Grapho-motor difficulties in handwriting: correlation between grapho-motor intervention and spelling
Claudia Simonetto, Laura Bravar, Cristiano Vanin, Mavi Lodoli, Isabella Lonciari, Marco Carrozzi
In national and international scientific studies the development of typical and atypical writing abilities has been scarcely investigated, especially regarding its grapho-motor components. This retrospective study, with an experimental paradigm, offers a contribution towards the understanding of handwriting as a complex skill. The study and analyses were performed on the data obtained from the neuropsychological records of children and teenagers diagnosed with dysgraphia, who took part in a grapho-motor intervention programme known as the Letter family method. This method implies the acquisition of letter formation skills through stroke-related letter families, with a gradual progression from the simplest handwriting movements to the most complex. Statistical analyses showed and motivated the efficacy of this grapho-motor intervention programme, not only as far as better handwriting skills are concerned but also in relation to a significant decrease in spelling mistakes. These results call for a diagnostic standby when dysorthographia is associated to dysgraphia. Furthermore, the study underlines how clinical history and other factors, such as attention, may affect grapho-motor and spelling improvements obtained through intervention.
Keywords
Dysgraphia, grapho-motor rehabilitation, dysorthographia, attention sharing, diagnostic standby.