearly knows more than their writing shows, a Dysgraphia Evaluation gets to why. Our Dysgraphia Testing in Wauwatosa, WI examines how written language is formed rather than how neat it looks, and no referral is required to get started.
The same licensed psychologist guides your evaluation from your very first conversation to the day we review results, and an in house learning disability specialist joins them to carry out the writing focused testing.
We anchor every evaluation in a baseline of cognitive and executive function, then focus in on the specific writing difficulty you came to understand. Children, teens, and adults are all welcome, and we deliberately screen for the conditions that frequently show up alongside dysgraphia.
In younger children this can show up as letters that never quite look the same twice, uneven spacing that makes words run together, and writing that is slow and visibly effortful. You may see a cramped, tense grip on the pencil, difficulty copying from the board, and pages that fall far short of how much your child obviously understands when speaking.
A teen might turn in disorganized essays, leave written responses unfinished even with plenty to say, and take notes they cannot decipher afterward. Some avoid written work altogether or lean on workarounds, because the effort of getting thoughts down on paper drains the quality right out of the content.
For adults the signs are often quieter: slow note taking, difficulty structuring a report, and heavy reliance on dictation or ready made templates. Handwriting may leave you worn out and frustrated, and over time you may have nudged your work and study choices away from anything writing heavy.
Your evaluation opens with roughly an hour of interview, where your psychologist builds a detailed picture of how writing and fine motor skills developed, from early handwriting right up to today's struggles with written expression. This groundwork points us toward the assessments that will most accurately capture what is happening.
Your psychologist puts together a testing plan chosen for you, combining cognitive and executive function measures with targeted writing and fine motor testing handled by our in house learning disability specialist. This usually means 2 to 6 hours of in person work spread across one to two days, letting us see both the deeper cognitive patterns and the exact points where handwriting, spelling, and written expression break down. We also send questionnaires to you and to teachers or others in the learning setting.
Everything the psychologist and the learning disability specialist gather is drawn together into a single diagnostic report. It details cognitive abilities, fine motor skill, written expression, spelling, and any cooccurring conditions, such as ADHD or additional learning differences, that came to light.
Usually two to three weeks after testing, you come back for the feedback session. Your psychologist explains the diagnosis in full and offers individualized recommendations: strategies for writing intervention, academic accommodations, assistive technology, and next steps fitted to your particular needs.
No, you do not. Being seen at Core Spring Diagnostics never depends on a referral. Contact us directly, whatever your reason, and we will reach out to your child’s school or your own provider only if you ask us to.
Because writing disorders require specialized measures. The psychologist covers the cognitive and executive function baseline and the wider clinical picture, and our in house learning disability specialist conducts the writing specific testing. With both clinicians present at the feedback session, the results are complete and accurate.
No. Dysgraphia reaches into the entire act of producing written language, surfacing in handwriting, spelling, spacing, organization, and the effort writing takes. A formal evaluation distinguishes a genuine writing disability from too little practice and locates precisely where the difficulty lives.
Yes, absolutely. We assess children, teens, and adults alike. Many adults come to us after a lifetime of quietly compensating for writing challenges, and we adapt the evaluation to your stage of life and the places where writing matters most.
Yes. The written report sets out concrete findings and recommendations that schools, colleges, and employers can put to use, from extended time and a scribe or keyboard to assistive technology and lighter handwriting demands where appropriate.
Give us a call at (414) 387 2100. We will listen to what is going on and set up a time that works for you. There is nothing to be referred for and no hoops to jump through, just one conversation to begin.
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