You may worry about a label; however, a diagnostic assessment aims to be empowering, providing a clearer picture of your child’s strengths and weaknesses, their present knowledge and skills and their own unique cognitive profile. In my experience, when a child discovers the cause of their difficulties they experience a huge sense of relief. An dyslexia assessment will provide both yourself and your child’s school with an understanding and a clear set of strategies to ensure they get the precise support and intervention they need.
For your peace of mind and assurance, I hold a PATOSS (the Professional Association for teachers and assessors of students with specific learning difficulties) and British Dyslexia Association (BDA) Assessment Practising Certificate.
This means I am fully qualified to assess and diagnose for dyslexia.
Do any of these ring true:
First, we will have a telephone chat about your child and why you feel they may need a dyslexia assessment. (If I think this is not the right course of action, I may recommend another intervention or specialist who may be more effective for your child’s needs.)
I will ask you and your child’s teacher to fill out a questionnaire. This helps me build a picture of your child’s developmental history which often indicates a pattern of strengths and weaknesses.
My assessments take place in a quiet, comforting environment near Bucklebury, Reading. The dyslexia assessment takes about three to four hours, exploring:
I will give a detailed analysis of your child’s performance on all the above areas, considering their strengths and the factors hindering their learning process. This is not an exam; there is no “pass” or “fail”. My intention is to determine your child’s unique profile and discover what does or doesn’t work for them.
I normally take about two weeks to write the dyslexia report. When finished, I will send it to you and arrange an appointment to discuss the findings.
With your permission, I would also like to spend time with your child to explain what they are really good at, why they may find some parts of school hard and how they can help themselves.
Having been through this stage myself with my own children, I appreciate how emotional it can be. I aim to make the experience as uplifting, helpful and clear as possible. Every child has strengths – by understanding their challenges, they can get on the right path to achieve their own unique potential.
"When it became clear that our son needed additional support Kim was able to provide a thorough and detailed assessment as to why and where he was struggling. Although her findings were at first daunting, and in some cases upsetting, her gentle, empathetic approach allowed us to understand her comprehensive findings with clarity. Kim's focus on the positive aspects of his testing was uplifting and reassuring. We knew that having her on board was the best possible support for him. She is unfailingly supportive and I cannot recommend her highly enough."
