Dysorthography: how to diagnose this disorder in an adult?
Many adults live with undiagnosed dysorthography — they compensate, apologise for their spelling mistakes, and avoid writing. An adult diagnosis is possible at any age and can profoundly change the way one views oneself and the strategies one puts in place.
Why is adult dysorthography so rarely diagnosed?
Many dysorthographic adults have gone through their entire schooling without a diagnosis, compensating for their difficulties through relentless hard work, systematic avoidance of writing, or reliance on spell checkers without understanding the underlying cause. These strategies allow them to fly under the radar — but at the cost of chronic cognitive fatigue and fragile self-esteem around written language. Without a diagnosis, these adults attribute their difficulties to a lack of intelligence or seriousness — a painful and mistaken interpretation.
The signs that should prompt an adult to seek assessment
Several signs should lead an adult to suspect dysorthography and seek assessment. Numerous and recurring spelling mistakes despite sincere efforts at proofreading. Slowness in producing written texts that is disproportionate to their oral abilities. A strong dependence on spell checkers — to the point of never sending an email without having checked it. Significant anxiety in situations where writing is exposed — meetings with note-taking on a whiteboard, forms filled in by hand in front of others. And a marked gap between the quality of oral expression and the quality of written work.
How does an adult speech and language therapy assessment work?
The adult speech and language therapy assessment for dysorthography is similar in structure to the child assessment, but adapted to the adult context. It evaluates reading and spelling skills using standardised tools for adults. It takes into account the professional context and the compensations already in place. And it results in a report with recommendations suited to adult life — compensatory tools, professional strategies and, where relevant, information on the rights available.
The process for obtaining an adult assessment
An adult can consult a speech and language therapist directly, without necessarily going through a referring doctor — although a prescription allows reimbursement by the French Social Security system. It is enough to contact a speech and language therapist who works with adults — not all of them do, so it is best to check in advance. To find a specialised speech and language therapist who works with adults with DYS disorders, professionnelsdys.fr offers a comprehensive directory that is regularly updated.
What an adult diagnosis changes
An adult diagnosis does not change the disorder — it changes the way one views it. Understanding that one’s spelling difficulties have an objective neurological cause, and not a lack of intelligence or effort, is liberating. This diagnosis can also open up rights — MDPH recognition, RQTH, workplace adjustments — and allow compensatory strategies suited to the professional context to be put in place in an informed way.
