Dyslexia services for children and adults
Our services
Exams Access Arrangements assessment
Specialist Tuition
Bespoke training and consultation
Full Diagnostic Dyslexia Assessment (age 8+)
-
You may be considering a dyslexia assessment for you or your child if there is a persistent difficulty developing literacy skills. It might be that teachers have raised concerns about progress.
Some common signs of dyslexia include difficulties with:
Reading
Organisation
Spelling
Memory
Writing
Processing speed
Word retrieval
If you are concerned about your child’s literacy development or you feel they display some of the common signs of dyslexia, a discussion with your child’s teacher and / or the school’s SENDco (Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator) is recommended.
A formal diagnosis of dyslexia is not needed for support and intervention to be put in place; however, if your child continues to experience difficulties, despite appropriate support and intervention, you may wish to consider further investigation.
Some schools offer dyslexia screening, but it is important to note that these will only give an indication of dyslexic tendencies and are not a diagnosis.
-
A full diagnostic assessment is for anyone who would like to investigate whether they have specific learning difficulties or for those who would like an updated report since a previous assessment, perhaps on transition to secondary school, sixth form, college or university.
Even if a diagnosis of dyslexia is not given, the assessment and subsequent report will include a comprehensive description of the cognitive and literacy attainments profile (including strengths and weaknesses) and recommendations for further development. Where appropriate, pathways to other professionals for further investigation will be signposted.
-
An initial telephone conversation will be held to discuss your concerns and decide if an assessment is the most appropriate way forward. If you wish to proceed to an assessment, a date can then be agreed.
It is important that a recent eye test has taken place (within the past 12 months). If you / your child wears glasses or uses coloured overlays, these should be brought to the assessment. If there are any concerns about your / your child’s hearing, this should also be checked prior to the assessment.
It is important to gather background information and helpful to gain the views of the school, so questionnaires are sent both to home and school, and any other relevant background information gathered. It is not compulsory to involve the school, although to have a teacher’s perspective on the learner’s attainment and difficulties will enhance the depth and comprehensiveness of the eventual assessment report.
Finally, it is also important to gain the views of the learner, so they are asked to complete their own, separate questionnaire.
The Assessment
A dyslexia assessment takes around three hours. This can be split into two shorter sessions, if necessary, for younger children or for those who have difficulty with maintaining concentration for longer periods of time. It is important that the learner is well and able to perform to the best of their ability during the assessment.
-
A full diagnostic assessment includes a variety of short activities measuring verbal and visual ability, cognitive processing (including assessments of phonological skills, working memory and processing speed), literacy skills and, where appropriate, maths. The results of the assessments, alongside background information gathered, help build a profile of strengths and challenges and inform the diagnostic decision.
A detailed report will be written giving the test results and observations made during the assessment and identifying whether there is a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia. Recommendations for study at school, college, university, and at home will be included along with suggestions for examination access arrangements and referral to other specialists, where appropriate. The report will be suitable to assess support at university through the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).
On some occasions it is not possible to offer a clear-cut diagnosis of a specific learning difficulty, particularly in some younger children where it is not unusual to experience minor developmental delays in some areas. In such circumstances, a detailed analysis of the cognitive and literacy attainments profile, including strengths and challenges and recommendations for further development will be given. If necessary, consultation with other professionals, such as a paediatrician, a psychologist, a speech and language therapist or an occupational therapist may be recommended.
Exam Access Arrangements
What are Exam Access Arrangements?
Exam access arrangements are pre-examination adjustments that reflect the candidate’s normal way of working. They allow learners with special educational needs, disabilities or temporary injuries to access the assessment and to ensure that they are not disadvantaged.
Some access arrangements are centre delegated, but others require approval by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ). Arrangements could include rest breaks, readers, scribes, modified papers, use of a word processor and extra time. In this way, Awarding Bodies will comply with the duty of the Equality Act 2010 to make ‘reasonable adjustments’.
Do I need a dyslexia diagnosis to secure access arrangements?
A formal diagnosis of dyslexia is not necessary to obtain examination access arrangements; however, any access arrangement should reflect the history of need and normal way of working with evidence collated by the school. With this in mind, it is important that the school is involved in and supportive of the process.
-
Prior to any access arrangement assessment, for external examinations governed by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), the school is required to collate evidence of need and normal way of working in the classroom. Once obtained and where appropriate, in line with JCQ regulations, the school should then supply the assessor with the partially completed JCQ Form 8 in advance of the assessment. The assessor will then complete Part C with the results of the assessment and suggestions for appropriate access arrangements. However, it is the school’s role to decide what arrangements to apply for and to make the application to the relevant awarding body, if appropriate.
Where an assessment is solely for access arrangements, a short, written report will be provided with the results of the assessments and recommendations for appropriate access arrangements to support the process.
Further information can be found at: Access Arrangements, Reasonable Adjustments and Special Consideration - JCQ Joint Council for Qualifications
Specialist Tuition
Specialist teaching incorporates multisensory strategies and activities to help reinforce and develop skills, fill gaps, and build confidence and self-esteem. Lessons can be targeted to work on specific areas of need, including reading, comprehension, writing, spelling, memory, and study skills. Learners are encouraged to reflect on how they learn best and build a bank of support strategies that will enable them to develop more independence.
Bespoke Training and Consultation
Staff training and advice for parents, schools and colleges is available on request. Please contact me to discuss your requirements.
“My daughter had her assessment with Heather, and then continued with tutoring. Heather was able to clearly identify what help she needed and incorporate this into her tutoring. It was really nice to finally find someone that totally understood my daughter and was able to help.
She really enjoyed the sessions which helped her grow in confidence and ability at school. My youngest also attended tutoring with Heather which definitely boosted her at school.”
— PARENT OF YEAR 9 AND YEAR 6 STUDENTS