Diagnosing Writing and Spelling Problems

My daughter, who's in the 5th grade, gets decent grades but really struggles for them. She is reading on grade level; however, her writing is completely unreadable. She does not close her loops or maintain consistent sizing. As for spelling, everything is spelled phonetically - "from" is "frum" and "what" is "wut." I notice a little bit of reversing letters and numbers.
The school is reluctant to test her for dyslexia, as her reading is OK. However, a friend told me there is a form of dyslexia that specifically affects spelling and writing skills, which is often not diagnosed because the classic reading symptoms are not there. How can we help our daughter? - Need Diagnosis
Answer: The research definition of dyslexia focuses on it as a disorder in learning to read. In the broader clinical picture, dyslexics have other problems such as difficulties with spelling and handwriting. Some handwriting difficulties fall under the label dysgraphia.
Right now, your daughter is reading on grade level; however, she might be a very bright girl with some gradation of dyslexia who should be reading on a higher level. If so, she could encounter serious rate and comprehension problems when the amount and difficulty of reading increase in middle and high school.
Don't focus on having your daughter tested for dyslexia, as the school might well associate it primarily with an inability to read. Instead, ask for a total evaluation of your child's abilities in order to determine why schoolwork, especially spelling and handwriting, is so difficult for her. The testing should give a good idea of your child's abilities and problem areas. Insist the testing be done as soon as possible so she can receive any necessary help. You are legally entitled to this testing.
Your daughter's spelling and handwriting problems can become insignificant if the testing shows that she needs such accommodations as word processing and spell checking to do well in the classroom. Even if she receives this accommodation, you must make sure that she also receives remediation to improve these skills.
You can become more knowledgeable about dyslexia by contacting The International Dyslexia Association at www.interdys.org, where there is good information on the bulletin boards as well as the location of local branches. It can be especially helpful to talk to someone at a local branch.