Handwriting difficulties in developmental dyslexia

Van Reybroeck, Marie [UCL] Gosse, Claire [UCL]

While most children achieve mastery of writing without too much trouble, children with dyslexia (DYS) face a bigger challenge because of severe spelling impairments. Moreover, slower and poorer handwriting is frequently observed in such children. The nature and origin of these handwriting difficulties in dyslexia have been the focus of recent research aimed at understanding whether DYS children present graphomotor difficulties. This chapter aims to provide a synthesis of current knowledge on handwriting difficulties in children with dyslexia. By collecting results from recent experiments involving a wide range of handwriting measures (i.e., speed, pauses, and legibility) in various writing contexts (i.e., at the letter, word or sentence levels in copying or dictation contexts), we attempt to disentangle the origin of these difficulties. In particular, while authors have demonstrated that handwriting difficulties in children with dyslexia arise from spelling deficits, we also discuss evidence supporting the presence of graphomotor impairments in dyslexia. This chapter emphasizes the importance for teachers to take into account DYS children’s handwriting difficulties when assessing their written productions. In terms of clinical implications, it suggests that it may be relevant to consider the graphomotor side of writing during spelling treatment in speech therapy.