Who are our assessors

We have a team of experienced diagnostic assessors;  Specialist Teachers who are AMBDA qualified and hold an Assessment Practicing Certificate, (APC) and psychologists registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

All of our assessors have experience in assessing and teaching and/or working with individuals who have dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties. In addition, they all have DBS/Access NI clearance and current insurance.

Which assessor?

What is the difference between a Psychologist assessment and a Specialist Teacher assessment?

Both Specialist Teachers and Psychologists are able to accurately assess for dyslexia; in practice there is very little difference between the two. There may be some instances where a Psychologist needs to carry out the assessment instead of a Specialist Teacher, for example where an individual has more complex or multiple needs or where it is felt that they may have co-occurring difficulties (where an individual has other Specific Learning Difficulties alongside their dyslexia). In such cases the additional tests used by psychologists may be able to tease out these subtle differences in an individual's overall profile.

Specialist teachers usually have more experience working, and often teaching, in an educational setting. Some are also experienced in working with adults.

Both Specialist Teachers and Psychologists can diagnose dyslexia and can make recommendations about how the individual can best be supported.

Co-occurring difficulties
 

A good assessor will always refer the individual on for further testing if they feel that there are indicators of conditions other than dyslexia.
 

Our assessors are not able to diagnose learning difficulties such as autism or ADHD, as these require a different type of assessment.
 

Arranging your own assessment?

If you plan to arrange your own assessment you will find information on what you should look for in a dyslexia assessor here: What should I be looking for in an assessor when seeking a dyslexia diagnosis?