Any concerns you as a parent/carer have regarding your child having a specific learning difficulty e.g. dyslexia, should be discussed initially with your child’s teacher and where concerns have been on-going, with the school’s Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO).
The school should, where progress is limited in areas such as reading and spelling:
- put into place a relevant, targeted, evidence-based intervention
- monitor your son/daughter’s progress closely.
Progress should be reviewed regularly and adaptations to the programme of support made as appropriate, parents/carers should be closely involved in this process.
Should the difficulties persist, the school may wish to ask a suitably qualified specialist teacher to assess him/her to ascertain their pattern of strengths and weaknesses. Specialist Inclusion Support Service (SISS) Communication and Learning Difficulties Team may be asked to complete this assessment if a school purchases this Local Authority service.
Full details of the pathways to identification of dyslexia (together with dyscalculia and dyspraxia) can be found in the Guidance Document. There are also guides for parents/carers which provide a quick overview of the process of assessment over time for dyslexia and dyscalculia.
Final comprehensive assessments will include recommendations for schools in how to support a pupil who is identified with a specific learning difficulty, as children with dyslexia (and/or dyscalculia) should have their needs met at SEN Support, within a mainstream classroom and through targeted intervention.