Assessments
should you get your child assessed?
If you see there is a discrepancy between your child’s verbal skills and their reading and writing. Often an early indication is they can express themselves verbally but cannot get their ideas down on paper. The earlier difficulties are identified the sooner they can understand their difficulties and get specific help. If left undiagnosed they can become overwhelmed as they progress through school.
Many children realise in class that they are not keeping up with their peers. It can result in lack of confidence and impact on their self esteem. A diagnosis can help them to recognise their differences, not as a weakness but as their strengths. It can help them understand the way they learn best. Difficulties with spelling, does not mean they can’t be imaginative or be able to write creatively.
The benefits of an assessment:
An assessment is not about giving someone a label. It is about understanding how they learn, and what can be done to help them understand how they learn best. An assessment will identify their strengths and weaknesses to help them move forward with their learning.
It will include an assessment of their attainments, including reading, writing and spelling. It will also investigate what might be causing any difficulties in theses area. It will look at phonological skills, verbal memory and processing speed.
Having an assessment will ensure you have the right support and interventions in place to meet your needs.
What is involved in an assessment?
Before an assessment some background information is usually collected via a family questionnaire. It helps to build up a picture of the learner and the kind of problems they are experiencing. Dyslexia often runs in families, so a family history can be useful along with any relevant medical information. A school questionnaire can be given to the school they attend, however this is not essential.
An assessment usually lasts a couple of hours.
A full diagnostic report is produced with the test results and a summary of the findings within three weeks of the assessment. A follow up consultation can be arranged if there are any further questions. The report will also include specific tailored recommendations for home and school to help them move forward with their studies, whatever their level.
Recommendations can also include advice on access arrangements for school examinations and support the provision of extra time, use of a laptop, a reader or scribe.
A diagnostic assessments are not time limited and do not expire, so there is no benefit to waiting until the child is older. An assessment made at primary school age can now be used to support applications for Disability Students Allowance to support students moving into further education.
The cost of an assessment is £425.