As a specialist assessor I am able to carry out full diagnostic assessments for Primary and Secondary students. The youngest age for a formal diagnosis of dyslexia is 7 years old but in some cases with younger children it is appropriate to run a screening test to identify areas of difficulty and dyslexic tendencies. 

 

Prior to the assessment, parents and carers are asked to complete a developmental questionnaire to provide information about the student’s background history. With parental consent, the student’s school is also encouraged to fill out a brief questionnaire to obtain an educational history. The assessment session lasts for about 3 hours and includes regular movement breaks and an opportunity for the student to eat a snack and re-energize.

 

The purpose of the assessment is to determine the student’s cognitive abilities and educational attainments. A series of standardised psychometric tests are used so that results can be compared with those of other learners of the same age. All assessments are merely a snapshot on that day, so environmental evidence is also used to obtain a holistic profile of the learner.

 

A confidential report is then written, which provides the results of the assessment in detail and outlines the student’s strengths and weaknesses. The report will indicate if your child has a specific learning difficulty, such as dyslexia and recommendations are then provided for a specialist teacher, classroom teaching strategies and parents.  In some cases referrals to other professionals are suggested, such as a Speech and Language Therapist (SaLT) and Occupational Therapist (OT).

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I AM CURRENTLY NOT ASSESSING  FOR THIS ACADEMIC YEAR AS I HAVE DECIDED TO FOCUS ON THE TEACHING ASPECT OF MY PRACTICE. I AM STILL AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT PARENTS WITH INTERPRETATION AND CONSULTATION OF REPORTS AND CAN REFER STUDENTS TO COLLEAGUES FOR FULL DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENTS.