Movement Sonification for the Diagnosis and the Rehabilitation of Graphomotor Disorders

The dynamic features of sounds make them particularly appropriate for assessing the spatiotemporal characteristics of movements. Furthermore, sounds can inform about the correctness of an ongoing movement without directly interfering with the visual and proprioceptive feedback. Finally, because of their playful characteristics, sounds are potentially effective for motivating writers in particular need of any writing assistance. By associating relevant sounds to the specific variables of handwriting movement, the present chapter aimed at reporting how supplementary auditory information allows an examiner (teacher or therapist) to assess the movement quality from his/her hearing. Furthermore, a writer could also improve his/her movement from this real-time auditory feedback. Sonification of some movement characteristics would be a relevant tool for the diagnosis and the rehabilitation of some developmental disabilities (e.g. dysgraphia) or acquired disorders (e.g. Parkinson’s disease).