An assessment will support a young person's learning at all stages of Secondary school. The assessment may be used as evidence for exam access arrangements if the school agrees to this before the assessment. The report can be used to apply for funded support at university (Disabled Students' Allowance or DSA) in the future.

Educational Psychologists are trained to assess for dyslexia in individuals who appear to have a more complex range of possible learning differences, such as Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and significant mental health issues. Their professional training allows them to use cognitive ability and attainment tests which are not open to Specialist Assessors.

Educational Psychologists cannot diagnose Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as these are medical conditions and require assessment by the appropriate health professionals.

An Educational Psychologist's report will include a diagnosis of dyslexia, if appropriate, and detailed recommendations for home and school. It will provide information which helps inform decisions about educational provision, according to the complexities of the child’s learning needs.

Our assessments are interactive with some practical tasks which explore a learner’s memory and processing skills, as well as reading and writing. 

The assessment will explore a learner’s:

-        verbal and non-verbal reasoning skills.

-        cognitive processing skills, e.g. memory, phonological awareness and speed of phonological processing.

-        reading, writing and spelling skills.

-        characteristic features of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)/Dyspraxia, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in post-16 learners, if appropriate.

Maths skills will not usually be investigated during this assessment.

Assessments take place in a quiet room, free of distractions. Parents can wait on site if they wish. There is a short break during the assessment.

Assessments can also take place online.

Assessment for exam access arrangements is usually carried out by a young person’s school or college. Exam access arrangements are based on a learner’s normal way of working and the support given to them in school. A learner does not need a diagnosis of dyslexia to have exam access arrangements. There is also no guarantee of evidence for an access arrangement being found during a dyslexia assessment. 

An assessment report may used as evidence if the school agrees to this before the assessment. It is essential that the school or college is consulted before the assessment process begins.

If they are happy to use the assessment report as evidence for exam access arrangements, please ensure they complete the School Questionnaire and JCQ Form 8 Part 1. We must receive this information before the assessment takes place. By supplying this information, you agree to us contacting the school or college directly regarding any access arrangements, if necessary.

All assessments allow time after the assessment for discussion. A comprehensive report will be provided within three weeks of the assessment. The report will include:

-        an Overview section which summarises your child’s cognitive profile and the impact any cognitive difficulties may have on their learning. It will include a diagnosis of dyslexia if this is supported by the assessment.  Please note that it is not always possible to diagnose dyslexia. 

- identification of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)/Dyspraxia, and the patterns of behaviour and learning difficulties which are the characteristic features of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in post-16 learners, if appropriate.

-        a summary of background information from home and school, including a history of support.

-        detailed interpretation of test results.

-        recommendations for support at home and in the classroom, including exam access arrangements, if appropriate.

-        further referral on to other professionals, such as an Occupational Therapist or Speech and Language Therapist, if necessary. 

The assessment costs £962.  We ask that this is paid in full before the assessment.

If you need to pay this in instalments, please let us know and we can book further in advance in order to allow sufficient time to make these payments.

A proportion of the fee that you pay helps us to provide subsidised assessments to lower-income families. This prevents people from being excluded from getting the help they need. Thank you very much for your help and support.  Please note that when making an enquiry, there is the option for anyone to request bursary support.

Our Educational Psychologists are registered with The Health and Care Professions Council (HADC). Therefore, all our reports can be used for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) purposes in the future. Each of our Educational Psychologists holds a current Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Our Educational Psychologists cannot diagnose Autism or ADHD, as these are medical conditions and require assessment by the appropriate health professionals.

If you do make an enquiry for this kind of assessment, we will ask you to complete a Family Questionnaire (which includes providing the date of your child's sight test which must be no more than 2 years old, as well as responses to questions regarding potential visual difficulties).  

If answering always or often to certain visual questions indicated in the Family Questionnaire, we will require you to please discuss these responses with your child's optometrist (the person conducting the sight test) before we can book in an assessment.

We will also need your child's school to complete a School Questionnaire and will give you clear instructions on how to ask your school to do this once your enquiry has been submitted.  At this point, we will also request that any previous reports (e.g. Speech and Language, EHCP etc) are uploaded to your enquiry page. 

If your child is about to start or is taking their GCSE or A Level courses, we will need them to complete a Year 9-13 Questionnaire. 

Your child will need to have lived in an English-speaking country and have been speaking English for a minimum of seven years before you can be assessed for dyslexia. They will also need to have been learning to read, write and spell in English. The tests we use to assess for dyslexia rely on having well-developed English-speaking skills and understanding of an English-speaking culture. If they have not lived in an English-speaking country and have not spoken English regularly for a minimum of seven years before the assessment, the assessment will not be valid.