Many learners with dyslexia also have difficulties with maths. If your child has already been assessed for dyslexia or other SpLDs by an appropriately qualified assessor, and the report is available, you can request a Top-Up Maths Difficulties and Dyscalculia assessment. The previous assessment does not need to have been done by the same assessor (but must be within the past 12 months).

We offer diagnostic assessments for difficulties in maths difficulties and dyscalculia from 8+.

These assessments can only take place face to face; they cannot be conducted online.

Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty whose core feature is a significant and persistent difficulty with numerical magnitude processing, which means difficulties with:

·         Understanding and comparing quantities

·         Estimating and place value

·         Naming, ordering, and manipulating numbers

A Specific Learning Difficulty in Maths is a significant and persistent difficulty in maths due to other cognitive factors, such as:

·         Difficulties in working memory (verbal or visual)

·         Difficulties with sequencing or attention

·         Language-based barriers to mathematical understanding

·         Visual-spatial processing challenges

Both conditions are lifelong and can vary in presentation and severity. They often co-exist with other developmental differences such as ADHD, dyslexia, developmental language disorder (DLD), and developmental coordination disorder (DCD). 

As difficulties with maths often co-occur with dyslexia, we require your child to have had a dyslexia assessment first, (within the past 12 months), before having a Top-Up Maths Difficulties and Dyscalculia assessment

A Top-Up assessment will explore:

A Top-Up assessment will take approximately 2½ hours to complete. They take place in a quiet room, free of distractions. Parents can wait on site if they wish. There is a short break when your child can have a drink and a snack. 

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

As a result of the Maths Difficulties and Dyscalculia assessment:

·       Dyscalculia will only be identified if your child is experiencing a severe and persistent difficulty in number sense.

·        Maths difficulties will be identified when maths attainment is being impacted by inefficiencies in the cognitive processing skills associated with dyslexia and/or other SpLDs.

·       Current difficulties with maths might be explained by other educational, personal or social factors.

A Top Up assessment costs £350. 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.  

For those most in need, bursary applications can be made when submitting a booking enquiry form.  Please note that booking enquiries with bursary applications can only be submitted when this service is open (i.e. when funding is available).

Our Specialist Assessors hold a current Assessment Practising Certificate (APC) approved by the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC). Therefore, our reports will be accepted as evidence for funded support at university (Disabled Students' Allowance) in the future. All our Specialist Assessors hold a current Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

To assess for Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) in Maths and Dyscalculia our professionals hold an additional qualification to assess and teach learners with dyscalculia and difficulties in mathematics.

Our assessors cannot diagnose Autism or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as these are medical conditions and require assessment by the appropriate health professionals

·         a completed Family Questionnaire

·         a completed a School Questionnaire from your child’s school. We will give you clear instructions on how to ask your school to do this once your booking enquiry has been submitted

·         any previous reports (e.g. Speech and Language, EHCP etc) uploaded to your enquiry page

A child needs to have lived in an English-speaking country and have been speaking English for several years before they can be assessed for maths difficulties and dyscalculia. They will also need to be learning to read, write and spell in English. The tests we use to assess for maths difficulties and dyscalculia 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 several years before the assessment, the assessment will not be valid.

Before we assess for mathematics difficulties and dyscalculia, we need to understand whether your child has any visual difficulties which may be the cause of maths difficulties. You will be asked questions in the Family Questionnaire about this and may need to speak to an optometrist (who conducts an eye test) before we can arrange assessment with us. Visual difficulties are separate to mathematics difficulties and dyscalculia.