Solent Dyslexia Services:

An assessment can clarify whether a learner has a specific learning difference such as dyslexia.  Dyslexia may vary from learner to learner in terms of degree of severity and the pattern of difficulties experienced.  Each learner has a profile of strengths and weaknesses in relation to ability to learn.  The assessor will identify the strengths and weaknesses, then write clearly and comprehensively about these in the report.  The important thing to understand is that dyslexia is not simply about difficulties with reading and writing.  Dyslexic learners often have significant strengths that may be harnessed to counteract difficulties with reading and writing, enabling the learner to succeed in education.

 

Making a dyslexic learner fully aware of his/her learning strengths is a first step in taking control of the learning experience.  Providing a class teacher or learning organisation with a copy of the report enables the teacher/learning organisation to quickly and efficiently identify the profile of the learner and to put measures into place that will enable successful outcomes.  Having a report enables a parent/guardian to have a meaningful conversation with a learning organisation about how the learner's needs may be met.  An Individual Education Plan may be drawn up by the learning organisation with reference to the report.  In this way, meaningful steps can be taken to enable monitoring and evaluation of a dyslexic learner's progress in the school environment so that support strategies can be implemented and rated for effectiveness.

 

Learners with dyslexic tendencies are often very resourceful in the sense that they will develop strategies to cope with reading or writing difficulties and may not realise that this is in fact what they are doing.  They will leave the education system without a cause for their difficulties being identified or a diagnosis of dyslexia being given.  As adults, they may not realise they have dyslexia until their own children are identified as having dyslexia, or they re-enter education or training, or they change job or get promoted.

 

It often comes as a great relief to know that difficulties with reading or writing are due to having dyslexia and not due to an inability to learn. That is why it is so important to make an identification of dyslexia as early as possible, so the learner is provided with a comprehensive picture of his/her strengths and weaknesses in relation to learning and can proceed to develop a balanced, positive outlook on his/her abilities, secure in the knowledge that he/she can make progress with appropriate support.