Does My Child Need a Dyslexia Assessment? 10 Signs Parents Shouldn't Ignore…

“Could my child have dyslexia — and would an assessment actually help?”

Many parents spend months, sometimes years, wondering whether their child's difficulties are simply part of normal development or whether there is something else going on.

There isn't one single sign that means a child is dyslexic.

But there are patterns worth investigating.

What signs might parents notice?

You may notice that your child:

1. Finds spelling unusually difficult.
2. Reads accurately but slowly or with considerable effort.
3. Struggles to remember common spellings or words.
4. Finds it difficult to retrieve information quickly.
5. Has difficulty remembering verbal instructions.
6. Produces written work that doesn't reflect their verbal ability.
7. Avoids reading or writing tasks.
8. Becomes particularly tired after literacy-heavy work.
9. Has persistent difficulties despite lots of support.
10. Has a very uneven profile, with significant strengths alongside particular areas of difficulty.

But does having some of these difficulties automatically mean dyslexia?

No.

That is one reason a proper assessment can be so useful.

What does a dyslexia assessment actually tell you?

At Dyslexia East Sussex, our diagnostic assessments are carried out by experienced Level 7 specialist teacher assessors.

We don't simply look at whether a child can read and spell.

We build a broader picture of the learner, looking at areas such as literacy, memory and processing, alongside their developmental and educational history.

The assessment can help identify patterns of strengths and difficulties and provide a clearer understanding of what is getting in the way of learning.

But what happens after the assessment?

This is perhaps the most important question.

A report shouldn't simply sit in a drawer.

Our assessments provide practical recommendations for home and school, and where appropriate can include advice relating to exam access arrangements and future support.

Understanding the difficulty can also help a child understand themselves.

Instead of:

“I'm rubbish at spelling.”

It can become:

“Spelling is difficult for me, but now I understand why — and I know what helps.”

So, is an assessment worth it?

For many families, the value isn't simply in receiving a diagnosis.

It's in gaining a clearer understanding of the learner, identifying barriers, recognising strengths and having practical information to help everyone support them more effectively.

If you've been wondering whether your child's struggles warrant further investigation, we'd be happy to explain what our assessment process involves.

Dyslexia East Sussex offers screening and full diagnostic dyslexia assessments for children and young people across East Sussex. Better still, after assessment (or before!), we are able to support your child’s literacy and numeracy difficulties at The Learning Loft - so our support doesn’t end at assessment.

Find out more about our dyslexia assessments and what they can tell you.