Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty which primarily affects reading and writing skills. However, it does not only affect these skills. Dyslexia is actually about information processing. Dyslexic people may have difficulty processing and remembering information they see and hear, which can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact on other areas such as organisational skills. It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and in visual and creative fields.

There are several tools available that can be used to help give an indication of possible dyslexic difficulties. These screening tests and checklists can be a great help in order to ensure support is put in place quickly, but they can't provide a diagnosis. Dyslexia can only be formally diagnosed through a Diagnostic Assessment carried out by a certified assessor.

If someone is experiencing significant difficulties in their study or in day-to-day life and would like to either find out more, or needs further support then a Diagnostic Assessment for Dyslexia or Dyscalculia can really help. An assessment will provide a clearer picture of someone's cognitive profile and their strengths and challenges. This will help to ensure that any support put in place is as effective as possible.  

Other common reasons for a Diagnostic Assessment for Dyslexia or Dyscalculia are:

• To apply for funded support at university known as Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA).

• To use as evidence for Exam Access Arrangements whilst studying at college, university or for professional qualifications.

• To apply for Exam Access Arrangements at school

• To provide more information for employers so that they can make Reasonable Adjustments for an employee with specific difficulties.

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Dyslexia can only be diagnosed through a Diagnostic Assessment.

Definition of dyslexia

The British Dyslexia Association [BDA] has adopted the Rose (2009) definition of dyslexia:

Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling. Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed. Dyslexia occurs across the range of intellectual abilities. It is best thought of as a continuum, not a distinct category, and there are no clear cut-off points. Co-occurring difficulties may be seen in aspects of language, motor co-ordination, mental calculation, concentration and personal organisation, but these are not, by themselves, markers of dyslexia. A good indication of the severity and persistence of dyslexic difficulties can be gained by examining how the individual responds or has responded to well-founded intervention.

In addition to these characteristics:

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) acknowledges the visual and auditory processing difficulties that some individuals with dyslexia can experience, and points out that dyslexic readers can show a combination of abilities and difficulties that affect the learning process. Some also have strengths in other areas, such as design, problem solving, creative skills, interactive skills and oral skills.

BDA (2010)

Our Assessors:

• All our assessors are fully checked, qualified and have DBS clearance.

• Both Specialist Teachers (who are AMBDA qualified and may hold an Assessment Practising Certificate, APC) and Psychologists are able to assess for dyslexia, can diagnose dyslexia and can make recommendations about how the individual can best be supported. In practice there is very little difference between the two.  

• Specialist teachers usually have more experience working, and often teaching, in an educational setting. There may be some instances where a Psychologist needs to be engaged instead of a Specialist Teacher, for example where an individual has more complex or multiple needs or where it is felt that they may have co-occurring difficulties (where an individual has other Specific Learning Difficulties alongside their dyslexia). In such cases the additional tests used by psychologists may be able to tease out these subtle differences in an individual's overall profile.

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Our Assessments:

• The rate of an individual's development can vary greatly before the age of 8 and therefore it is appropriate to wait until at least this age to assess.

• Our specialists assess from age 8 onwards. This is to comply with the SASC guidelines (SpLD Assessment Standards Committee). They are the governing body for specialist teacher assessors.  Please also note that since the covid pandemic, it is recommended waiting until the individual is aged 8 or over before booking an assessment. This is because, gaps in learning may be due to school closures and absence from school. Assessing at a later age may be beneficial to see if the individual can catch up on their learning.  

• Please note that to be able to undertake an assessment, you must have continuously lived in an English-speaking country and to have been regularly speaking, reading and writing English for a minimum of seven years. This is because the tests used are heavily influenced by an English-speaking culture. In addition, you need to be able to speak, read, write and spell in English. If an assessment is carried out before then the assessor can’t make a definitive diagnosis which would mean a re-test may be needed at a later date.

