A main purpose of an assessment is to identify reasons why progress might be slow and, of course, to provide suggestions for ways of addressing difficulties. When the tests have been completed, the assessor will discuss the results with the client or parents and make recommendations as to what action to take.

A confidential report is issued within approximately three weeks of the assessment, setting out the results, findings and recommendations.

This report is usually welcomed in school. At Dyslexia Action, it is normal practice to come back after the assessment for a consultation with a teacher who can explain anything that is unclear and give further practical advice on ways to help.

What happens if the assessment indicates dyslexia?

Dyslexic children or adults will need the appropriate amount of specialist teaching to overcome their dyslexia depending on how severely it has affected their learning or performance.

Adults:  An adult identified with dyslexia will benefit from specialist tuition, which can be provided through Dyslexia Action. Individual training programmes for adults can be arranged by the nearest Dyslexia Action Centre. Our own Units of Sound multimedia program on CD-Rom and our Adult Literacy Programme often form an integral part of tuition. Tuition can be arranged on a 1:1 basis or in a small group with other adults. Your local Dyslexia Action Centre, or our Head Office can advise.

Children: If dyslexia is identified during Key Stage 1 a great deal of support can be given in the normal classroom. Teaching that is good for dyslexic children is also good practice for others. However, the problems compound for the dyslexic child from Key Stage 2 and s/he is very likely to need to be withdrawn from the classroom for targeted specialist teaching that will enable her/ him to be included in the full curriculum in the classroom.

The amount of withdrawal time per week will depend on the degree of difficulty and may vary in normal schools from an hour to three hours. For a tiny minority of children who are suffering the severe effects of dyslexia and often other problems that inhibit their learning, an integrated approach in a specialist environment has proved to be the most effective solution. There are excellent specialist schools in the private sector and increasingly in the maintained sector - for example those listed by the Council for the Registration of Schools Teaching Dyslexic Pupil (CreSTeD).(www.crested.org.uk)

There are different levels of support at the school-based phases of the Code of Practice. It is unlikely that an Educational Psychologist will have conducted a psychometric assessment at School Action and possibly not School Action Plus. A school-based assessment at this stage is likely to have been undertaken by a teacher. So, if your child has been diagnosed as dyslexic then the 'Statement' procedure may be underway. However, this route will only be followed for those children with the most severe and complex difficulties.

Specialist teaching involves withdrawing children for individual specialist teaching for between one to three hours per week depending on the degree of difficulty. This type of teaching has been found to be the most effective in enabling a dyslexic child to flourish in the normal classroom.

Schools can 'buy in' specialist expertise if they do not have it on their staff. A teacher with a minimum qualification of AMBDA status (Associate Member of the British Dyslexia Association) should be sought. Teachers who have been trained to Diploma level by, or are employed by Dyslexia Action have been trained beyond the level required by AMBDA status. Many, especially those who are full members of the Dyslexia Action Guild or are on the Dyslexia Action staff, are committed to developing their professional skills to keep themselves at the leading edge.

Our policy is to work as closely as possible with schools. You can contact us at Dyslexia Action if you should want to find out more about our policy and practices, if you are interested in commissioning some of our services, such as screening, awareness-training or teaching, in your school.