Concerned about reading, spelling or writing?
Concerned about reading, spelling or writing?
Concerned about reading, spelling or writing?
Your child may be finding reading, spelling or writing much harder than expected, despite working hard and receiving support.
Perhaps they read slowly, struggle to remember spellings or find it difficult to put their ideas into writing. Someone may have mentioned dyslexia, or you may simply feel that there is an underlying reason why literacy continues to be so difficult.
You do not need to know whether your child has dyslexia before seeking advice. We can begin with what you have noticed and consider what might help you understand the difficulties more clearly.
Dyslexia assessment through AEDDS is available for children and young people up to and including age 16. If you're an adult looking for dyslexia assessment, please get in touch. I can put you in touch with a trusted colleague who assesses adults.
Your child may be finding reading, spelling or writing much harder than expected, despite working hard and receiving support.
Perhaps they read slowly, struggle to remember spellings or find it difficult to put their ideas into writing. Someone may have mentioned dyslexia, or you may simply feel that there is an underlying reason why literacy continues to be so difficult.
You do not need to know whether your child has dyslexia before seeking advice. We can begin with what you have noticed and consider what might help you understand the difficulties more clearly.
Dyslexia assessment through AEDDS is available for children and young people up to and including age 16. If you're an adult looking for dyslexia assessment, please get in touch. I can put you in touch with a trusted colleague who assesses adults.
Your child may be finding reading, spelling or writing much harder than expected, despite working hard and receiving support.
Perhaps they read slowly, struggle to remember spellings or find it difficult to put their ideas into writing. Someone may have mentioned dyslexia, or you may simply feel that there is an underlying reason why literacy continues to be so difficult.
You do not need to know whether your child has dyslexia before seeking advice. We can begin with what you have noticed and consider what might help you understand the difficulties more clearly.
Dyslexia assessment through AEDDS is available for children and young people up to and including age 16. If you're an adult looking for dyslexia assessment, please get in touch. I can put you in touch with a trusted colleague who assesses adults.
━ indicators of dyslexia
What might you be noticing?
Every child’s experience is different, but you may have noticed that your child:
reads slowly, hesitantly or with considerable effort;
loses their place, misses words or substitutes one word for another;
finds it difficult to recognise familiar words automatically;
struggles to sound out unfamiliar words;
has difficulty remembering common spelling patterns;
spells the same word in different ways within one piece of writing;
can explain their ideas clearly but struggles to record them;
writes much less than they are able to say;
finds it difficult to organise ideas in writing;
forgets sequences, instructions or information they have just heard;
avoids reading aloud or becomes anxious about literacy tasks;
appears capable and articulate but finds written work disproportionately difficult.
These signs are not a diagnostic checklist. Children may experience literacy difficulties for many different reasons, and not every child with reading, spelling or writing difficulties is dyslexic.
What matters is the pattern of difficulty, how long it has persisted and the effect it is having on your child’s learning, confidence and participation.
━ indicators of dyslexia
What might you be noticing?
Every child’s experience is different, but you may have noticed that your child:
reads slowly, hesitantly or with considerable effort;
loses their place, misses words or substitutes one word for another;
finds it difficult to recognise familiar words automatically;
struggles to sound out unfamiliar words;
has difficulty remembering common spelling patterns;
spells the same word in different ways within one piece of writing;
can explain their ideas clearly but struggles to record them;
writes much less than they are able to say;
finds it difficult to organise ideas in writing;
forgets sequences, instructions or information they have just heard;
avoids reading aloud or becomes anxious about literacy tasks;
appears capable and articulate but finds written work disproportionately difficult.
These signs are not a diagnostic checklist. Children may experience literacy difficulties for many different reasons, and not every child with reading, spelling or writing difficulties is dyslexic.
What matters is the pattern of difficulty, how long it has persisted and the effect it is having on your child’s learning, confidence and participation.
━ indicators of dyslexia
What might you be noticing?
Every child’s experience is different, but you may have noticed that your child:
reads slowly, hesitantly or with considerable effort;
loses their place, misses words or substitutes one word for another;
finds it difficult to recognise familiar words automatically;
struggles to sound out unfamiliar words;
has difficulty remembering common spelling patterns;
spells the same word in different ways within one piece of writing;
can explain their ideas clearly but struggles to record them;
writes much less than they are able to say;
finds it difficult to organise ideas in writing;
forgets sequences, instructions or information they have just heard;
avoids reading aloud or becomes anxious about literacy tasks;
appears capable and articulate but finds written work disproportionately difficult.
