Diagnostic Dyslexia Assessment

What are the benefits of getting a dyslexia assessment?

It can be hard to see your child struggle in school, especially as reading and writing difficulties impact on all areas of the curriculum. Children may want to know why they find learning more difficult than others their own age. On-going difficulties may lead to disengagement in education or to low self-confidence. An assessment will unpick features of your child’s cognitive profile; it will highlight what their strengths are to give a better understanding of what strategies may help them in the classroom. It will also identify areas of difficulty and suggest recommendations to support.

What is the best age to get an assessment?

There is no ‘best age’ but earlier is generally considered better than later. Having said that, the assessment of very young children may not result in a true reflection of strengths and weaknesses, needed to determine whether a diagnosis is appropriate or not. Many assessors prefer assessing children from the age of 8.

However, if you are concerned about your child’s reading and spelling development and they are in KS1, or has recently turned 7, this is an excellent opportunity to put additional intervention in. How they respond to extra support will feed into the assessor’s understanding of your child’s needs.

Does my child need a diagnosis to get additional support at school?

Not at all. The SEND Code of Practise states that early intervention is best and that this should start as soon as a potential need has been identified:

How long does the assessment process last?

The assessment will take between 2-3 hours. In some cases, we may split the assessment into two separate sessions. Together with information gathered from you and school, I will write a report which will be sent within 15 working days. Once you have received the report, I can arrange a follow-up conversation to go through any questions or queries.

My child has, or I think they may have, an additional Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD). Can they still be assessed for dyslexia?

Yes, of course! While figures from research papers vary slightly, it is thought that up to around 40% of people with ADHD may also have dyslexia and there is often an overlap with dyslexia and DCD (dyspraxia) and dyscalculia (Specific Learning Difficulty in maths). Any named SpLD should be shared in the background information questionnaire so that learning differences can be noted and taken into consideration during the assessment. If your child does not have a formally named SpLD, information provided in the completed background questionnaire may highlight difficulties or differences that fall outside of ‘literacy’. These can then be looked out for during the assessment; any relevant observations I make will be included in the report and I may recommend onward referral to your GP, Speech and Language Therapist or Occupational Therapist.

Please note: I am only qualified to assess and diagnose dyslexia. Only a relevant health care professional/s can diagnose other Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDS) such as ADHD or DCD in the UK. SpLD in maths can be formally identified by a L7 qualified assessor.