Although as many as 1 in 5 people have a language based learning disability, most commonly dyslexia, there are still often times when dyslexia goes undiagnosed for many years, even into adulthood. Dyslexic tendencies have been found to be completely unrelated to intelligence, but many children can feel like they aren’t intelligent when they’re struggling with an undiagnosed learning difficulty. With the appropriate help, many students with dyslexia can go on to flourish at secondary school and university but getting to this point is not often straightforward.
Our tutor, Penny, recently spoke to stationery producers Uni-Ball to detail the 10 warning signs that your child may have dyslexia. Read the full article here.
Formal assessments for dyslexia are not usually carried out until children are 7 or older, however, early detection can mean that you can start putting systems in place to help your child. If you have a child between 5 and 7 that you suspect may be dyslexic, you may wish to take a free Nessy Test here, which can give you an indication of whether your hunch is right.
For children from ages 5 to 11, you can take a more thorough diagnostic assessment, also on the Nessy site. The dyslexia screening test costs from £11 a year whereas a full, in-person dyslexia test usually costs £350+ if organised privately. If you suspect that your child may be dyslexic, you may wish to do a screening test at home before arranging for a full assessment. Your child’s school may also be more willing to help you to organise an assessment (which would be free when arranged by the school) if you have completed a screening test at home.
If your child is a pupil with us and you suspect that they could be dyslexic, please speak to us directly.