These signs are not a diagnostic checklist. Children may experience literacy difficulties for many different reasons, and not every child with reading, spelling or writing difficulties is dyslexic.
What matters is the pattern of difficulty, how long it has persisted and the effect it is having on your child’s learning, confidence and participation.
━ Understanding the difficulty
Why might literacy feel so difficult?
Reading, spelling and writing depend on several areas of learning working together.
A child needs to recognise and distinguish speech sounds, connect those sounds with letters, remember patterns, retrieve words efficiently and coordinate their ideas while reading or writing. Difficulties in any of these areas can make literacy slower and more effortful.
Some children may also find it difficult to hold information in mind, follow sequences, organise their thoughts or work quickly under pressure. Gaps in teaching, disrupted learning, language needs, attention difficulties and other factors may also contribute.
For some children, the overall pattern may be consistent with dyslexia. For others, a different explanation - or a combination of factors - may be more appropriate.
The purpose of exploring the difficulty is not simply to decide whether a label applies. It is to understand your child’s individual profile: what they can do, where the barriers lie and what support is likely to be most helpful.
━ Understanding the difficulty
Why might literacy feel so difficult?
Reading, spelling and writing depend on several areas of learning working together.
A child needs to recognise and distinguish speech sounds, connect those sounds with letters, remember patterns, retrieve words efficiently and coordinate their ideas while reading or writing. Difficulties in any of these areas can make literacy slower and more effortful.
Some children may also find it difficult to hold information in mind, follow sequences, organise their thoughts or work quickly under pressure. Gaps in teaching, disrupted learning, language needs, attention difficulties and other factors may also contribute.
For some children, the overall pattern may be consistent with dyslexia. For others, a different explanation - or a combination of factors - may be more appropriate.
The purpose of exploring the difficulty is not simply to decide whether a label applies. It is to understand your child’s individual profile: what they can do, where the barriers lie and what support is likely to be most helpful.
━ Understanding the difficulty
Why might literacy feel so difficult?
Reading, spelling and writing depend on several areas of learning working together.
A child needs to recognise and distinguish speech sounds, connect those sounds with letters, remember patterns, retrieve words efficiently and coordinate their ideas while reading or writing. Difficulties in any of these areas can make literacy slower and more effortful.
Some children may also find it difficult to hold information in mind, follow sequences, organise their thoughts or work quickly under pressure. Gaps in teaching, disrupted learning, language needs, attention difficulties and other factors may also contribute.
For some children, the overall pattern may be consistent with dyslexia. For others, a different explanation - or a combination of factors - may be more appropriate.
The purpose of exploring the difficulty is not simply to decide whether a label applies. It is to understand your child’s individual profile: what they can do, where the barriers lie and what support is likely to be most helpful.
━ When to consider assessment
When might a dyslexia assessment help?
A specialist dyslexia assessment may be appropriate when reading, spelling or writing difficulties are persistent, significant and continue despite suitable teaching and support.
An assessment builds a detailed picture of your child’s learning. It considers their literacy skills alongside the underlying processes involved in learning to read, spell and write.
It may help you understand:
the nature of your child’s literacy difficulties;
whether their profile is consistent with dyslexia;
their individual strengths and areas of need;
why some tasks require so much effort;
what support may be appropriate at school and at home;
how your child can begin to understand their own learning needs.
The assessment is not designed to define your child by their difficulties. Its purpose is to provide a clearer explanation and practical direction.
━ When to consider assessment
When might a dyslexia assessment help?
A specialist dyslexia assessment may be appropriate when reading, spelling or writing difficulties are persistent, significant and continue despite suitable teaching and support.
An assessment builds a detailed picture of your child’s learning. It considers their literacy skills alongside the underlying processes involved in learning to read, spell and write.
It may help you understand:
the nature of your child’s literacy difficulties;
whether their profile is consistent with dyslexia;
their individual strengths and areas of need;
why some tasks require so much effort;
what support may be appropriate at school and at home;
how your child can begin to understand their own learning needs.
The assessment is not designed to define your child by their difficulties. Its purpose is to provide a clearer explanation and practical direction.
━ When to consider assessment
When might a dyslexia assessment help?
A specialist dyslexia assessment may be appropriate when reading, spelling or writing difficulties are persistent, significant and continue despite suitable teaching and support.
An assessment builds a detailed picture of your child’s learning. It considers their literacy skills alongside the underlying processes involved in learning to read, spell and write.
It may help you understand:
the nature of your child’s literacy difficulties;
whether their profile is consistent with dyslexia;
their individual strengths and areas of need;
why some tasks require so much effort;
what support may be appropriate at school and at home;
how your child can begin to understand their own learning needs.
