Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re unsure what kind of support your child needs, a free initial consultation is a good place to start. We can talk about the difficulties your child is experiencing, any concerns raised by school and what support they’ve already received. From there, I can help you consider whether an assessment, specialist tuition or another next step may be most appropriate.

The free initial consultation is an opportunity to talk about your child, any difficulties or concerns you have and the support they’ve received so far.

I can answer your questions, explain the different options and help you consider the most appropriate next step. That might be a dyslexia assessment, specialist tuition, or simply some guidance about what to do next.

No. I work with children who have a diagnosis of dyslexia as well as those experiencing difficulties with reading, writing, spelling or maths without a formal diagnosis. Tuition can also begin while you are considering or waiting for an assessment.

Formal dyslexia assessments can be carried out from the age of seven. I also work with younger children through specialist tuition, so if your child is under seven and you have concerns about their learning, we can discuss what support may be helpful at this stage.

Before the assessment, parents and teachers are asked to complete questionnaires to provide background information about your child and their learning.

The assessment itself usually takes around two to three hours and involves a range of age-appropriate activities exploring areas such as reading, spelling, writing, memory, processing and comprehension. If appropriate, the assessment can be split across two sessions.

Assessments can take place at your home, my home or at your child’s school. Parents are welcome to remain on site, but I carry out the assessment with the child on their own so they have the freedom to respond and express themselves without feeling influenced by anyone else in the room.

There’s no special preparation required and your child doesn’t need to bring anything with them. It’s best to present the assessment simply as an opportunity to find out more about how they learn.

Your child will, however, need to have had an eye test within the previous 12 months.

The assessment is designed to build a detailed picture of your child’s learning profile and establish whether they meet the criteria for a diagnosis of dyslexia.

Following the assessment, you’ll receive a full written report explaining the findings and, where appropriate, confirming a formal diagnosis of dyslexia.

The assessment can still provide useful insight into your child’s strengths, difficulties and learning needs, even when the criteria for dyslexia are not met.

The report will include recommendations for appropriate support and, where the findings suggest that something else may warrant further investigation, I can recommend appropriate next steps or onward referral. This might include areas such as ADHD or Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).

Your report will explain the assessment findings, provide a clear picture of your child’s learning profile and include practical recommendations for supporting them.

It can be shared with your child’s school or specialist tutor to help inform the support they provide. The findings may also be used as evidence for a school when considering whether access arrangements such as extra time, a reader or a scribe may be appropriate.

Following the assessment, I’ll analyse the results alongside the information provided by you and your child’s school before preparing the full written report, which you can expect to receive within two weeks of the assessment.

If you’d like to talk through the findings once you’ve received the report, I’m happy to arrange a conversation to explain the results and answer any questions.

Yes. I hold an Accredited Practitioner Certificate (APC) and am an Associate Member of the British Dyslexia Association (AMBDA), the professional qualifications required for me to carry out diagnostic dyslexia assessments.

Tuition can support children experiencing difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, phonics and comprehension, whether or not they have a formal diagnosis of dyslexia.

I also provide specialist maths tuition for children experiencing difficulties with number and mathematical concepts, including children with dyscalculia. Sessions focus on your child’s particular areas of difficulty and build from their existing strengths and understanding.

Sessions are usually one hour long and take place weekly. This regular ‘little and often’ approach gives children time to practise and consolidate skills between sessions.

There is no fixed programme length. How long tuition continues will depend on your child’s needs, goals and progress, and we’ll review this as we go.

I begin by looking at your child’s current needs and identifying clear targets to work towards. Sessions are then planned around those targets and adapted as your child develops new skills and makes progress.

I also keep parents updated in a way that works for them, so we can discuss progress, changing priorities and anything that may be helpful to reinforce between sessions.

Tuition can take place at my home, at your child’s home or online, depending on your location and what works best for your child and family.