Our Dyslexia Diagnostic Assessment Process:

1. Prior to assessment:

The child must have had a sight test within the last two years and it is helpful if the child has had recent hearing check. This is because:

• Reading and spelling are, in part, both visual activities. Therefore, we must ensure that the individual does not have any visual difficulties before investigating other reasons to explain a lack of progress in reading and/or spelling. If these visual issues are not picked up before the assessment it may result in an inconclusive outcome (i.e. an unconfirmed diagnosis). This may mean you may have to pay for another diagnosis at a later date after the visual difficulties have been investigated. Therefore, we require an up to date sight test:

If visual discomfort is reported, such as words moving around on the page, blurring, tired, watery or gritty eyes, then this must be mentioned at the appointment. For visual discomfort to be investigated you would need to make an appointment with an Optometrist (who carries out the eye test). They will refer on to an Ophthalmologist if difficulties are identified.

The assessment will help to work out why some learning is difficult and what might help to make things easier. It is important that assessors have information about any previous assessments and/or study support. This will help them to avoid repetition of tests, which may make results invalid.  

It is important for children to know that they are going to see someone who is interested in how people learn:

• Children can take examples of school work and reports with them to the assessment.

Please download our Dyslexia Referral and Consent Forms.  These will need to be completed and uploaded before booking links are sent out. It is the responsibility of the person making the booking to ensure the availability of the venue for the time that is being requested. Where a venue is not the child’s educational setting, confirmation must be given to us for the child’s authorised absence if this is during term time.

2. Assessment Activities:  

A Diagnostic Assessment will usually take place in the child’s usual educational setting unless an alternative is agreed on. Activities are child led, and typically take around three hours to complete.  

We request that a suitable space is allocated for the period of assessment. This should be an area of minimal disruption and allow for confidentiality in testing to be maintained.

The aim of assessment activities is:

• To formally diagnose dyslexia (if this is supported by the test results and background information)

• To assess performance on a range of items, allowing the assessor to consider strengths and challenges. This isn’t an exam so there is no “pass” or “fail” - the intention is to help highlight the person’s individual style of learning or working and what does/does not work for them.

• To collect information about reading, spelling and writing skills.

• To consider other factors which may be affecting learning.

• To identify whether any Reasonable Adjustments will need to be made in order for a person to fully access the curriculum, exams or workplace.
  

There is usually an informal chat before the assessment to gather a little more background information. Breaks in activities are offered in-line with the usual times of the school day (such as morning break). Additionally breaks are offered as requested by the child and/or when the assessor deems this would be beneficial to the child (for example due to attentional or emotional regulation needs. Please note that regulatory resources, for instance fidgets, may be brought to the assessment if these are helpful to the child).

During an assessment the assessor will carry out a series of tests to explore aspects of underlying ability such as:

• Reading, writing and spelling

• Handwriting

• Underlying learning skills: phonological awareness, speed of processing and memory, as well as verbal and visual problem-solving skills.

3. Following assessment:

After the assessment the assessor may be able to provide some insight but they will need time to calculate the test scores and analyse the results in order to give a diagnosis. This information will be provided in the subsequent Diagnostic Assessment written report. Assessors Diagnostic Assessment reports are written in line with guidelines set by the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC). The Diagnostic Assessment written report:

• will provide evidence of the individual’s cognitive profile, signposting to other organisations or further assessments for specific learning difficulties (if required).

• will include some recommendations for how to support the individual in the generic context of their study or day-to-day life.  

The aim is that the report is a document that the individual is happy to share with family, teachers, tutors, other professionals and employees if they wish, as this will give them information on how they can help to provide support.

Where a diagnosis of Dyslexia is confirmed, it would be useful for schools to start by having a discussion with the parent/carer to ensure they are meeting the child’s needs. The school does not have to put in place every recommendation made by the assessor. Under the Equality Act (2010) schools must provide 'reasonable adjustments' for individuals with a disability, so they do need to consider what is needed and what is reasonable within their budget and staffing resourcing.

