The Tests Behind a Writing Evaluation, Explained for Parents
A writing evaluation may include the TOWL-4, the writing parts of the WIAT-4 or Woodcock-Johnson V, the DASH-2 or the BHK. We describe them from sellers' pages, published guidance and studies, not test manuals. We do not rate one test as better than another. A diagnosis comes from a full evaluation by a qualified professional, not one score.
TL;DR
- A writing report may name the TOWL-4, the WIAT-4, the Woodcock-Johnson V, the DASH-2 or the BHK. This page describes them from sellers' pages, published guidance and studies, not test manuals. We do not rate one test as better than another.
- The DASH-2 is a handwriting speed test from Pearson. UK guidance says the DASH-2 is "Not designed to diagnose dysgraphia but can assist in the diagnostic process".
- A diagnosis comes from a full evaluation by a qualified professional. It uses history, school reports and standardized tests, not one score.
A standardized writing test compares your child's writing with that of many children the same age. The test was given to that big group first. The score shows where your child stands next to them.
”Standardized writing testTests a writing report may name
We describe these tests from sellers' pages, published guidance and studies, not test manuals. We have not read the test manuals. We do not rate one test as better than another.
TOWL-4
The full name is the Test of Written Language, Fourth Edition. It came out in 2009. What we know of it comes from a Pearson listing.
The listing says it has "seven subtests that assess conventional, linguistic, and conceptual aspects of students' writing". It also lists three combined scores. They are called Overall, Contrived and Spontaneous Writing.
The listing says the test is for ages 9 to 17. It says the test takes 60 to 90 minutes. Ask the evaluator what each part asked your child to do.
Broad school-skills tests
Some tests cover more than writing. Two you may see are the WIAT-4 and the Woodcock-Johnson V.
The full name of the WIAT-4 is the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test, Fourth Edition. It is from Pearson. Pearson lists twenty parts in reading, writing, math and spoken language. Pearson also lists a score called Writing Fluency.
The Woodcock-Johnson V is from Riverside Insights. Its short name is WJ V. Its publisher lists school-skills tests that include Spelling and Written Expression.
For the reading parts of these tests, see our page on reading tests.
DASH-2
The full name is the Detailed Assessment of Speed of Handwriting, Second Edition. It is from Pearson, and came out in 2024.
What we know of the DASH-2 comes from UK guidance on the test, not its manual. The guidance says it has four main tasks and one extra task. Its norms come from people in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
The DASH-2 gives scaled and standard scores, not a words-per-minute cut-off. We hold no checked words-per-minute figure for handwriting speed.
The guidance says the DASH-2 is "Not designed to diagnose dysgraphia but can assist in the diagnostic process".
BHK
The BHK is a Dutch handwriting scale from 1987. The child copies a text for five minutes. The scale rates how well and how fast they write.
What we know of it comes from published studies, not a publisher. One Italian study says it "is often used in a few countries" (Loizzo and colleagues, 2023). The studies of it we hold are European. We hold no US norms for it.
If an occupational therapist assesses handwriting
AOTA is a US body for occupational therapists. It lists handwriting tools that therapists use. In them, the child writes the alphabet and numbers from memory. The child copies from close by and from far away. The child writes words that are read out. The child also writes their own words.
The therapist rates how easy the writing is to read. They also rate its speed, size and spacing, and the shape of the letters.
AOTA says its list is not complete.
One review gives advice on checking handwriting (Feder and Majnemer, 2007). It says handwriting should "be evaluated using a valid, reliable, standardized tool combined with informal classroom observation and teacher consultation." We could read only its summary.
Two tools on AOTA's list are the ETCH and the McMaster Handwriting Assessment Protocol. The list gives the ETCH as for grades 1 to 6. It gives the McMaster tool as for kindergarten to grade 6. They are examples only. Other tools on the list look at wider school skills. These include fine motor, visual-motor and self-care skills.
