Overview

There are many reasons to have a Diagnostic Assessment for Dyslexia. You may wish to apply for a Disabled Students' Allowance, Exam Access Arrangements or Reasonable Adjustments in the workplace. You may just want to have a greater understanding of why you, your child or employee are experiencing difficulties and how these can best be supported. We cannot assess for any other Specific Learning Difficulties.

We assess from age 7 onwards to comply with the SASC guidelines (SpLD Assessment Standards Committee), this is the governing body for our specialist teacher assessors. There is quite a lot of reading and writing involved in a full diagnostic assessment and as some children learn to read later than others it would be inappropriate to put them through this lengthy process before age 7.

Our Dyslexia Referral Service means that we are able to put you in contact with a BDA Approved Assessor that can organise and carry out an Diagnostic assessment for Dyslexia for you. If the person being assessed is aged 12 years and over and is able to manage a remote assessment, our approved assessors can offer remote assessments via a video platform such as Zoom. This is via our Remote Diagnostic Assessment Service. These service are for self funded assessments.

If the assessment is being funded by the child’s schools, a local authority, a university, an organisation or your employer we will organise the assessment for you under our Corporate Assessment Service.

Unfortunately there is no direct funding for diagnostic assessments in schools, colleges or anywhere else, generally assessments have to be paid for by the individual person, parent or employer.

Dyslexia Referral Service.

The BDA hold an approved assessor list and can put you in contact with an assessor who can carry out a diagnostic assessment. The BDA charge the assessor £100 + VAT for each referral they receive from us. This will have been added to the fee that the assessor will charge you. The assessor will set their own assessment fee and this will be listed on the details that we forward to you. This service is for self funded assessments. Please be aware that we cannot advise on the assessors availability, they will advise you of this when we put them in contact with you. The locations that we can offer are listed on the Enquiry Form, these are kept up to date.

Remote Diagnostic Assessment Service.

If the person being assessed is aged 12 years and over and is able to manage a remote assessment, our approved assessors can offer remote assessments via a video platform such as Zoom. The cost of an assessment is £660 with a specialist teacher and an assessment with an psychologist is £840.

Corporate Assessment Service.

The BDA can arrange assessments which are funded by schools, local authorities, universities, organisations and employers. The cost of an assessment is £660 (£550 + VAT) with a specialist teacher. Our specialist teachers have a current Assessing Practicing Certificate (APC). An assessment with an psychologist is £840 (£700 + VAT). All associate psychologists are registered with the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC). The locations that we can offer are listed in the booking pack, these are kept up to date, if we do not have an assessor in your area we can offer a remote assessment by remote video platform. Assessors are booking many months in advance.

We do not provide quotes, the assessment fees are listed on page 3 of the relevant booking pack.

Can I be assessed if English isn’t my first language?

To be assessed you will need to have continuously lived in an English-speaking country and to have been regularly speaking English for a minimum of seven years. This is because the tests used are heavily influenced by an English-speaking culture. In addition, you need to be able to speak, read, write and spell in English. If an assessment is carried out before then the assessor can’t make a definitive diagnosis which would mean a re-test may be needed at a later date.