About our Assessments

A diagnostic report can be commissioned by parents, schools or adults. Cheshire Dyslexia is usually contacted after parents, teachers or employers have observed an individual having difficulties and suspect dyslexia. A family history present or screening tests may have highlighted possible dyslexia.

A diagnostic assessment is the only way to confirm whether a person is dyslexic or not. The report provides a profile of the individuals strengths and weaknesses and detailed recommendations for teachers, parents or employers as to how to support the individual in school, college and the workplace. Children, young people and adults can often have low self esteem due to the difficulties they experience. With the correct recognition of dyslexia and an understanding of their strengths and potential their self-confidence, academic attainment and work practice can improve.

A full diagnostic assessment can take place at the individual’s school, college, workplace, or at the Cheshire Dyslexia premises. It takes approximately 3 hours with short rest breaks in order to maintain concentration and enable the individual to perform at their best. Prior to the assessment questionnaires will be sent out for completion to gather background information. These provide valuable background information and will need to be returned one week prior to the assessment.

The assessment includes a variety of short tests of verbal and non-verbal underlying ability, cognitive processing, phonological skills, speed of processing, memory skills as well as reading accuracy, comprehension, spelling and writing.

Following the assessment the full report will be sent via an encrypted email to the person who commissioned the report.

On receipt of the report a meeting can be arranged to go over the findings in the report, where possible, this can be done in liaison with the school, college, or workplace.

On occasion there may be insufficient evidence in the assessment to make the diagnosis of the specific learning difficulty, dyslexia. However, a full report will still be written with recommendations as to how to support specific areas of difficulty