The British Dyslexia Association says:
Dyslexia is a neurological difference and can have a significant impact during education, in the workplace and in everyday life. As each person is unique, so is everyone’s experience of dyslexia. It can range from mild to severe, and it can co-occur with other learning differences. It usually runs in families and is a life-long condition. It is a specific learning difficulty.
For us to gain a better understanding of your child’s needs we can undertake a dyslexia screen in school. This identifies a possible dyslexic profile or dyslexic tendencies. We would then gather information from you and the class teacher and look at a child’s work. A screener is a limited snapshot of a child’s ability – it is important we gather a full picture and look at interventions over time too.
While we can screen your child for a possible dyslexic profile, this is not the same as a dyslexia diagnosis. We cannot diagnose dyslexia in school, and this would need to be an independent certified assessor. It is an educational diagnosis that is life-long and results from high levels of psychometric testing that staff in primary schools are not qualified to use. A diagnosis is recognised under the Disability Discrimination Act (2010), and typically allows a child to have access arrangements for assessments. This diagnosis is private and comes at a cost.
As a school we will ensure appropriate support for children with a dyslexic profile, whether they have a formal diagnosis or not. Our teachers have dyslexia awareness training and can make adaptations to their teaching so that your child can access the curriculum alongside peers. Very often, good strategies for dyslexic children are good for all children. Our focus is always on good teaching and robust interventions, rather than the label.