Why pursue an assessment?
Assessments can serve as a highly beneficial experience for learners, allowing them to identify their educational strengths and areas for improvement. Early intervention is crucial to make sure a learner is conscious of the support needed to reach their utmost potential. A full diagnostic dyslexia assessment will provide a holistic picture of a young person's cognitive strengths and weaknesses alongside their reading, writing and spelling abilities. This type of assessment will take three to four hours and will conclude with a detailed report. I also offer a follow up conversation to discuss the findings and answer any questions.
How do I know if my child needs a dyslexia assessment?
Answering this question can be challenging and will depend on individual situations. However, if your child is receiving additional support or interventions at home or school and you are not seeing significant progress, I suggest further assessments to identify any underlying reasons for this lack of progress.
I am more than happy to discuss your circumstances and create a customised assessment that specifically addresses your young person's challenges such as reading or writing. I can also offer a concise report of the results and recommendations to share with your child's school.
Please contact me via phone or email to discuss your situation before committing to an assessment.
Assessments
Before: Prior to the day of the assessment, questionnaires need to be completed by school and parents. Deposit is required to secure the booking.
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On the Day: The assessment will take place in person in a quiet and calm environment. A battery of tests will be administered focusing on underlying abilities , reading, writing and spelling. If maths difficulties have been highlighted in the questionnaires, further maths assessments will be administered. The young person will be offered rest breaks throughout to ensure they are happy and comfortable.
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After: Two to three weeks after the assessment you will receive a comprehensive and detailed diagnostic report. You will also be offered the opportunity to discuss the results and recommendations.
Q & A
Where will the assessment take place?
I conduct all assessments in my home in Twickenham and I am DBS checked. There are no parking restrictions and you are welcome to park outside the property. Unfortunately I do not have the space to accommodate parents during the assessment.
How long will the assessment take?
Please be prepared for the assessment to last up to three hours (although, on occasions, this may over-run). The usual procedure of an assessment would be that I meet and greet you and explain what will happen during the assessment. At this point, I will also be able to briefly answer any questions that you may have. Following this, I will then ask you to leave the room and give an approximate time to return - usually three hours later. The assessments will look at the following areas:
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Underlying Ability (verbal and visual)
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Cognitive profile (verbal memory, phonological awareness and processing speed)
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Attainment (reading, writing, spelling and maths)
During the time, I will administer the assessments, taking regular rest breaks throughout (if required), where we may chat about likes/dislikes, school life, hobbies, interests, etc.
When will I receive the report?
The full report will be emailed to you within 2-3 working weeks as a password protected document. The report will detail all the assessment results, an in depth analysis of the results with recommendations for home, school and guidance on exam access arrangements (if appropriate).
After the report has been finalised I will provide a feedback session via a Google meet or telephone call at a convenient time that suits you.
What do I need to do before the assessment?
The assessment will be most productive if I am able to go into it with some background information. Information from your child’s school would help me to build up a picture and assist with the format of the assessment. For this purpose, I ask school and parents to complete questionnaires and return it to me by e-mail (leanneho@richmonddyslexia.org). Please do not worry if you are unable to answer some questions.
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Additionally, you may wish to supply copies of school reports, specialists’ reports or any documents that might add to my understanding. Scanned copies can be e-mailed to me or photocopies can be brought along on the day of the assessment.
Terms and Conditions
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If you would like to go ahead with an assessment, a non-refundable deposit of £100 is required to confirm a booking. The bill for the assessment should be settled via bank transfer before the day of the assessment. Please note that if you require an earlier appointment than the date you have booked, priority will be given to clients who have already settled their account and returned the completed parental and school questionnaires. We aim to produce the written report within two working weeks from the date of the assessment.
Please bear in mind that time has been set aside for each assessment. The more notice we receive of a need to reallocate this time, the more likely we are to be successful in this. Should you decide not to go ahead with the assessment, or should circumstances arise which prevent you from attending, I would appreciate early notification. If you fail to provide at least 48 hours-notice of cancellation or inability to attend, a cancellation fee of £100.00 will apply.