Dyslexia Diagnostic Testing Sydney
Child Assessment & Testing - Dyslexia Testing
We provide professional and detailed clinical/diagnostic assessments of Dyslexia and general reading ability. We provide dyslexia testing for children and adults, from 4.5 years of age. All assessments are conducted by experienced Clinical Psychologists, specially trained in diagnostic testing.
Below you will find valuable information about what is Dyslexia, how it is diagnosed and how we can help children with Dyslexia symptoms. If you are concerned that your child may have Dyslexia, contact us in Sydney to discuss your concern.
WHAT WE OFFER
The first step in helping children with Dyslexia is accurate diagnosis. We offer a professional and nationally recognised diagnostic dyslexia assessment in Sydney. Our assessment reports are recognised by the NSW Board of Studies.
Following the dyslexia test for children, we'll recommend strategies and individualised assistance for children diagnosed with the disorder. We are also happy to work together with teachers and other professionals to design the most appropriate intervention plans for your child.
FACTS ABOUT DYSLEXIA
Dyslexia (Reading Disorder) is a serious learning disability that affects approximately 4% of school children. Most children diagnosed with Dyslexia are boys (between 60% and 80%). The reason for this difference between boys and girls is unknown.
Symptoms of Dyslexia are rarely present before the end of Kindergarten and most children are not detected until much later. Formal reading doesn't begin until the end of Kindergarten and Grade 1 and even children with severe cases of Dyslexia can go unnoticed.
Dyslexia often emerges between Grade 2 and Grade 4. Before Grade 2 the focus is on reading and reading skills. In other words, children predominantly learn to read. Towards the end of Grade 2 and from the beginning of Grade 3 the focus shifts from teaching reading skills to using reading as a way of acquiring new information. In other words, children are expected to read to learn. Children with Dyslexia symptoms are often able to acquire basic reading skills, but are unable to use reading to learn and progress academically.
Dyslexia is not related to intellectual abilities (IQ). Children with high or low IQ are equally likely to experience reading disorders. However, components of intellectual functioning, such as short term memory, combined with Dyslexia testing, can predict the presence of the disorder.
Children with above average IQ often manage well beyond early school years and may only show noticeable difficulties as the curriculum becomes more reading oriented. It is not unusual to diagnose children with Dyslexia symptoms in Grade 5 or 6, or even later.
Early detection and intervention are key factors in successfully treating Dyslexia. Although Dyslexia is a lifelong condition, learning strategies and appropriate assistance can improve children's reading ability and they can achieve academic success. Many prominent professionals and academics suffer from Dyslexia.
SYMPTOMS OF DYSLEXIA
Dyslexia is a learning disorder and it is associated with difficulties acquiring reading skills. The main characteristics of Dyslexia are the inability to distinguish between common letters and the inability to associate common phonemes with letter symbols.
Children with Dyslexia often have difficulty visually distinguishing between confusing or similar letters, such as b and d, or p and q. This could lead to a difficulty correctly reading words, such as reading dog instead of god, or reading gall instead of ball.
Another common characteristic of Dyslexia is the inability to track word lines. Children may read the same line twice; they may jump over and skip words, or skip lines when reading. In more serious cases children may report that the lines start to "move on the page" or get "washed out" and "blend into each other".
Associated symptoms of Dyslexia may include difficulties with writing, low self-esteem, behavioural difficulties (particularly acting out during class), attentional problems, anger and frequent headaches after the school day.
TESTING DYSLEXIA
Testing Dyslexia involves a full child assessment including the evaluation of a child's intellectual abilities (IQ) and different reading skills. In order to diagnose Dyslexia, children must complete a dyslexia assessment. This involves standardised reading tests that evaluate phonetic decoding skills, word reading ability and reading comprehension.
It is also important to test reading within a broad context and without the context. Good readers become fast and accurate at recognising words both without context and within the context of written text. Children with Dyslexia often remain dependent on context. However, the use of context to identify unfamiliar words is a labour intensive effort due to deficits in either phonological or orthographic processing.
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