Dyslexia Assessments – Children and Adults

Dyslexia can look different in every person. It often runs in families and may not become obvious until the demands of reading, writing, or work increase. Dyslexia has nothing to do with IQ. Many children and adults with dyslexia are bright, articulate, and talented in other fields — yet find that their skills on paper do not reflect their true ability.

You may be considering an assessment if you recognise some of the following.

Children

• Is there a family history of dyslexia, reading, or spelling difficulties?
• Is there a noticeable gap between your child’s verbal ability and their reading or writing?
• Does your child find reading aloud difficult?
• Do they miss out words, add words, or lose their place when reading?
• Do they take much longer than expected to read a page of text?
• Do they struggle to get their thoughts down on paper or take a long time to complete written tasks?
• Can they learn spellings for a test but forget them soon afterwards?
• Do they find rhyming difficult?
• Is homework a constant battle?
• Are they starting to dislike school or is their self-esteem affected?

Adults

• Do you find it hard to remember verbal instructions or retain spoken information?
• Are there aspects of your work that remain difficult despite your best efforts?
• Do you read slowly and struggle to make sense of what you have read?
• Do you need to reread questions or information several times to fully understand them?
• At school, were you described as “careless”, “lazy” or a “daydreamer”?
• Do you often miss spelling or punctuation errors when proofreading emails or reports?

 Adults If you suspect that you are dyslexic there is a simple checklist that you can complete. You simply answer 20 questions and can rate them according to how significant they are. This is just a screener and not definitive

Vinegrad checklist

Please see below for a comprehensive list of signs and symptoms

Dyslexia Assessments

Dyslexia assessments are available for:

• Children (7 years and older) where parents or schools suspect dyslexia
• Adults who believe they may be dyslexic or experience ongoing difficulties with reading and spelling.
• Adults in employment who want practical advice and strategies to manage workplace demands.
• Adults returning to study who require support and guidance.

Assessments provide a clear understanding of strengths and areas of difficulty, along with practical, individualised recommendations to support learning, work, and wellbeing.

Children

Signs and Symptoms of Dyslexia

Background Information

Details of the Service and Charges

Adults

Signs and Symptoms

Background Information

Details of the Service and Charges

Children from 6 years upwards

Current diagnostic criteria for dyslexia require that difficulties are not attributable to extrinsic factors, such as uncorrected eyesight or hearing problems. There must also have been at least six months of appropriate intervention that has not led to expected progress, along with a significant difference between a child’s reading and spelling attainment and that of their peers.

This difference is often very difficult to demonstrate reliably in children under the age of 7, as many literacy weaknesses at this stage may still be developmental. For this reason, a formal diagnosis of dyslexia cannot be made before this age.

However, it is possible and beneficial to assess early literacy skills, identify areas of weakness, and put targeted recommendations and support strategies in place before the age of 7. Early identification and intervention can make a significant difference — the sooner appropriate support begins, the better. An academic assessment of literacy skills would be an option for children between the ages of 6 years 6 months onwards.

Academic Assessments of Literacy (Children only)

Not every child needs a formal diagnosis of a specific learning disorder.
Sometimes parents or schools simply want a clear picture of a child’s current literacy skills and practical guidance on how best to support them.

If this is the case, I  am now offering cost effective assessments in academic achievement to identify learning difficulties in reading, spelling and writing.