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.
The above definition of dyslexia is widely adopted as recommended by Sir Jim Rose (2009).
If a student is facing difficulties in literacy, an assessment is a useful first step to understanding any potential barriers to learning which are hindering progress. An assessment for dyslexia may help to explain a student's struggles in school or university. For the student, an assessment can provide a huge boost for their self esteem because often ‘a reason’ is given as to why they may be finding particular aspects of their education difficult. This can be the catalyst to self- belief and ‘reaching for the stars’.
The assessment is beneficial for all who are involved to have a greater understanding of the student's learning style. The assessment report will give a detailed and thorough analysis of the student's strengths and challenges regardless of whether dyslexia is identified. In addition, the report will contain individualised recommendations that will help to enable progress through specialised teaching and strategies to support learning at home.
Our dyslexia assessor, Frankie, will conduct the assessment. She is a qualified dyslexia assessor and specialist teacher, Member of the Dyslexia Guild and holds an APC (Assessment Practising Certificate).
The assessment will take place in a private meeting room at the Owl Tutors offices.
We please ask that you remain present whilst waiting for your child to complete the assessment process. However we are unable to welcome parents into the same room as the assessment is taking place in, due to wanting to assess the child in a natural learning environment which would be similar to school, without the influence of those close to them.
The assessment process is split into the following three parts, each of which are discussed in detail:
Prior to the assessment
Please ensure that your child sees an optician for an eye test and also has a hearing test. These should have taken place a minimum of 12 months prior to the assessment. We ask this to ensure that any visual or hearing difficulties are ruled out.
The assessor will arrange a phone conversation to discuss the reasons for you wanting an assessment and to gather some background information. Once a date is agreed, we do ask for a non-refundable £150 deposit to secure the date and time of the assessment. Questionnaires will also be sent to you and also to the student’s school to further collate information prior to the assessment.
On the day of the assessment
The assessment itself will investigate the student’s underlying ability, phonological awareness, processing speed and working memory. Specific literacy skills are also assessed, such as comprehension, spelling, reading and handwriting.
On the day, we ask that your child brings a pen, their glasses (if applicable) and a coloured overlay if this is something they normally use. Water will be provided and comfort breaks will be factored in during the assessment process. Including these breaks, the assessment typically lasts for two and a half hours.
After the assessment
Immediately after the assessment, the assessor will speak to you to give an overview of the outcome from the assessment process and answer any questions you may have.
Once the assessment has taken place, the assessor will write up a report containing the background information provided in the questionnaires and the attainment and observations from the assessment tests. These elements will form the basis for a formal diagnosis of whether or not your child has dyslexia. Perhaps most importantly, the report will also provide recommendations and strategies to support your child’s cognitive profile. The report is around 35 pages in length and discusses strengths and weaknesses which were observed during the assessment process and gives an in depth overview of your child’s cognitive abilities including phonological awareness, processing speed, working memory along with their attainment in a range of literacy skills.
This report will be distributed to you within 2-3 weeks and it is recommended that you share this with your child’s school so that they can then offer the best support. As the assessor holds an Assessment Practice Certificate, they are able to make recommendations for the student’s eligibility for the Disabled Student’s Allowance, and this will be included in the report.
On receipt of the report, the assessor will either meet with you in person or over the phone to discuss the main findings and recommendations, also giving you the opportunity to ask any questions that you may have.
If after the assessment process, the diagnostic outcome shows that the student does not have dyslexia then you will still receive a full report which will highlight and demonstrate both their strengths and weaknesses and still offer recommendations on how best to support their learning. In some cases, children may be referred for further testing in instances where there may appear to be neurodivergence which is either not dyslexia or, in addition to dyslexia.
Dyslexia is recognised as a disability under the 2010 Equality Act. Due to this, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces are legally required to make reasonable adjustments to support a student or employee. As a dyslexia diagnosis lasts for life, it is not necessary to have another assessment later in life, as the report can be used throughout school and then onto university and the workplace.
A dyslexia diagnosis means that the student’s school, college or university will be better equipped to apply for Exam Access Arrangement support, such as extra time, a reader, scribe, etc. If your child goes on to attend university or college, they will be entitled to apply for the Disability Students’ Allowance which provides financial support.
Often children with dyslexia are able to make excellent progress and achieve as equally well as their peers if not better. Dyslexia should certainly not be seen as a reason to not achieve. It is important to remember that there are many positives to thinking differently and having dyslexia. Many dyslexic people are incredibly creative and have strengths in reasoning and visual areas. Children with dyslexia benefit from specialised teaching and being taught in structured ways which enable them to learn best. Owl Tutors have a number of specialised SEN tutors who would be able to support dyslexic students reach their full potential.
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