Dyslexia Scotland Assessments

Dr. Gavin Reid, Chartered Educational Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society will be carrying out full psychological assessments in the Dyslexia Scotland offices in Stirling.  He carried out 14 assessments during his February visit and  bookings are now being taken for his visits on 1st - 4th June and 20th - 24th September.   

Dyslexia Scotland is coordinating and organising the assessment schedule.  Dyslexia Scotland members will get special discounts on the fees for these assessments.  If you would like to book an assessment with Gavin Reid, obtain a copy of a list of Educational Psychologists based in Scotland or more information, get in touch.

What’s involved in getting assessed?

Before any psychological or teacher assessment is carried out Dyslexia Scotland would recommend that the person being assessed has had a current eye examination and hearing check.

This is because it is important to rule out vision and hearing problems which could affect the results of a psychological or teacher assessment.

Read more about the effects of visual stress in our Dyslexia and visual issues pdf

An interview should also take place before any assessment (or some psychologists/teachers ask for a questionnaire to be completed), so the assessor can understand you or your child's history. They’ll want to know how you or your child might be affected in all areas of life, including organisational skills, awareness of time and ability to cope with work or studying.

The assessment itself includes tests of vocabulary, reasoning and memory skills. Reading, writing and spelling should also be assessed using language-based tests.

The idea of an assessment is to help you or your child understand your specific strengths, and what level of support you or your child need.

Through school

Speak to your child's school about arranging an assessment – it is free, but there may be a bit of wait. 

Start by asking your child’s teacher if they’ve noticed any difficulties.  It could be that they are already supporting your child.  If not, you could ask them what they can do to help you organise an assessment.

'Staged-intervention' is the usual course of action for most schools. This means that your child is observed for a period of time and small changes are made to the curriculum to find out if they will progress.

If you feel this is not helping your child, express your concerns to the learning support teacher and head teacher.  Ask them to arrange for your child to be assessed.  Follow this up by writing to confirm your request.

You can request an assessment via your local education department if you feel you are not getting the support you need though the school.  Ensure you confirm things in writing and that you copy your child's school into any correspondence.

Our team is here to help you explore your options, including Mediation and Dispute Resolution. Call the helpline or get in touch.

Through further education

Students who require up-to-date assessments for further or higher education should speak to their college or university’s disability advisors about your options.

In many instances a student will have to pay to obtain an up-to-date assessment, depending on the level of study and the policies of the institution.

For the purposes of the Disabled Students' Allowance assessments can now be carried out by a suitably qualified teacher who holds a practising certificate(as issued by PATOSS).

Options for adults

If you are employed or actively seeking work you can speak to the Disability Employment Advisor at your local Job Centre Plus.

An assessment can sometimes be arranged through an occupational psychologist. They may also be able to advise you about training and other options to to help you with current and future careers.

Whether you are in or out of employment you can  access the Educational Psychologist list as explained in the section below.

Private assessments

This is a route available to both children and adults.  Dyslexia Scotland holds a list of Chartered Educational Psychologists able to carry out private assessments.

There are fees involved and the list provided gives an idea of what these might be. Your employer may also contribute towards the costs for an assessment.