Speech Therapy Assessment for Written Language: identifying dyslexia, dysorthographia and dysgraphia
Reading laboriously, piling up spelling mistakes, writing illegibly despite constant effort: these difficulties are neither a lack of effort nor a lack of willpower. They may signal a specific written language disorder — dyslexia, dysorthographia or dysgraphia — which deserves to be precisely identified in order to be effectively supported.
The written language speech therapy assessment is the reference evaluation for making this diagnosis. Carried out by a state-qualified speech therapist, it produces an official report recognised for PAP requests, MDPH files and exam accommodations. On ORA-VISIO, this assessment can be done by video call, with no waiting list, from the end of Year 1 (CP) onwards.
What does the written language speech therapy assessment evaluate?
Written language covers three major, distinct skills, which can be affected separately or simultaneously. The assessment explores all of them to build a precise picture of the child’s strengths and weaknesses.
Reading (phonological and lexical routes). The speech therapist assesses the ability to decode regular words, irregular words and pseudo-words (invented, meaningless words), as well as reading speed, accuracy, fluency and text comprehension. These tests help distinguish different dyslexia profiles (phonological, surface or mixed) and identify the underlying cognitive mechanisms at fault.
Spelling and writing to dictation. Dictation tests of words, sentences and texts assess mastery of spelling rules, lexical memory (how words are stored in the brain) and phonology (sound-letter correspondence). Qualitative error analysis — substitutions, omissions, reversals, phonetic errors — is as important as the numerical score.
Written production. The child is asked to produce a spontaneous or guided text. The speech therapist observes layout, sentence structure, vocabulary used, spatial organisation and pen grip.
Phonological awareness. An underlying skill for all written language learning, phonological awareness (the ability to manipulate the sounds of language) is systematically assessed, as a deficit here lies at the heart of most cases of dyslexia.
Identifiable disorders: dyslexia, dysorthographia, dysgraphia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a specific, lasting reading disorder, not explained by intellectual disability, a vision problem or a lack of stimulation. It affects around 5 to 10% of school-aged children and shows up as slow, hesitant reading, with reversals, confusions or omissions of letters and syllables.
It is often hereditary: a child with a dyslexic parent has a significantly increased risk of being affected themselves.
Worth reading on this topic: What is the difference between dyslexia and dysorthographia?
Dysorthographia
Dysorthographia is a specific spelling disorder that almost always accompanies dyslexia but can exist on its own. The child produces numerous, inconsistent errors — often phonetically plausible but graphically incorrect — and fails to memorise spelling rules despite repeated exposure.
Both disorders share the same underlying cognitive mechanisms at fault, which is why they are explored together in the same assessment. As explained in the ORA-VISIO blog article on dyslexia and dysorthographia, few children with dysorthographia have no reading difficulties at all.
Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is a disorder of handwriting: writing is illegible, slow, painful, disorganised, unrelated to the child’s intellectual level. It can occur alone or alongside dyspraxia. The written language assessment can identify dysgraphia, which will then be jointly managed by an occupational therapist and a handwriting therapist.
When should your child take this assessment?
The written language assessment is relevant from the end of Year 1 (CP) — once reading instruction has begun — and can be carried out at any age, including in adolescence and adulthood for people whose disorders were never identified.
Signs that should alert you in a school-age child:
- Syllable-by-syllable reading that doesn’t improve after Year 2 (CE1)
- Mirror-letter confusions (b/d, p/q) persisting after age 7
- Numerous spelling mistakes that are inconsistent from one time to the next on the same words
- Slow, laborious copying, illegible or painful handwriting
- Good oral comprehension but failing written comprehension
- Very different results between oral and written work in school assessments
- Refusal to read aloud or high stress around writing exercises
- Intense fatigue after any task involving reading or writing
To understand who can carry out this assessment and how to tell the different language professionals apart, see the article Visiting the speech therapist: a practical guide.
How the online written language assessment works
The assessment is spread over one or two sessions depending on the child’s age and stamina. It takes place in 3 stages: a preliminary questionnaire (school context, developmental history, observed difficulties), standardised testing with the child, then delivery of the full written report within 2 to 3 weeks.
The report details the numerical results for each area assessed, the child’s profile (with or without an identified disorder), remediation approaches and recommendations for school. It can be used immediately to request a PAP, start an MDPH file, or obtain accommodations for the brevet, baccalauréat or competitive exams.
Worth reading to learn more: everything you need to know about the speech therapy assessment.
After the assessment: complementary support
The written language assessment is the starting point. Depending on the profile identified, here are the most common next steps:
Written language speech therapy → online speech therapy: regular therapy sessions targeting the underlying mechanisms at fault (phonology, lexical route, reading fluency).
Associated dysgraphia → online occupational therapy for postural and gestural adjustments, and remote handwriting therapy for handwriting rehabilitation.
Associated ADHD → the written language assessment often leads to a neuropsychological assessment to objectively assess attention disorders, complemented by ADHD coaching.
Tailored academic support → remote academic support or academic coaching, with teachers specialised in DYS profiles.
Learning methods → online psychopedagogy to find strategies that work around the difficulties and build on strengths.
Support for parents → parental guidance to better support their child with DYS day to day, without burning out.
School guidance → online school and career guidance to build a plan consistent with the student’s profile, particularly for upper secondary school and university applications.
Frequently asked questions
From what age can a written language assessment be done? From the end of Year 1 (CP, age 5-6), once reading instruction has begun. An earlier assessment can explore pre-reading skills (phonological awareness, verbal memory) from the final year of pre-school if warning signs are present.
My child is in secondary school and has never had an assessment. Is it too late? No. Assessments are carried out at all ages — secondary school, upper secondary, university, and even adulthood. A late diagnosis is still useful: it explains the difficulties, opens up rights to accommodations (extra time in exams, in particular) and allows for at least partial therapy to be put in place.
Does this assessment also detect dyscalculia? No. Dyscalculia falls under the logico-mathematical skills assessment, which is a separate assessment, even though it’s carried out by the same professional. Both assessments can be done in parallel if difficulties affect both written language and mathematics.
Is the report recognised for the brevet and the baccalauréat? Yes, provided it is recent (generally less than 3 years old) and written by a state-qualified speech therapist. It is accepted by the French Ministry of Education’s exam services for all accommodation requests.
