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Dysorthographie.fr a media powered by
the no.1 media on Dys disorders
Dysorthographia is a persistent learning disorder affecting the acquisition of spelling. It affects intelligent children who attend school normally but who nonetheless make far more mistakes than their peers despite their efforts. Here is what you need to know to understand this disorder, recognise it and support your child, without blaming either them or yourself. You will also find links to our detailed pages to explore each topic further.
Dysorthographia is one of the dys disorders, also known as specific learning disorders. It is marked by significant and persistent difficulty in writing words correctly and applying spelling rules. It is thought to originate in how the brain functions, not in upbringing or environment.
“Specific” means that this difficulty cannot be explained by a lack of intelligence, a problem with eyesight or hearing, or a lack of effort. The child understands, thinks and expresses themselves well orally, but writing remains an obstacle course. This gap between their abilities and their written results is often what alerts parents and teachers.
It is not an illness, and it does not resolve on its own with age. However, with appropriate re-education and adjustments, the child makes progress and finds their own strategies. The most important thing is to identify it early, so that the child does not become discouraged and lose confidence in themselves.
The errors of a child with dysorthographia are numerous, but above all they persist. They may write words as they hear them (“fame” for “femme”), confuse similar sounds such as “p” and “b”, leave out letters or split words incorrectly (“la vion” for “l’avion”). These errors are not careless slips: they recur, even on words seen again and again.
Grammar rules are also a problem: agreements forgotten, confusion between “a” and “à”, “et” and “est”, approximate verb endings. The same word may be written three different ways on the same page. Mistakes increase further when the child is tired, rushed or focused on the meaning of what they are writing.
A typical sign: the child sometimes knows the rule by heart but cannot apply it when writing. This mismatch between knowing and writing is often misunderstood and may wrongly be taken for lack of effort. To go further, see our page on the signs of dysorthographia in children.
Specialists distinguish several profiles, which can occur in combination. Phonological dysorthographia affects the link between sounds and letters: the child struggles to transcribe what they hear. Lexical dysorthographia concerns the memory for words: the child writes phonetically, readable but incorrect. These two forms are very often present together in the same child.
Grammatical dysorthographia concerns agreements and conjugation. It often becomes very visible at secondary school, when demands increase. The child may know the basic rules, but forgets them as soon as the sentence becomes a little longer.
Knowing your child’s profile is useful, as the re-education will not be the same. It is the speech and language therapy assessment that helps to specify it. It also identifies your child’s strengths, which the speech and language therapist can build on.
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Dysorthographia very often accompanies dyslexia. This makes sense: when someone struggles to read and decode words, they also struggle to memorise them for writing. This is then referred to as dyslexia-dysorthographia. In this case, re-education works on both at the same time, as exercises on sounds and words serve both reading and writing.
However, it can also exist on its own. Some children read correctly, sometimes even with enjoyment, yet remain in great difficulty as soon as they have to write. This is what is called dysorthographia without dyslexia. Its difficulties are then sometimes attributed to carelessness, wrongly.
It can also be associated with other disorders, such as dysgraphia or an attention disorder. All the more reason to carry out a full assessment rather than stopping at a single hypothesis. Each associated disorder requires specific support, hence the value of having a complete picture.
The dys disorders are common: it is generally estimated that there is one or two affected children in every class. Dysorthographia is among them, most often alongside dyslexia. Boys are diagnosed somewhat more often than girls, although the gap remains debated.
It is mainly noticed from Year 2 or Year 3 onwards (CE1 or CE2), when spelling becomes a real academic expectation. Before that, errors are largely part of normal learning, and it is hard to tell the difference. For this reason, the diagnosis is rarely made before the age of 7 or 8.
Other people with dys disorders are often found within the same family, which suggests there is a genetic component. Having a dys parent does not mean the child will necessarily be affected, but it is something to mention to the doctor. To find out more, read dysorthographia: is it hereditary.
The diagnosis of dysorthographia is made by a speech and language therapist (orthophoniste), following an assessment prescribed by a doctor: GP, paediatrician or school doctor. This assessment looks at spelling, reading, oral language, memory and awareness of sounds. It also includes an interview with the parents about the child’s development and schooling.
To speak of a disorder, there must be a significant and lasting delay compared with children of the same age, despite normal teaching. In practice, the diagnosis is rarely made before Year 2 or Year 3 (CE1 or CE2). The speech and language therapist compares the results with those of a large number of children of the same age, using standardised tests.
The doctor may also request other examinations (eyesight, hearing, neuropsychological assessment) to rule out other causes. The assessment report then serves as the basis for requesting adjustments at school. Everything is explained on our page speech and language therapy assessment for dysorthographia.
Support is based first and foremost on speech and language therapy re-education, generally one or two sessions per week for several months, sometimes several years. It is reimbursed by the French health insurance (Assurance maladie) on prescription. The frequency is adjusted over time, according to the child’s progress and needs.
At school, adjustments can be put in place through a PAP (personalised support plan): not penalising spelling in all subjects, providing photocopied lessons, allowing extra time, permitting use of a computer with a spell-checker. These adjustments are not a privilege: they simply allow the child’s true knowledge to be assessed.
At home, the key is to protect your child’s confidence. Praise their ideas rather than their mistakes, and keep homework sessions short. Digital tools, such as the spell-checker or voice dictation, can also help them become more independent. More ideas in how to help a child with dysorthographia.
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Dysorthographia is not cured in the strict sense, but a great deal of progress can be made. With re-education and suitable tools, most children manage to write in an understandable way and succeed in their schooling. Some difficulties may remain into adulthood, especially in stressful situations. The main goal is for the child to gain independence and confidence.
The dys disorders can be recognised as a disability by the MDPH (local disability services) when they have a significant impact on schooling. This is not automatic: many children simply have a PAP at school, without an MDPH file. The PPS, which goes through the MDPH, is reserved for situations where greater support is needed, such as a school support assistant (AESH).
Dysorthographia concerns spelling: the child gets letters wrong or forgets agreements. Dysgraphia concerns the physical act of writing: handwriting is slow, painful or illegible, even when the words are spelled correctly. The two can occur together. The speech and language therapy assessment and, if needed, an assessment by an occupational therapist or psychomotor therapist help to tell them apart.
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