Clinical diagnosis and treatment of spelling disorders

Daily needs for spelling range from jotting down grocery lists or “to do” lists, to composition of electronic mail messages, to carefully crafted literary prose or scholarly papers. While these activities require varying degrees of linguistic competence, they all depend on the ability to spell single words. Clearly some individuals are more dependent on the written word than others, so an acquired impairment of spelling will have varied impact in accordance with one’s lifestyle. Isolated impairments of spelling or writing can result in significant reduction in one’s ability to exchange information, leading to marked changes in vocational and personal activities. More often, acquired agraphia is part of a central language impairment, as is common in aphasia. In that context, the loss or impairment of written expression compounds the difficulties posed by disturbances of spoken communication.