Assessment Details

 

Basic Dyslexia Checklist

 

If, after reading this checklist, would like to find out more about our assessment services please E-mail: karen@dyslexiasupportservices.com.au for for free advice or phone 0402225051

 

Adults and Children

  • Is there a family history of dyslexia, reading or spelling difficulties?
  • Does there appear to be a considerable discrepancy between ability and reading and writing e.g. there might be a huge difference between what they can articulate and what goes down on paper.

Children

  • Does your child have difficulties with reading aloud?
  • Do they miss out or add in words when they are reading?
  • Do they take longer than you might expect to read a page of text?
  • Do they have difficulties putting their thoughts down on paper and take a long time to complete a written task?
  • Are they able to learn spellings for a test but forget them the next day or week?
  • Do they have difficulty with rhyme?
  • Is homework a real struggle?
  • Are they beginning to dislike going to school or attending some lessons?

Adults

  • Do you find it difficult to organise yourself, forget appointments, forget or confuse phone numbers?
  • Do you find it difficult to remember instructions or retain verbal information?
  • Are there some aspects of your work that you are finding difficult no matter the effort that you make?
  • Do you take longer than you should to read a page of a book and then find it difficult to make sense of what you have read?
  • At school were you called, “careless,” “lazy” or a “Daydreamer?”

 

The assessments are intended for:

  • Children from 7 years upwards whose parents or school feel that they may have dyslexia
  • Children from 6 years upwards who may be exhibiting learning difficulties. Criteria for making a dyslexia diagnosis states that the problems cannot be attributable to extrinsic factors such as eyesight. There has to have been at least 6 months intervention which has not worked and there also has to be a significant difference between the reading and spelling attainments of your child and their peers. The latter is very difficult to show in a child below the age of 7 years. In addition many weaknesses may be developmental. For this reason, a diagnosis of 'dyslexia' cannot be made. Having said that, it is possible to assess for weaknesses and put recommendations into place before age 7 years. The sooner remediation begins the better.
  • Adults who suspect that they may be dyslexic or experience difficulties with reading and spelling
  • Adults who are experiencing difficulties with certain aspects of their employment and want advice and strategies to help them cope
  • Adults who want to return to further studies and need support.

 

Find out what the problem is and how to put it right:

 

Services Includes:

  • Pre-assessment questionnaire
  • Initial consultation to discuss background, difficulties and what you want to achieve from the assessment
  • Full diagnostic learning assessment
  • Comprehensive written report with recommendations for you at home, college or work. For children and young adults there will also be recommendations for parents in how to support them
  • Additional recommendations will be produced for the child’s school, for individual tuition, for your college or your employer. These reports are optional at no extra cost
  • Follow up discussion to explain the results, discuss the findings and allow you time to ask questions. This is very important as there will be so much information to take in and some of the tests and terms may be unfamiliar to you. This part of the service is unique and is not offered by other dyslexia assessment services.

Thorough Diagnostic assessment

The assessments will include a variety of tasks. It is not like an exam and there are no right or wrong answers. I will be trying to build up a picture of how you think and process information, to look at the whole person and examine the root cause of any learning difficulties. The assessment normally takes up to 2 hours and includes ability and language tests and also reading and spelling. The final part involves building up a dyslexic profile, testing a range of factors including:

  • Receptive and expressive vocabulary
  • Non-verbal reasoning
  • Reading ability/processes
  • Comprehension
  • Spelling and writing
  • Phonological processing
  • Short term and working Memory
  • Rapid Automatic naming
  • Print knowledge
  • Phonics and sight vocabulary
  • Sequencing
  • Information processing
  • Laterality and motor skills

Comprehensive report with recommendations

It is not enough to have a report showing that you are dyslexic (which is all that many assessment agencies provide). What you need is a report that provides recommendations of how you can help yourself at home or at work. More importantly you also need recommendations for your college or employer.
Your report will give results of all the tasks and tests taken, what that means and the implications. It will also provide conclusions and a comprehensive list of recommendations for work and home.

For Children: I provide recommendations for school and individual tuition at no extra cost

For Adults: I can also provide recommendations for your university/college or employer if you wish at no extra cost.

 

Verbal consultation to discuss the report and recommendations in detail and time for you to ask any questions. This part of my service is rarely provided by other dyslexia assessment and testing services.

I understand and can empathise with your concerns and fears.

Although I am based in Victoria I can travel interstate according to demand.

 

How Can I book an Assessment? To find out more about costs, my background in dyslexia and to book an assessment Contact Us

E-mail: karen@dyslexiasupportservices.com.au Phone: 0402225051