Having a diagnosis and assessment report may however help you as the parent/carer to discuss the need to have your child assessed for access arrangements. Exam access arrangements are carried out by the school at the time of the exams taking place. In order to have access arrangements for GCSEs, A-Levels and a range of other qualifications, testing for the specific exam application has to be completed internally by the school or college. Individuals can get access arrangements without a diagnosis based on their needs. The SENCo (or equivalent) is responsible for ensuring that the relevant tests are completed, that the teachers have completed the evidence as to ‘normal way of working’ and that an application is made to the relevant exam board for exam access arrangements. 

Signs of dyslexia:

• There is a misconception that dyslexia just affects the ability to read and write.  

• Dyslexia can have an affect on areas such as coordination, organisation and memory.

• Each person with dyslexia will experience the condition in a way that is unique to them and as such, each will have their own set of abilities and difficulties.

• There are common signs that can help you to identify whether the difficulties being experienced could be indicative of dyslexia and would suggest that further investigation could be beneficial:

Early Years Indicators:

Many young children will display these behaviours and make these mistakes. It is the severity of the behaviour and the length of time it persists which give vital clues to identifying a difficulty such as dyslexia.

• Difficulty learning nursery rhymes

• Difficulty paying attention, sitting still, listening to stories

• Likes listening to stories but shows no interest in letters or words

• Difficulty learning to sing or recite the alphabet

• A history of slow speech development

• Muddles words e.g. cubumber, flutterby

• Difficulty keeping simple rhythm

• Finds it hard to carry out two or more instructions at one time, (e.g. put the toys in the box, then put it on the shelf) but is fine if tasks are presented in smaller units

• Forgets names of friends, teacher, colours etc.

• Poor auditory discrimination

• Confusion between directional words e.g. up/down

• Family history of dyslexia/reading difficulties

• Difficulty with sequencing e.g. coloured beads, classroom routines

• Substitutes words e.g. "lampshade" for "lamppost"

• Appears not to be listening or paying attention

• Obvious 'good' and 'bad' days for no apparent reason

Next steps

• There is a large body of research linking speech and language difficulties in early childhood to later literacy problems. Identifying potential speech and language problems as early as possible is really important as much can be done before a child starts school to develop their language skills. This will then support their reading development at school.

• If you are worried about your child's speech and language development, speak to your GP or health visitor. If you think your child may be dyslexic, discuss your concerns with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) in your child's early years setting.  

• Early help is vital to reduce the chance of loss of confidence and low self-esteem. A child can only be diagnosed with dyslexia through a Diagnostic Assessment but these are usually only carried out from 7 years old.

Primary & Secondary School General Signs

Dyslexia is a combination of abilities as well as difficulties. It is the disparity between them that is often the give-away clue. A dyslexic learner, despite certain areas of difficulty, may be orally very able and knowledgeable, creative, artistic, or sporting. Alongside these abilities will be a cluster of difficulties - these will be different for every person.

If a child appears to be struggling with spelling, reading, writing or numeracy, some obvious signs such as a 'spiky' profile may be present. This means that a child has areas of strong ability alongside areas of weakness. Other family members may have similar weaknesses.  

In primary school general signs include:

• Speed of processing: slow spoken and/or written language

• Poor concentration

• Difficulty following instructions

• Forgetting words

It is important to remember that not all dyslexic children will display the same weaknesses and abilities. A cluster of these indicators alongside areas of ability may suggest dyslexia and further investigation may be required.

Further Signs:

Primary School

Secondary School

Written Work

• Poor standard of written work compared with oral ability

• Produces messy work with many crossings out and words tried several times, e.g. wippe, wype, wiep, wipe

• Confused by letters which look similar, particularly b/d, p/g, p/q, n/u, m/w

• Poor handwriting with many ‘reversals’ and badly formed letters

• Spells a word several different ways in one piece of writing

• Makes anagrams of words, e.g. tired for tried, bread for beard

• Produces badly set-out written work, doesn’t stay close to the margin

• Poor pencil grip

• Produces phonetic and bizarre spelling: not age/ability appropriate

• Uses unusual sequencing of letters or words

• Has a poor standard of written work compared with oral ability

• Has poor handwriting with badly formed letters or has neat handwriting, but writes very slowly