The assessment is not designed to define your child by their difficulties. Its purpose is to provide a clearer explanation and practical direction.
━ When Literacy and maths overlap
When literacy and maths are both difficult
Some children experience persistent difficulties in both literacy and maths.
You may have concerns about reading, spelling or writing alongside difficulties with number, calculation, mathematical language or retaining number facts. These difficulties may be related, entirely separate or influenced by some of the same underlying areas of learning.
Where there are significant concerns in both areas, a joint dyslexia and dyscalculia assessment may sometimes be appropriate. This allows the difficulties to be considered together rather than as two unrelated problems.
A joint assessment is not automatically the best option for every child. An initial conversation can help establish what is already known, which concerns are most significant and what type of assessment is likely to provide the clearest answers.
If you are an adult looking for a joint assessment, I can put you in touch with a trusted colleague who will assess you for dyslexia and I will carry out the dyscalculia part.
━ When Literacy and maths overlap
When literacy and maths are both difficult
Some children experience persistent difficulties in both literacy and maths.
You may have concerns about reading, spelling or writing alongside difficulties with number, calculation, mathematical language or retaining number facts. These difficulties may be related, entirely separate or influenced by some of the same underlying areas of learning.
Where there are significant concerns in both areas, a joint dyslexia and dyscalculia assessment may sometimes be appropriate. This allows the difficulties to be considered together rather than as two unrelated problems.
A joint assessment is not automatically the best option for every child. An initial conversation can help establish what is already known, which concerns are most significant and what type of assessment is likely to provide the clearest answers.
If you are an adult looking for a joint assessment, I can put you in touch with a trusted colleague who will assess you for dyslexia and I will carry out the dyscalculia part.
━ When Literacy and maths overlap
When literacy and maths are both difficult
Some children experience persistent difficulties in both literacy and maths.
You may have concerns about reading, spelling or writing alongside difficulties with number, calculation, mathematical language or retaining number facts. These difficulties may be related, entirely separate or influenced by some of the same underlying areas of learning.
Where there are significant concerns in both areas, a joint dyslexia and dyscalculia assessment may sometimes be appropriate. This allows the difficulties to be considered together rather than as two unrelated problems.
A joint assessment is not automatically the best option for every child. An initial conversation can help establish what is already known, which concerns are most significant and what type of assessment is likely to provide the clearest answers.
If you are an adult looking for a joint assessment, I can put you in touch with a trusted colleague who will assess you for dyslexia and I will carry out the dyscalculia part.
━ Learn more
Learn more about dyslexia
You may prefer to begin by reading and learning more before deciding on a next step.
The resource section includes clear, evidence-informed information about dyslexia, literacy difficulties, assessment and support.
These resources are designed to help you make sense of what you are seeing without overwhelming you with technical language or presenting every difficulty as evidence of dyslexia.
━ Learn more
Learn more about dyslexia
You may prefer to begin by reading and learning more before deciding on a next step.
The resource section includes clear, evidence-informed information about dyslexia, literacy difficulties, assessment and support.
These resources are designed to help you make sense of what you are seeing without overwhelming you with technical language or presenting every difficulty as evidence of dyslexia.
━ Learn more
Learn more about dyslexia
You may prefer to begin by reading and learning more before deciding on a next step.
The resource section includes clear, evidence-informed information about dyslexia, literacy difficulties, assessment and support.
These resources are designed to help you make sense of what you are seeing without overwhelming you with technical language or presenting every difficulty as evidence of dyslexia.
━ Getting started
You can begin with what you have noticed
You may already believe that your child is dyslexic. You may have been told to wait and see. Or you may simply know that reading, spelling or writing is taking far more effort than it should.
You do not need to have a diagnosis or a complete history.
We can begin with what your child is finding difficult, what support has already been provided and what you would most like to understand. From there, we can consider the possible next steps without pressure or obligation.
━ Getting started
You can begin with what you have noticed
You may already believe that your child is dyslexic. You may have been told to wait and see. Or you may simply know that reading, spelling or writing is taking far more effort than it should.
You do not need to have a diagnosis or a complete history.
We can begin with what your child is finding difficult, what support has already been provided and what you would most like to understand. From there, we can consider the possible next steps without pressure or obligation.
━ Getting started
You can begin with what you have noticed
You may already believe that your child is dyslexic. You may have been told to wait and see. Or you may simply know that reading, spelling or writing is taking far more effort than it should.
You do not need to have a diagnosis or a complete history.
We can begin with what your child is finding difficult, what support has already been provided and what you would most like to understand. From there, we can consider the possible next steps without pressure or obligation.
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