Professionals & referrers
Whether you are a school, tutor, university, therapist, psychologist or another professional supporting children, young people or adults, we welcome the chance to work collaboratively. Different professionals answer different questions, and a specialist dyslexia assessment answers one of them well.
When professionals signpost us
There is no formal referral process. Professionals simply recommend Defining Dyslexia where they feel an assessment may be appropriate, and the individual or family decides whether to get in touch.
A pupil continues to struggle with literacy despite good teaching and targeted intervention, and the setting wants to understand why.
Support for schoolsA student reaches higher education with long-standing literacy difficulties that have never been formally explored.
University assessmentsPersistent patterns emerge during teaching that suggest a specific learning difficulty is worth investigating properly.
Child assessmentsA speech and language therapist or occupational therapist identifies literacy or learning difficulties affecting education or work.
Adult assessmentsAn independent specialist diagnostic assessment of literacy and underlying skills would complement existing work.
PricingAn employee's difficulties with reading, writing or organisation are affecting work, training or professional qualifications.
Adult assessmentsWorking together
A dyslexia assessment describes one part of someone's wider profile: literacy, underlying cognitive skills and how these affect learning, study or work. It sits alongside, rather than replaces, what others already know.
With the individual's consent, assessment can take account of information from school, from parents and carers, and from existing professional reports, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and educational psychology. Findings can then be discussed with you so that everyone involved is describing the same person in the same terms.
Defining Dyslexia provides specialist assessment of dyslexia and related specific learning difficulties. It does not provide clinical psychology, educational psychology, speech and language therapy or occupational therapy services, and does not diagnose conditions outside that professional scope.
How it works
A school or professional contacts Mark directly by email, the enquiry form or a free 15-minute call. There is no formal referral paperwork.
We clarify the question being asked and whether a specialist dyslexia assessment is the right way to answer it.
That might be a diagnostic assessment, consultancy, training, or a suggestion that a different professional is better placed to help.
Where an assessment is appropriate, the individual or family contacts us and makes their own informed decision. Nobody is obliged to proceed.
Background information is gathered, the assessment or agreed service takes place, and everyone knows what to expect beforehand.
A full report, feedback and practical recommendations. With consent, findings can be discussed with the referring professional.
Honest signposting
Not every difficulty is best answered by a dyslexia assessment. Where concerns appear to sit primarily elsewhere, we will say so and suggest discussing an onward referral, rather than assessing for the sake of it.
Equally, an assessment sometimes identifies patterns worth exploring with another professional. Any suggestion of this kind is based on professional judgement. There is no obligation to follow it, and families are always free to choose their own provider.
Why professionals recommend us
Your assessor
Every assessment is carried out personally by Mark, in line with current SASC guidance, with clear explanations, practical recommendations and follow-up discussion where it helps. Remote and face-to-face assessments are available, and pricing is published openly.
Professional connections
Two external connections we are glad to be associated with. Listing on a directory or linking to another organisation does not mean either organisation formally endorses every Defining Dyslexia service, or vice versa.
Defining Dyslexia is a recognised provider with the ND360 Neurodiversity Hub, which helps individuals and families find ethical and inclusive neurodiversity services.
My Family, Our Needs provides information and resources for parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Visit My Family, Our NeedsUseful reading
If you've been searching online for help with your child's reading or writing difficulties, you've probably come across both terms, dyslexia test and dyslexia assessment. They're often…
Read the articleAfter a dyslexia assessment, you will receive a written report. For many families and adults, this is the document they have been working towards, and it can feel like a lot to take in…
Read the articleWhen you start looking for a dyslexia assessor, you will quickly encounter a set of terms and abbreviations that can feel overwhelming. PATOSS, BDA, Dyslexia Guild, Level 7, practising…
Read the articleIf you've raised concerns about your child's learning and been told by the school that they can't diagnose dyslexia, you're not alone. It's one of the most common things parents hear,…
Read the articleIf your child has been assessed with dyslexia, you may have heard the phrase exam access arrangements. It can sound bureaucratic, and many parents are unsure what it actually means in…
Read the articleIf you have concerns about your child's learning, one of the most important steps you can take is building a good relationship with your school's SENCo. Their Special Educational Needs…
Read the articleWe are always happy to talk through a situation informally, answer questions about the assessment process, and say whether a diagnostic assessment is likely to be the right next step.