• Produces badly set out or messy written work, with spellings crossed out several times

• Spells the same word differently in one piece of work

• Has difficulty with punctuation and/or grammar

• Confuses upper and lower case letters

• Writes a great deal but 'loses the thread'

• Writes very little, but to the point

• Has difficulty taking notes in lessons

• Has difficulty with organisation of homework

• Finds tasks difficult to complete on time

• Appears to know more than they can commit to paper

Reading

• Slow reading progress

• Finds it difficult to blend letters together

• Has difficulty in establishing syllable division or knowing the beginnings and endings of words

• Unusual pronunciation of words

• No expression in reading, and poor comprehension

• Hesitant and laboured reading, especially when reading aloud

• Misses out words when reading, or adds extra words

• Fails to recognise familiar words

• Loses the point of a story being read or written

• Has difficulty in picking out the most important points from a passage

• Is hesitant and laboured, especially when reading aloud

• Omits, repeats or adds extra words

• Reads at a reasonable rate, but has a low level of comprehension

• Fails to recognise familiar words

• Misses a line or repeats the same line twice

• Loses their place easily/uses a finger or marker to keep the place

• Has difficulty in pin-pointing the main idea in a passage

• Has difficulty using dictionaries, directories, encyclopaedias

Numeracy

• Confusion with place value e.g. units, tens, hundreds

• Confused by symbols such as + and x signs

• Difficulty remembering anything in a sequential order, e.g. tables, days of the week, the alphabet

• Has difficulty remembering tables and/or basic number sets

• Finds sequencing problematic

• Confuses signs such as x for +

• Can think at a high level in mathematics, but needs a calculator for simple calculations

• Misreads questions that include words

• Finds mental arithmetic at speed very difficult

• Finds memorising formulae difficult

Behaviour

• Uses work avoidance tactics, such as sharpening pencils and looking for books

• Seems ‘dreamy’, does not seem to listen

• Easily distracted

• Is the class clown or is disruptive or withdrawn

• Is excessively tired due to amount of concentration and effort required

• Is disorganised or forgetful e.g. over sports equipment, lessons, homework, appointments

• Is easily distracted. May find it difficult to remain focused on the task

• Is often in the wrong place at the wrong time

• Is excessively tired, due to the amount of concentration and effort required

Other Areas:

Time:  

• Has difficulty learning to tell the time

• Poor time keeping

• Poor personal organisation

• Difficulty remembering what day of the week it is, their birth date, seasons of the year, months of the year

• Difficulty with concepts – yesterday, today, tomorrow

• Confuses direction - left/right

• Has difficulty in learning foreign languages

• Has difficulty in finding the name for an object

• Has clear difficulties processing information at speed

• Misunderstands complicated questions

• Finds holding a list of instructions in memory difficult, although can perform all tasks when told individually

Skills:

• Poor motor skills, leading to weaknesses in speed, control and accuracy of the pencil

• Memory difficulties e.g. for daily routines, self-organisation, rote learning

• Confused by the difference between left and right, up and down, east and west

• Indeterminate hand preference

• Performs unevenly from day to day

Next Steps:

Dyslexia can only be formally identified through a Diagnostic Assessment.

Parent/Carers:

• If you suspect that your child may be dyslexic then you should discuss your concerns with your child's teacher, or the school's Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo).

Teachers/School Staff:

• A teacher should consult the school’s SENCo to discuss the next steps and appropriate support.  

• The SEND Code of Practice states that if a teacher suspects that a learner has special educational needs (SEN) then they must inform the child's parents and include them in discussions about what is the best support for their child. They must also tell parents about any special educational provision that is made for their child.

• It is advised that appropriate support is put in place as soon as a need is identified.  

• A Diagnostic Assessment is not needed in order for SEN Support to be provided.  

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