Dysorthography: how to write correctly despite this disorder?
Writing correctly with dysorthography is a constant challenge — but not an impossible one. With the right strategies, the right tools and a thorough knowledge of one’s own recurring errors, it is entirely possible to produce high-quality written work. Here are the most effective approaches.
Knowing your recurring errors in order to correct them better
The first step is to identify your own error patterns. Each person with dysorthography has their own characteristic errors — some systematically confuse grammatical homophones, others make recurring phonological errors on the same sounds, and still others struggle with past participle agreement. Keeping a notebook of your most frequent errors, along with the rules that apply to them, makes it possible to correct them more effectively when proofreading.
The targeted proofreading strategy
Rather than proofreading a text as a whole — which is not very effective for people with dysorthography — we adopt the strategy of targeted proofreading. A first read-through focuses solely on grammatical homophones (a/à, et/est, son/sont…). A second read-through focuses solely on agreement. A third read-through looks for recurring phonological errors. This segmented approach is far more effective than a general proofread.
Using correction tools intelligently
Spell-checkers are powerful allies — provided you know how to use them. Antidote does not merely flag errors — it explains them and suggests justified alternatives. Taking the time to understand why a word is incorrect — rather than blindly accepting the correction — gradually reinforces the correct orthographic representations. This active, reflective use of the checker is far more instructive than passive use.
Speech-to-text dictation: bypassing writing when it is strategic
For long written productions — essays, reports, important emails — speech-to-text dictation is an effective strategy. By dictating your ideas aloud, the person with dysorthography is freed from the orthographic constraint and can concentrate on the quality of the content. Proofreading with the correction tool comes afterwards. This two-stage approach — production followed by correction — yields far better results than writing directly.
Developing your own spelling aide-mémoires
Personalised aide-mémoires — small reference cards with the rules that are hardest to remember, lists of frequently misspelt words, mnemonic codes for homophones — are valuable tools for people with dysorthography. These personalised tools, built with the speech and language therapist (orthophoniste), are tailored to the person’s specific profile and to the errors that resist them most. For resources on writing strategies for people with DYS disorders, dystap.io offers practical guides that are regularly updated.
