ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS

Please find below information about what to expect prior to, during, and after the completion of a diagnostic assessment with your child.

What happens prior to the assessment?

Prior to the assessment, you will be provided with a set of questionnaires to complete for your child. These must be completed and returned to me prior to the assessment.

A questionnaire will also be sent to your child’s school. If the school has not returned their completed questionnaire two weeks prior to the assessment I will ask you to contact the school to request the completed questionnaire be sent back to me.

Please note that it is a requirement to have had an eye test within the six months prior to the assessment for children. Please ensure that an eye test is arranged if this is not the case. Please ensure that any concerns raised by the optician are communicated to me prior to assessment.

What happens on the day of assessment?

On the day of the assessment a number of assessments will be carried out. Despite these being formal tests, I will endeavour to make your child feel completely at ease, and there will always be an opportunity for breaks whenever needed. The tests cover:

Underlying Ability: This includes verbal and visual ability and provides information on the ‘ability’ to learn.

Cognitive Ability: This includes assessments for working memory, phonological processing (the skills that underpin our reading ability) and processing speed (the speed at which we take in information, process it and act upon it).

Attainment: This will cover reading, writing, spelling and comprehension.

How long does an assessment take?

Assessments can vary in length due to the needs of the individual, but you should allow at least 3 hours. The activities are short and varied and most children find the time passes quickly.

What happens next?

The results of the tests or any diagnosis, if applicable, cannot be provided on the day of the assessment. Time will be spent scoring and analysing the results of the assessments and an in-depth report will be written and sent within 3 weeks, subject to full payment being received. The report will be written in compliance with the latest SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC) guidelines and will include a diagnosis of dyslexia where appropriate.

The report is confidential, sent only to parents/carers and is a password protected PDF file that you can forward on to your child’s school if you wish.

It may not be possible to offer a clear-cut diagnosis of dyslexia, however, the comprehensive report will note areas of strengths and challenge, with detailed recommendations to support your child at home, in school and with a specialist teacher. If necessary, details of other professionals will be given for onward referral, such as Occupational Therapy, Optometry or Speech and Language Therapy.

I understand that teachers and other professionals are busy and may not have time to read an entire report, so there will be a concise summary of findings, diagnosis and selection of recommendations at the beginning of the report, which can be detached.

I understand that you may have questions about the report when you receive it, and I am happy to answer these.

Co-occurring difficulties

Specific learning difficulties is a general term and may include dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, ADHD, speech and/or language difficulties. I am able to identify but not diagnose co-occurring difficulties and can make suggestions for support and when appropriate, recommend referral to the relevant specialist.

Access Arrangements

Access Arrangements are reasonable adjustments used in class and during exams. They aim to place the learner on a level with their peers, giving them fair access to exams and the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, skills and understanding to achieve their full potential. They do not give the learner an unfair advantage or undermine the integrity of the exam paper. Access Arrangements are ultimately the school’s responsibility, as is their decision to decide what Access Arrangements to apply for.

Within the diagnostic report, Access Arrangements will be recommended to the school to consider where appropriate. These are based on quantitative and qualitative evidence gained during the assessment session.

Payment

The total cost of the assessment and report is £575.00.

£300.00 is required as a deposit to hold the assessment date agreed. The balance should be paid within 3 working days of the assessment. Please note I am unable to forward the report unless full payment has been received.

Payment can be made via BACS or by cheque.

Re-scheduling or cancelling

If you are unable to make the assessment for any reason, please let me know as soon as possible. (Please see Terms and Conditions document).

Further Details

I hold a current Assessment Practising Certificate (APC) through the Dyslexia Guild that certifies the assessment will be conducted and the report written in accordance with the SpLD Working Group 2005/DfES Guidelines for assessment of SpLDs.

I also hold Associate Membership of the Dyslexia Association (AMBDA), have a current Enhanced Disclosure and Barring (DBS) certificate and both Professional Indemnity Insurance and Public Liability insurance.

All personal data will be stored in accordance with GDPR. I am registered with the Information Commissioning Office (ICO).

Relevant Websites

SASC - https://www.sasc.org.uk/

PATOSS - https://www.patoss-dyslexia.org/

JCQ - https://www.jcq.org.uk/exams-office/access-arrangements-and-special-consideration/

BDA - https://www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/services/assessments/diagnostic-assessments

Dyslexia Guild - https://dyslexiaguild.org.uk/