Understanding the difference: Educational Psychologist reports vs specialist dyslexia teacher reports

A question that often comes up is why a literacy - or dyslexia-focused report from a specialist teacher can look and feel very different from an Educational Psychologist (EP) report.

Educational Psychologists are highly trained professionals, but their training has to cover an extremely wide range of needs. Dyslexia is only one small part of that training, and in many cases, it may amount to a limited period of study unless the EP has chosen to specialise further in this area. As a result, EP reports are often necessarily broad and general in their focus.

A specialist dyslexia teacher or assessor, by contrast, has undertaken in-depth training specifically in dyslexia, literacy development, and related learning differences. This allows for a much deeper analysis of reading, spelling, writing, and underlying language skills, and a more nuanced understanding of how dyslexia presents in the classroom.

Another key difference is how the information is communicated. Specialist teacher reports are designed to be user-friendly. They use clear, accessible language with minimal jargon, so that parents and teachers can genuinely understand what the findings mean and how to act on them. The emphasis is very much on moving forward - what can be done next, what will help, and how support can be implemented in real school settings.

Because specialist teachers come from a teaching background, there is also a strong practical understanding of schools, classrooms, and curriculum demands. Recommendations are realistic, specific, and directly applicable, rather than theoretical.

In short, both reports have their place—but they serve different purposes. A specialist dyslexia literacy-based report offers depth, clarity, and practical guidance, grounded in specialist expertise and classroom experience, with the child’s progress at the centre of every recommendation.