Deciphering developmental dysgraphia: evidence of a verbal advantage

Developmental dysgraphia (DG) affects children’s handwriting despite adequate learning opportunities and intellectual potential. Although not recognized as a distinct clinical entity in international classifications, DG significantly impacts academic performance and wellness. In addition, it often co-occurs with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as ADHD, developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and dyslexia (DL). To move beyond deficit-based perspectives and account for the complexity of cognitive functions, mechanisms and associated disorders, the cognitive profiles of DG examined using a strengths-and-weaknesses framework. DG were compared both to reference population and to children with other disorders.366 children followed by the health network “Resodys”, completed the French adaptation of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC V). Socioeconomic status was controlled. DG was defined as a significant difficulty in graphic movements impacting academic achievement without assumptions about the origin of the disorder. DL, DCD, and ADHD were diagnosed per ICD-10 criteria. Results revealed that DG outperformed their peers in verbal comprehension, particularly on the “Similarities” subtest. This verbal advantage was unique to DG, distinguishing it from other NDDs and suggesting its potential specificity. The findings are discussed in relation to handwriting models, linguistic and executive functions, and their neuroanatomical underpinnings.