How to Get Tested for Dyslexia: What to Expect from an Assessment

If you are considering a dyslexia assessment for yourself or your child, you may have quite a few questions. Who should you contact? What happens during the appointment? And will the findings help you understand what to do next?

You do not need to be certain that dyslexia is the explanation before asking for advice. An assessment is a way of investigating persistent difficulties with reading and spelling and understanding the support a person may need.

For me, that understanding is central. Alongside the assessment findings, I want people to feel that their experiences have been heard and taken seriously.

What is the difference between screening and a diagnostic assessment?

A dyslexia screening tool or checklist can indicate whether further investigation may be helpful. It cannot provide a diagnosis.

A full diagnostic assessment considers a much wider picture. This includes developmental and educational history, current difficulties, previous support, observations during the appointment and standardised test results.

The assessor considers how these pieces of evidence fit together. Dyslexia is not identified through one score or a particular number of signs on a checklist.

When might a dyslexia assessment be helpful?

You might consider an assessment when:

• Reading or spelling difficulties have persisted over time.

• Progress remains a concern despite appropriate teaching and support.

• Reading is accurate but slow or requires considerable effort.

• Schoolwork, study or written tasks at work take much longer than expected.

• You want a clearer understanding of longstanding difficulties and practical advice about support.

For children, it is helpful to discuss concerns with school and find out what support is already in place. An assessment can add to that understanding, but support should not be delayed while waiting for a diagnosis.

Adults may seek assessment for education or work, or because they want to make sense of experiences they have lived with for years. Self-understanding is a worthwhile reason in its own right.

Who carries out a dyslexia assessment?

Diagnostic dyslexia assessments are carried out by appropriately qualified specialist teacher assessors or psychologists with relevant expertise.

When choosing an assessor, check their qualifications, experience with the age group being assessed and whether the report will meet the requirements of its intended use.

For a specialist teacher assessor, a current Assessment Practising Certificate (APC) is an important professional credential. If you need a report for a particular application, such as Disabled Students’ Allowance, check the evidence requirements before booking.

I am a specialist teacher and dyslexia assessor with a current APC. My approach combines assessment expertise with practical teaching experience and a strong focus on confidence and self-understanding.

How do I arrange a dyslexia assessment?

1. Have an initial conversation

A conversation before booking gives you an opportunity to explain your concerns and ask questions.

We can discuss what you have noticed, any previous assessments or support, and what you hope to understand. It also helps establish whether a dyslexia assessment is an appropriate next step or whether another type of advice would be more useful.

You do not need to prepare a perfect account of everything that has happened. A few examples of the difficulties are a helpful starting point.

2. Confirm the practical details

Before booking, make sure you understand:

• The assessment fee and what it includes.

• Where and how the assessment will take place.

• How long to allow for the appointment.

• What background information is needed.

• When you can expect the report.

• What opportunity there will be to discuss the findings.

If you are considering a remote assessment, discuss its suitability with the assessor. The person’s needs, the tasks being used and the assessment conditions all matter.

3. Provide background information

Before the appointment, I gather information about development, education, reading and spelling, current concerns and previous support.

For a child, information from parents and school helps build a picture of their learning across different situations.

For an adult, your own account of school, study, work and the ways you manage difficulties is particularly valuable. Previous reports can be helpful, but you do not need to have kept every school record.

Let me know about relevant language, attention, hearing, vision or other concerns so that these can be considered when planning and interpreting the assessment.

What happens during a dyslexia assessment?

The assessment includes a range of standardised tasks exploring reading, spelling and relevant areas of language and cognitive processing.

Depending on the assessment, tasks may involve reading words or passages, spelling, working with speech sounds, remembering information and completing activities involving reasoning or speed.

I also observe how the person approaches the tasks. Do they check repeatedly? Use a particular strategy? Find something manageable but effortful? These observations help me interpret the results alongside the background information.

Some activities will feel easier than others. You are not expected to find everything straightforward, and there is no need to practise assessment tasks beforehand.

How should I explain the assessment to my child?

Keep the explanation simple and reassuring.

You might say:

“We’re going to meet someone who helps us understand learning. You’ll do some different activities, and they’ll help us work out what support might make reading and spelling easier.”

Avoid presenting it as something your child needs to pass. It is also best not to promise that the appointment will confirm dyslexia.

Let them ask questions and share any worries. If they are anxious, find unfamiliar situations difficult or need particular adjustments, tell me beforehand so that we can discuss how to support them.

What age can a child be assessed?

At Lexety Education, I offer diagnostic dyslexia assessments from the age of eight.

If your child is younger, their difficulties still deserve attention. Speak with school about appropriate literacy teaching, additional support and how progress will be monitored.

There is no need to wait until your child is old enough for an assessment with me before helping them develop their reading and spelling skills or making learning more manageable.

Does an assessment always result in a dyslexia diagnosis?

No. The purpose is to investigate whether the evidence supports dyslexia, so the outcome cannot be guaranteed in advance.

The conclusion draws on the overall pattern of findings. A single low score does not establish dyslexia, and an average score does not automatically rule it out.

If dyslexia is not identified, the difficulties that prompted the assessment still matter. The findings can help clarify needs and guide recommendations. Where further investigation is needed outside my professional scope, I may suggest an appropriate onward referral.

What will the assessment report tell me?

The report brings together the background information, assessment findings and the explanation of the conclusion.

It describes relevant strengths and difficulties and provides recommendations tailored to the person’s needs and circumstances.

For a child, recommendations may address literacy teaching, access to classroom learning and ways to support confidence. For an adult, they may focus on study, workplace tasks or practical approaches to reading and writing.

The aim is to give you useful information that you can understand and discuss with the people involved in providing support.

Will a dyslexia diagnosis guarantee extra time or other support?

A diagnosis does not automatically guarantee extra time in exams, a particular school provision or a specific workplace adjustment.

Different settings and applications have their own requirements. Schools and colleges must follow the relevant exam access arrangements rules, including evidence of need and the student’s usual way of working.

A report can contribute useful evidence and recommendations. If you need it for a particular purpose, discuss that before booking so that expectations are clear.

What happens after the assessment?

Take time to read and reflect on the findings. You may feel relieved, have further questions or need a little time to make sense of what the assessment means for you or your child.

Share relevant recommendations with school, college, university or your workplace, where appropriate, and discuss how they could be put into practice.

It is often more manageable to begin with a few priorities rather than trying every recommendation at once. Agree what you are trialling and review whether it helps. Some strategies may need adapting; others may become useful later.

For children, include them in conversations in an age-appropriate way. They should understand that the findings explain aspects of learning, rather than define their abilities or their future.

Finding understanding and a way forward

An assessment can help answer important questions about reading and spelling. Just as importantly, it can help people make sense of experiences that may have affected their confidence for a long time.

My priority is to provide a careful assessment, a clear explanation and practical recommendations, while helping the person feel understood.

If you would like to discuss a dyslexia assessment in Cornwall, you are welcome to get in touch for a free advice call. We can talk through your concerns and consider whether an assessment would be helpful.

For further information, explore my free courses, videos and self-help guides.