Will My Child's School Accept a Private Dyslexia Assessment?
A private diagnostic report is professional evidence, but ‘accepting’ it can mean several things. Here is how to involve school and use the findings constructively.
By Mark, specialist dyslexia assessor
Parents often ask this before arranging an assessment: if we pay privately, will school accept the report? It is a sensible question, but the word ‘accept’ can hide several different concerns.
What does ‘accept’ actually mean?
One parent may mean, ‘Will school read it?’ Another may mean, ‘Will they recognise the diagnosis?’ Often the real question is, ‘Will the report change what happens for my child?’ Those are not quite the same thing.
A useful report gives school relevant evidence to consider alongside what teachers already know. The school remains responsible for deciding how it identifies and meets need, and separate rules apply to exam access arrangements and EHCPs. This guide focuses on using the report well, rather than on the broader question of why some schools are cautious about dyslexia.
Do I need school permission to arrange a private assessment?
No. Parents can approach a suitably qualified specialist assessor directly. You do not need a GP referral or the school's permission. However, involving school where possible usually makes the picture richer because teachers can describe classroom learning, support already tried and the difference it has made.
You do not need to arrive with every document before making an enquiry. An assessor can work with the information available and help identify anything else that may be useful.
What does a useful diagnostic report provide?
- evidence from a properly planned diagnostic assessment
- a profile of strengths and areas of difficulty
- an explanation of how the findings fit together
- relevant developmental and educational context
- practical recommendations for school and home
- a clear record that parents, school and the young person can refer back to
A report should do more than attach a label to a list of scores. Our guide to what a dyslexia assessment report looks like explains the content in more detail.
A report should do more than attach a label to a list of scores.
A diagnosis does not automatically award extra time
A dyslexia diagnosis does not automatically result in 25% extra time, a reader, laptop, scribe or any other exam access arrangement. The school, college or exam centre manages that process under the relevant current regulations. Evidence of need and the student's normal way of working matter.
A private report may contribute evidence, but an assessor cannot award an arrangement. The detailed exam access arrangements FAQ explains who decides and what evidence is considered.
A diagnosis does not automatically result in an EHCP
An assessment report may contribute evidence to a wider discussion, but an assessor cannot award or secure an Education, Health and Care plan. The local authority makes those decisions, and many dyslexic children are supported through SEN support without an EHCP.
Before paying for an assessment mainly to obtain a plan, read the separate guidance on EHCPs and what a private dyslexia report can and cannot do.
School screening and diagnostic assessment are different
A school screener can be a useful, efficient way to indicate possible risk or decide what to explore next. It cannot diagnose dyslexia. A diagnostic assessment considers a much wider pattern and history. A school screening result and a private diagnostic report therefore answer different questions; one does not simply overrule the other.
Questions to ask school before the assessment
If possible, speak to the class teacher or SENCo before the appointment. Useful questions include:
- What difficulties are you seeing in class?
- What support has been tried, and for how long?
- What difference has that support made?
- Are there concerns about reading fluency, written output or the time tasks take?
- What information would be useful for the assessor to consider?
- Who should receive the report afterwards?
The parent's guide to getting to know your SENCo may help you prepare for that conversation.
What should happen after the report?
Share the report with the agreed member of staff and ask for a discussion about the findings. Focus first on the practical barriers and recommendations: what is already in place, what could reasonably change, who will do it and when you will review whether it is helping.
If school disagrees with something, ask specifically what is disputed. Is it a test result, the interpretation, a recommendation or the support the school can provide? A precise conversation is much more useful than framing the situation as school versus assessor.
If school disagrees with something, ask specifically what is disputed.
Be cautious about promises
Be wary of any service that promises its assessment will automatically secure extra time, an EHCP or a fixed package of support. No independent assessor controls those decisions. A private assessment can provide clarity and evidence; it cannot guarantee an outcome from another organisation.
Deciding on the next step
If difficulties are persistent and a fuller explanation would help home and school understand the pattern, you can read about dyslexia assessments for children. The free child dyslexia indicator check can help organise your observations, and a free 15-minute call is available if you would rather talk the situation through first.
Frequently asked questions
Can a school refuse to look at a private dyslexia report?
A private diagnostic report is professional evidence to share with school. If you feel it has not been considered, ask who has reviewed it and request a discussion about the specific findings and recommendations. The report does not, by itself, require one particular form of provision.
Do I need school permission for a private dyslexia assessment?
No. A parent can arrange a private assessment directly. School information is valuable where it is available, so involving the teacher or SENCo before assessment is usually helpful.
Will a private dyslexia diagnosis get my child extra time?
Not automatically. The school or exam centre decides access arrangements under the relevant rules, using evidence of need and normal way of working. A private report may contribute evidence but cannot award an arrangement.
Will a dyslexia assessment help with an EHCP?
A report may form one part of the wider evidence, but a diagnosis does not automatically lead to an EHCP and an assessor cannot award one. The decision rests with the local authority and concerns the level of need and provision required.
Should the assessor contact school?
School information can help build the wider picture, with appropriate parental consent. It is useful to ask the assessor what information would help and to agree with school who should complete or receive it.
About Defining Dyslexia and the author
About the author
Mark
Specialist dyslexia assessor and founder of Defining Dyslexia
Mark is a qualified teacher and specialist assessor who has worked across mainstream and SEND education, including as a SENCo. He holds an Assessment Practising Certificate and is a member of PATOSS, and he carries out every Defining Dyslexia assessment personally, from the first conversation through to talking the report through with you.
- PATOSS member
- Assessment Practising Certificate
- PGCE
- NASENCo
- CPT3A
- PgDip SpLD
About Defining Dyslexia
Diagnostic dyslexia assessments for children, adults and students
Defining Dyslexia provides full diagnostic SpLD assessments for children, adults and university and college students. Face-to-face assessments are available across our local service areas in South Yorkshire, Chesterfield and surrounding Derbyshire, Wakefield, Peterborough, Stamford, Rutland, Grantham and South Lincolnshire, with remote assessment available UK-wide. Every assessment includes time to talk through the findings together, so you leave with a clear understanding of the results rather than a document to decipher alone.
If you have questions, or you are wondering whether an assessment might be the right next step, a free 15-minute telephone call is available with no obligation.