BRIGHTON DYSLEXIA SPECIALIST
FAQS
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF DYSLEXIA?
Your child may have difficulty with some or all of the following: deciphering words when reading, remembering what they have read, reading fluency, organising their thoughts in the written form, writing speed, spelling, developing phonic skills, processing speed and memory.
WHEN WOULD YOU RECOMMEND HAVING A FULL DIAGNOSTIC DYSLEXIA ASSESSMENT?
A full diagnostic dyslexia assessment is recommended when a child’s difficulties are having a negative impact on their learning and potentially, their self-esteem. An assessment can help parents to understand more about their child as a learner and how to help their child to make progress and develop confidence. Signs of dyslexia can be seen in younger children such as poor auditory skills, difficulty with learning letters and with writing letters and numbers backwards. However, many young children without dyslexia will also exhibit these symptoms so it is hard to be completely sure that they are due to dyslexia. If a child aged seven is still having these difficulties, a clearer diagnostic decision can be made.
WHERE CAN THE ASSESSMENT BE CARRIED OUT AND WHAT DOES THE ASSESSMENT SESSION
INVOLVE?
Assessments can be carried out at my home in Brighton, or I am able to travel to your home in the Sussex area during the week or at weekends. Some SENCOs/headteachers give permission for assessments to be carried out in a room at school or authorise absence for the child to do the assessments out of school during the school day. It is important that your child will feel comfortable and be able to concentrate. The assessment itself takes approximately 3-4 hours with breaks as required.
The assessment will test reading accuracy, reading speed, reading comprehension, writing, spelling, phonological skills, processing speed, memory, verbal ability and visual ability.
CAN I BE WITH MY CHILD DURING THE ASSESSMENT?
To enable each child to perform as they naturally would, parents are not able to be in the same room during the assessment. However, if the assessment is done in a home setting you can see your child during the breaks. I make the assessment feel as relaxed as possible and will take time to get to know your child and talk to them about their interests. Children typically enjoy
the process and the more interesting tasks are mixed in with the less preferred ones
to aid motivation.
ARE ASSESSMENTS THE SAME AS SCREENING?
No. Some schools offer basic dyslexia screenings to look to see if there are signs of dyslexia, but they do not provide a diagnosis. Screenings can be a useful first step before investigating difficulties further. I am able to offer standard assessments of literacy attainment which may be a good starting point for your child before committing to a full diagnostic assessment.
WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU NEED AND HOW WILL YOU KEEP THIS INFORMATION SAFE?
To carry out the assessments I will need access to personal information (full name of adult and child, child’s date of birth, contact address and phone number.) Sensitive personal data will also be collected, for example: why your child requires an assessment, any relevant previous assessments and information about special educational needs. I will send forms for you and the school to complete. Please note that any paper copies of your child’s confidential information will be stored securely and electronic copies, including reports, will be password protected in accordance with GDPR. The report will be sent to the parent who can share it as appropriate. Prior to the full diagnostic assessment, your child must have had a sight test within the last 6 months.