Dyslexia assessments and specialist teaching
If you think your child might be dyslexic, a full diagnostic assessment gives you a clear answer and a report you can take to school. Emma carries out assessments for children over 8, and teaches dyslexic students at the centre.
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Who carries out the assessment
Emma completed the Postgraduate Certificate in SpLD Dyslexia (Level 7) at Edge Hill University. She is an Associate Member of the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA) and holds an Assessment Practising Certificate (APC). All assessments are fully insured.
She taught secondary English for 23 years before Top Grades, and uses multi-sensory teaching for children who find reading and writing hard.
Read about Emma's course on the Edge Hill University website
Signs parents often notice
Every child is different, and one or two of these on their own don't mean dyslexia. If several sound familiar, an assessment is worth talking about.
Reading
- Reading lacks fluency
- Misses or repeats lines
- Loses their place
- Avoids reading aloud
- Avoids reading for pleasure
Spelling
- Spells the same word several ways in one piece of work
- Takes longer to learn spellings, and forgets them
- Mixes up b and d
- Mixes up vowel sounds
- Struggles with the middle or end sounds of words
Writing
- Writing is short and limited
- Untidy handwriting
- A gap between what they can say and what they can write
Organisation
- Finds it hard to stay organised
- Struggles to remember times tables
- Finds an analogue clock hard
- Confuses left and right
- Finds it hard to remember instructions
How a full diagnostic assessment works
Questionnaires first
You fill in a questionnaire, and we send one to your child's teacher. Together they give a rounded picture, and both are used in the report.
Three hours of assessment, usually over two visits
We recommend two sessions of an hour and a half, which is easier on your child and leaves room for a brain break. They can be in school hours, after school or in the holidays. Every test used is approved by SASC, the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee.
The full report within 14 days
It covers accurate and fluent reading and writing, phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal processing speed, with detailed recommendations for you, for school and for the future.
Why a diagnosis helps
A dyslexia diagnosis lasts for life. It can open up extra support at school, college and university, Disabled Students' Allowance at university, and adjustments at work.
- It confirms whether or not your child has dyslexia.
- It is often a relief: it explains the reason behind the difficulties.
- It helps your child understand how they learn, and what will work for them.
- It can give access to adjustments at school, college or university.
- It picks out their strengths, so they can build on them.
Assessed against the 2025 definition
All assessments are tracked against the new Delphi definition of dyslexia approved by SASC (Carroll, Holden, Kirby, Snowling and Thompson, 2025, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry). It describes dyslexia as a set of processing difficulties that affect learning to read and spell, which exist on a continuum and often sit alongside other difficulties such as dyscalculia, ADHD or developmental language disorder.
Emma also offers specialist dyslexia teaching, following a multi-sensory programme for letters, reading and spelling, sometimes one to one.
Talk to Emma about an assessment
Call or send a message with your child's age and what you've noticed. Emma will explain what an assessment involves and whether it's the right next step.