What to Expect from a Child's Private Dyslexia Assessment in Wetherby, Leeds or York

2learnbeyondlimits
Aug 5
4 min read

A boy at the back of the classroom listening to a lesson — Why don't I get this?

You have watched, term after term, your child struggle in their classroom, and you have done all you can think of to help them; for all your attempts and all their continued effort, nothing seems to change – well, it might now be time to consider if you are seeing the impact of undiagnosed dyslexia.

What can you do next?

Dyslexia is not just about reading difficulties. You might have noticed struggles with reading, writing, or spelling that aren’t improving with school support, even with smaller nurture groups. A private diagnostic dyslexia assessment can provide the clarity you need and guide you and your school with strategies that can make a difference. Based in Bramham, I work with local families in Boston Spa, Collingham, Wetherby, Tadcaster, Leeds, York, and surrounding villages to provide friendly advice and professional assessments that are recognised by Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCos) and their teaching teams and meet the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee (SASC) current guidelines.

What Happens in a Private Dyslexia Assessment in Wetherby, Leeds or York?

A parent/carer dyslexia consultation.

Talking with you over the phone and understanding what you have noticed and the impact on your child is the important first step. Following this, you receive a questionnaire which allows you to expand on these details and involve your child in the feedback.

Dyslexia is a lifelong condition; therefore, a thorough explanation of their strengths and difficulties since birth is important to truly understand and interpret the complexities in play. In addition, an eyesight test carried out within the last 12 months allows me to discount undiagnosed visual difficulties which can affect reading proficiency.

A school dyslexia consultation.

Our teaching teams, in either a primary or secondary setting, are asked to complete a detailed questionnaire capturing their observations of your child's current attainment and behaviour in different learning situations. A true picture of their learning potential must consider both their strengths and weaknesses. For example, teachers may be surprised by the difference between a child's verbal ability and their written output. This type of feedback is helpful when determining the next step – what standardised tests will help uncover how they think?

The dyslexia meeting

Anything containing the word 'assessment' is slightly uncomfortable, which is why I like to meet the young person and say hello before our arranged meeting. This is through a video call or Google Meet. It's a relaxed chat, explaining how I hope to help them and answer any questions they have.

Seeing how they think — Seeing how your child thinks

The process is friendly and informal and tailored to the child’s pace and needs. Sessions usually last around 2.5 to 3 hours and are carried out in a quiet, one-to-one setting. They include lots of relaxed chatting and standardised tests of reading, spelling, working memory, processing speed, and phonological awareness; most importantly to your child, these are presented as thinking activities, a workout for our brains, with some activities harder than others and some activities more familiar than others, but all of them help me understand how they think.

A detailed diagnostic report

Compiling a written report may take a number of weeks, reflecting the thorough consideration that is applied to all the information which is collated. This detailed and personal report captures a wealth of data from your invaluable feedback at home, teachers' observations, standardised test data and how they tackled these tasks, and most importantly, your child's explained learning experiences. Not all reports will reach a diagnosis of dyslexia, but all reports will provide professional advice based upon their learning situation and guide the relevant next steps to consider for your child. For example, if observed behaviours suggest the possibility of a neurological condition such as ADHD, then a further referral will form part of my recommendations.

Although they are written to be understandable and helpful, there is a lot of detail to process, and I am on hand to answer any questions you have as you are making sense of the findings; I will contact you after a few weeks to offer any further help you need.

What Will the Report Include?

Your full written report includes:

Standardised scores and interpretation
A clear diagnostic conclusion (if applicable)
Individual strengths and challenges
Personalised support recommendations
Recommendations for school or further assessment

This report is suitable for:

Disability Student Allowance for students embarking on higher education courses
Informing important transitions, such as to Year 7
EHCP applications
Following agreement and involvement with the school SENCo, Access arrangements (e.g., extra time in exams)
School-based support planning

Why Choose a Private Assessor?

No waiting lists
Assessments tailored to your child
Independent and thorough
Reports are fully recognised by schools

I’m based in Bramham and provide Dyslexia assessments in Wetherby, Leeds or York as a fully qualified dyslexia APC assessor. I work independently with families to provide guidance, evidence, and support for dyslexia. With years of experience in the SENCo field and as a teaching professional, I can effectively liaise with teaching teams to better understand their unique perspective and acknowledge the possible additional influences of other neurodivergent factors such as ADHD, ASC, DCD or dyscalculia. Finally, as a mother, I am here to listen to you and your child and understand the impact that learning difficulties are having on your family, reflecting this personal insight in my findings.