Dyslexia testing is about more than letters and reading. It is about the child’s ability to understand written and oral language, recognize the letters and syllables, then combine them into words and sentences. For someone with Dyslexia, this is a slow frustrating process.
If your child is struggling to read fluently or comprehend the text, there is a chance you will be advised to get a professional diagnosis for your child.
A psychologist specializing in early learning would be able to conduct a Dyslexia test. The evaluation is often done in two to three sessions, depending on how much of the evaluation the child can get through before tiring. It is a good idea to have them professionally diagnosed. This will help you understand the severity of their problem and rule out other issues that might be contributing to their reading disability.
However, testing is not required. A surprisingly low percentage of parents get official testing done for a number of reasons. They feel that the child’s struggle to read is proof enough. They want to focus their time and money on helping them improve. Furthermore, some parents do not want their child labeled, or simply can’t afford it. The good news is that reading interventions can help regardless of the decision to test or not.
Tips for Testing
Because the unknown is usually frightening for kids, it is a good idea to show them what the assessments will be like by going through some example questions a couple of days before. We have prepared an example of some of the questions and activities they will be asked to do at a Dyslexia assessment session.
Diagnosing and Sample Test
Download our free resource on Dyslexia test categories which includes free examples of test question. Let your child try them out before going to their assessment. This will help them be more familiar with what a professional will be asking them to do.
Dyslexia Testing
Talk to your child about the evaluation. Let them know that you will be right outside the room waiting for them. Offer incentives for making it through with good behavior, such as a prize or special activity at the end of their evaluation. It could be a trip to the store to pick a toy or a trip to the park with Frisbees.
Put your child at ease by telling them the evaluation isn’t about right or wrong answers. It is about finding the best way to help them become awesome readers. Don’t dance around the subject. If they are struggling at reading, they already know the other children are ahead of them and want it to be better. Keep it positive. Make it about improvement and making reading easier for them. Let them know that some of it they will find fun. Some of it will be a little boring, but they’ll need to keep going. Each assessment is short, so if they hang in there, they will move onto something else shortly. Let them know it is ok to ask for a rest during their evaluation when they feel tired.
