Screening of Dyslexia in Children

Screening is usually the first step toward getting an official diagnosis of dyslexia. Most screening tests are in the form of online self-testing checklists. These can then be taken with you to a psychologist to ask for a proper psychological assessment. You can also use your results to bring up the topic of dyslexia with your child’s teachers so you can discuss classroom support strategies for your child.

BEFORE you seek out a psychological assessment, make sure that you:

  • See your child’s pediatrician to ensure they are healthy and rule out any underlying medical issues
  • Speak with your child’s teachers to rule out any problems at school that might hinder their ability to read and write
  • Visual and Auditory (hearing) evaluation should be conducted as well.

Online Screening Resources:

You might want to explore the checklists given in the Signs and Symptoms of Dyslexia section of this website. Other screening tools are listed below:

  • http://dyslexiatest.me/
  • https://www.testdyslexia.com/
  • https://www.lexercise.com/tests/dyslexia-test

If you find that the result of a screening test indicates that you may be with dyslexia, the next step is to seek a formal diagnostic evaluation from a psychologist. This is outlined in the next section.

Assessment of Dyslexia in Children

As mentioned in the previous section, screening is only an informal initial step. An official diagnosis can only come from a medical assessment performed by a doctor.

Why You Should Seek a Diagnosis

If your child is really struggling with their studies or in day-to-day life, obtaining a diagnosis would bring more clarity. An official diagnosis entails certain benefits.

  • A diagnosis can help parents understand their child’s strengths and challenges better. It may help them understand how to best support them at home and school.
  • It can rule out or identify other factors that might be affecting the child’s learning ability.
  • The earlier you can get a diagnosis, the earlier you can start using remedial therapies to help support your child.

Who Performs the Assessment

In Pakistan, dyslexia assessments are performed by psychologists who specialize in specific learning disabilities (SLD; a condition that can cause an individual to experience problems in a traditional classroom setting). Testing usually occurs in English.

Please visit our Directory for more information on how to find clinics and psychologists in your area.

How to Prepare for the Assessment

There are a few things that are important to do before an evaluation:

  • Ensure the psychologist knows about any previous medical testing or assessments to avoid repeating tests.
  • Make sure your child has had a recent assessment done for their hearing and vision.
  • Bring examples of your child’s schoolwork to the evaluation. You might also want to bring a book that they may be currently reading.
  • Inform your child that they are going to see someone interested in learning about how different people learn.
  • Bring something to keep yourself occupied, as the assessment can take up to 3 hours.
  • Keep in mind that you may or may not be allowed in the room with the child, as parents and caregivers can sometimes affect the child’s behavior and performance during testing.

Note: The assessment is not a punishment or thing to fear, but will help them understand why it can be difficult for them to learn at school sometimes and will give them tips on how to make things easier.

What Sort of Procedures to Expect

Before the appointment

To gather a diagnosis, the psychologist might first ask the parent, and possibly also the child’s school, to fill out a questionnaire that asks how well they think the child performs certain tasks. They will also ask questions about the general state of your child’s health and go over any previous medical testing records.

During the assessment

The test itself will take place in a quiet area with writing materials available. Parents and guardians may or may not be allowed in the testing room with the child. During the assessment, the psychologist will carry out a series of tests that check for your child’s:

  • Reading, writing, and spelling abilities.
  • Handwriting and fine motor skills (skills that allow you to perform precise tasks like writing, fastening buttons, etc. Fine motor skills use the small muscles in your hands and fingers).
  • Learning skills: phonological awareness (awareness of the sound structure of words), mental processing speed (how quickly you think and understand information), memory, speech, language, and auditory (listening) processing.

What Types of Tests are Performed in an Evaluation

Each assessment is unique to the examiner; however, most assessments will have 4 tests in common:

  • Tests for phonological awareness
  • Tests for decoding skills
  • Tests for reading fluency and comprehension
  • Tests for rapid naming ability
  • Phonological Awareness
    • What is measured: A child’s ability to sound out words by breaking them down into syllables. Syllables are the units of sound that make up words, e.g. “Happy” is two syllables “hap”+”py”.
    • Why it is important: Phonological processing skills are the main foundation for reading skills. Poor phonological awareness is a key sign of dyslexia.
    • How it works: The evaluator will ask your child to blend sounds and break up words into syllables. For example, they might ask what is left of the word “cat” if you take out the first sound. “Cat” is only one unbroken sound and hence only one syllable, so nothing is left if you take out the first sound. They might also ask your child to fill in the missing sound when they say “ba_na” (banana is 3 syllables: “ba”+“na”+“na”) Phonological testing is done according to the child’s age and ability.
  • Decoding Skills
    • What is measured: The ability to match letters to their sounds quickly and accurately. It also tests the ability to recognize familiar words.
    • Why it is important: At the primary level, younger children might appear to be reading when actually, they are only memorizing words instead of applying the rules of phonics i.e. rules required for the method for reading and writing a language.
    • How it works: The evaluator will ask your child to read real and fake words side by side. For instance, they might ask the child to read “hill” and then “hiff.” “Hiff” is not a real word but if you know how to apply the rules of phonics, you can still read and pronounce the word. If the child is only memorizing words, they might not know how to pronounce “hiff.”
  • Reading Fluency and Comprehension
    • What is measured: How accurately and fluently a child can read a paragraph and understand what is written.
    • Why it is important: Instead of reading words on their own, asking your child to read and explain a paragraph will assess their real-world reading abilities. If your child is with dyslexia, it may take them relatively longer to read and decode a word they forget the context of the story and cannot remember what they just read.
    • How it works: Your child will be asked to read a passage aloud and then answer questions about it.
  • Rapid Naming Ability
    • What is measured: How quickly and easily a child can name common letters, numbers, objects, and colors. This skill is linked to reading fluency and mental processing.
    • Why it is important: Being able to familiarise yourself with frequently used objects, symbols, or words is an important reading, writing, and spelling skill.
    • How it works: The evaluator shows the child cards with rows that contain various familiar items. Your child will be asked to name these things as quickly as possible. The evaluator will record how quickly and accurately your child responds. Younger children are normally given easier tests that only have objects and colors.
  • 0-6 Months
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What to Expect After the Evaluation

After the assessment, you will receive a report that details your child’s strengths and weaknesses with recommendations on how to improve and support their problem areas, if any.

Key Takeaways

  • Screening is a preliminary informal process while assessments are a formal medical procedure that can lead to a diagnosis.
  • Screening is NOT a diagnosis, rather it indicates possible tendencies of dyslexia.
  • A diagnosis can help you understand your child’s condition better and help you make plans to build support systems.
  • The 4 most common tests that are done during a dyslexia assessment are related to phonological awareness, decoding skills, reading comprehension, and rapid naming ability..
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