Dysorthography and dyspraxia: two often co-occurring disorders that complicate writing
Dysorthography and dyspraxia are two distinct disorders that frequently coexist — particularly in children who also have dyslexia. Their combination creates especially severe writing difficulties that require coordinated support.
Dysorthography: a disorder of content
Dysorthography affects the content of writing — the way words are spelt and the grammatical rules applied. A child with dysorthography may have legible, well-formed handwriting, but the words they write are full of persistent spelling and grammar errors.
Dyspraxia: a disorder of movement
Dyspraxia — Developmental Coordination Disorder — affects the graphic movement itself. A dyspraxic child has difficulty forming letters automatically — their handwriting is slow, uneven and sometimes illegible. The spelling quality may be good, but the writing movement does not become automatic in the usual way.
When the two coexist: writing doubly affected
When dysorthography and dyspraxia coexist, writing is affected both in substance and in form. The child makes many spelling errors AND writes illegibly or very slowly. The cognitive resources available during writing are fully taken up by both types of difficulty — there is almost nothing left for content, creativity or organising ideas.
Complementary support that must be coordinated
Dysorthography is supported by the speech and language therapist (orthophoniste). Dyspraxia falls under the remit of the occupational therapist or the psychomotor therapist. When the two coexist, both professionals need to work in coordination — communicating regularly about the child’s goals and progress. The shared aim is often to identify an alternative to handwriting — generally the computer — that allows both difficulties to be bypassed at the same time.
The computer: the central compensatory solution
For a child with both dysorthography and dyspraxia, a computer with a spell checker is the most effective compensatory solution. It bypasses the dyspraxia — no need for the manual graphic movement — and compensates for the dysorthography through the spell checker. This solution should be put in place as early as possible and included in the PAP from primary school onwards. For resources on dyspraxia and its support, ladyspraxie.fr offers comprehensive guides for families and professionals.