Some children have trouble forming letters but no wider coordination trouble. That can be a different matter. One US researcher, Virginia Berninger, defines dysgraphia by handwriting (Berninger and O'Malley May, 2011). Her handout is about children with dysgraphia in that sense. It says they typically "do not qualify for occupational therapy services". Instead, it says, they "need specialized written language instruction from a teacher". Other experts did not check that handout before it came out.
Handwriting improves most consistently with handwriting practice; motor work alone has not been shown to improve it.
Who gives these tests
The American Psychiatric Association says a school district can arrange testing, if a child meets certain criteria. It says some parents go to a psychologist or another education specialist outside school.
Pearson sells the WIAT-4. A Pearson listing also shows the TOWL-4. Pearson has rules on who may buy tests like these. One way is a master's degree in a related field. That way also needs training in testing. These rules say who may buy a test. They do not say who may diagnose.
A diagnosis comes from a full evaluation by a qualified professional. It uses history, school reports and standardized tests, not one score.
A school evaluation decides whether a child gets school services. A clinical diagnosis is made by a qualified clinician. For the school route, see our assessment guide.
What the scores look like
A standard score compares your child with children the same age. On most tests, 100 is average. About two in three children score between 85 and 115. A standard score is not a mark out of 100.
Smaller parts of a test, called subtests, often use a scale where 10 is average.
A score is one measurement on one day. A report may also give age or grade equivalents. Ask the evaluator to explain them.
Questions to ask the evaluator
These questions are ours. Take them with you when you go over the results.
- Which tests did you use, and why those ones?
- What range does each score sit in?
- What does an age or grade equivalent on this report mean?
- Was handwriting speed, spelling or composing tested, or all three?
- What do the results suggest for teaching my child?
- What did you see while my child was working?
For the day itself, see our page on preparing your child for an assessment.
Key Takeaways
A writing report may name the TOWL-4, the WIAT-4, the Woodcock-Johnson V, the DASH-2 or the BHK. This page describes them from sellers' pages, published guidance and studies, not test manuals. We do not rate one test as better than another.
The DASH-2, a handwriting speed test from Pearson, gives scaled and standard scores, not a words-per-minute cut-off. We hold no checked words-per-minute figure for handwriting speed.
A diagnosis comes from a full evaluation by a qualified professional. It uses history, school reports and standardized tests, not one score.
Pearson's rules for buying tests like the WIAT-4 say who may buy a test. They do not say who may diagnose.
Handwriting improves most consistently with handwriting practice; motor work alone has not been shown to improve it.
Find any writing report you already have. Write down the name of each test on it. Next to each name, write one question for the evaluator. Keep the list with the report.
”What to do tonightWhat to use next
A set of questions you answer about what you see at home. A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing, or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too — that's the only route to those supports.
What the hand is doing — worked alongside handwriting practice rather than in place of it; motor work on its own has not been shown to improve handwriting.
Common questions from parents
What is the TOWL-4?
The TOWL-4 is the Test of Written Language, Fourth Edition, from 2009. What we know of it comes from a Pearson listing. The listing says it has "seven subtests that assess conventional, linguistic, and conceptual aspects of students' writing". It says the test is for ages 9 to 17. We have not read its manual.
Is there a test for dysgraphia?
One handwriting test is the DASH-2, from Pearson. UK guidance says the DASH-2 is "Not designed to diagnose dysgraphia but can assist in the diagnostic process". A diagnosis comes from a full evaluation by a qualified professional. It uses history, school reports and standardized tests, not one score. A test is one part of that evaluation.
What does an occupational therapy handwriting assessment involve?
AOTA, a US body for occupational therapists, lists handwriting tools. In them, the child writes letters and numbers from memory. The child also copies, and writes words that are read out. The therapist rates how easy the writing is to read. They also rate its speed, size and spacing. AOTA says its list is not complete. Handwriting improves most consistently with handwriting practice; motor work alone has not been shown to improve it.
Is your screener a test like these?
Our dysgraphia screener is not a test like these. It is a set of questions you answer about what you see at home. It gives no scores like these. A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing, or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too — that's the only route to those supports.