Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Assessments
Assessments and Professional standards
My reports are written in line with guidelines set by the SpLD Assessments Standards Committee (SASC), and all tests are used on their approved tests list.
In 2019, the DFE approved that a diagnosis could be made at any age and used to apply for Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) at university if the assessor holds a current APC.
Diagnosis, Age & Disabled students' Allowance (DSA)
Credentials & Verifications
You can check my credentials on the SASC website: www.sasc.org.uk. My APC number is – 500002394-IF7366 (PATOSS).
What an APC means
An APC ensures that assessors remain up to date with current practice and maintain their CPD.
Important Eligibility Note
Please note that I cannot assess anyone below the age of 25 who lives in West Berkshire or attends a state-maintained West Berkshire school, as this would be a conflict of interest with my job.
Dyslexia
What is Dyslexia?
It is important to remember that there are positives to thinking differently. Many dyslexic people show strengths in areas such as reasoning and visual and creative fields.
Dyslexia is a learning difference that primarily affects reading and spelling skills. However, it does not only affect these skills; dyslexia is also a difficulty with processing information. Individuals with dyslexia may have difficulty processing (particularly at speed) as well as remembering information they see and hear; this can affect learning and the acquisition of literacy skills. Dyslexia can also impact other areas, such as organisational skills.
Dyscalculia
What is Dyscalculia?
Dyscalculia is a specific and persistent difficulty in understanding numbers that can lead to a diverse range of difficulties with mathematics. Difficulties with maths are not always caused by having dyscalculia; dyslexia also affects an individual’s ability to do maths. For example, having dyslexia can make reading and understanding word problems very challenging. Poor working memory and slow processing speed (which are characteristic of dyslexia) can also affect maths, as can anxiety.
ADHD
What is ADHD?
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a persistent pattern of inattention or hyperactivity/impulsivity that interferes with or reduces the quality of functioning in daily life. It interferes with or reduces the quality of social, educational or occupational functioning, and symptoms are not better explained by another condition, such as a mood disorder. It is usually present from childhood, but difficulties may not have presented significantly enough to affect day-to-day life, or the individual may have masked their difficulties.
An assessment for ADHD will support an application for Disabled Student’s Allowance (DSA) at university or a Workplace Needs Assessment at work. Please note this is a diagnosis for education/workplace support only. For a medical diagnosis, you would need a referral via your GP. It can only be done alongside a full diagnostic assessment for dyslexia.