When Should I Consider a Dyslexia Assessment for My Child? A Guide for Families in Mallorca.
The beginning of a new school year often brings learning difficulties into sharper focus. A child may be struggling to keep up with reading, taking much longer than classmates to complete written work, finding spelling particularly difficult, or becoming increasingly frustrated or anxious about school.
For parents, it can be difficult to know when to wait and see, when some additional support might be enough, and when it is worth considering a dyslexia assessment.
Not every difficulty with reading or spelling means that a child has dyslexia. However, when difficulties are persistent, unexpected or beginning to affect a child’s confidence and progress, it can be helpful to look more closely at what is happening.
What Signs Might Suggest Dyslexia?
Dyslexia presents differently from one individual to another. Some children have obvious difficulties with reading, while others become reasonably accurate readers but continue to struggle with spelling, written work or reading speed.
Parents and teachers might notice that a child:
finds learning to read much harder than expected
reads slowly or has to put considerable effort into reading
frequently loses their place or misreads words
struggles to remember spellings despite repeated practice
spells the same word differently within one piece of work
avoids writing or produces much less written work than expected
finds it difficult to get ideas onto paper
needs instructions repeated
has difficulty remembering sequences or verbal information
takes considerably longer than classmates to complete literacy-based tasks
understands much more when information is explained verbally than when it has to be read independently
becomes frustrated, anxious or reluctant when faced with reading or writing
A single difficulty does not indicate dyslexia. What matters is the pattern of strengths and difficulties, how persistent those difficulties have been and the effect they are having on learning.
What If My Child Is Bilingual or Multilingual?
This is particularly relevant for many families living in Mallorca.
Children attending international schools may be learning in English while also speaking Spanish, Catalan or another language at home. Some have moved between different countries and educational systems.
Being bilingual does not cause dyslexia, but language background needs to be considered carefully when interpreting literacy difficulties.
An assessment should therefore look beyond a single reading or spelling score. Educational history, languages spoken and learned, previous teaching, school experience and the child’s wider pattern of strengths and difficulties all need to be taken into account.
This is one reason why specialist assessment is particularly important for children with an international or multilingual educational background.
Should We Start With a Dyslexia Screening?
Sometimes a full diagnostic assessment is not the first step.
A dyslexia screening can be useful when there are concerns about literacy development but it is not yet clear whether a comprehensive assessment is necessary.
Screening can identify indicators associated with dyslexia and provide useful information about areas of strength and difficulty. It may suggest that targeted support should be put in place and progress monitored, or that a full diagnostic assessment would be appropriate.
It is important to understand that a screening does not provide a formal diagnosis of dyslexia.
You can read more about my Dyslexia Screening in Mallorca service here.
When Is a Full Diagnostic Assessment Appropriate?
A full diagnostic assessment may be worth considering when difficulties are persistent despite appropriate teaching and support, when they are having a significant impact on education, or when a clearer understanding of the learner’s profile is needed.
It can be particularly useful when:
difficulties have continued over several years
school support has helped but significant difficulties remain
there is a family history of dyslexia
the learner is approaching important examination years
reading or writing difficulties are affecting performance across subjects
there is a significant difference between what the learner understands and what they can demonstrate in written work
the learner wants to understand why certain aspects of learning feel unusually difficult
previous screening has indicated a possible dyslexic profile
A diagnostic assessment is much more comprehensive than a screening. It considers literacy skills alongside relevant underlying processing abilities, background information, educational history and assessment observations.
The aim is not simply to attach a label. A good assessment should explain how the individual learns, where the difficulties lie, where their strengths are and what can be done to support them effectively.
You can find more information about my Full Diagnostic Dyslexia Assessment in Mallorca service here.
What Happens After an Assessment?
Following a full diagnostic assessment, parents or the individual assessed receive a comprehensive written report explaining the findings and providing recommendations.
Those recommendations should be practical and relevant to the learner rather than simply a generic list of strategies.
Depending on the individual, recommendations might relate to:
specialist literacy teaching
classroom support
approaches to reading and written work
study and revision strategies
use of technology
ways of reducing unnecessary processing demands
examination access arrangements where appropriate
support at university or in the workplace
For me, one of the most important outcomes of assessment is that the learner understands their own profile. Children and young people often know that something feels more difficult for them, but they do not necessarily understand why.
Having a clear explanation can help them recognise that they have both strengths and areas in which they need different strategies or additional support.
Do I Need to Wait Until My Child Is Really Struggling?
No.
There is little benefit in waiting until a child has completely lost confidence before investigating persistent difficulties.
Equally, not every child who is having a difficult term needs a diagnostic assessment.
The first step can simply be a conversation. Looking at the history of the difficulties, what the school is seeing, what support has already been tried and how the child is responding can help determine whether screening, specialist teaching, further monitoring or a full assessment is the most appropriate next step.
Dyslexia Assessment and Screening in Mallorca.
I provide dyslexia screening and full diagnostic dyslexia assessments in English for children and young people in Mallorca, as well as diagnostic assessments for adults.
I am based in Es Capdellà, Calvià, in southwest Mallorca, and work with families and schools across the island. As an APC-qualified specialist assessor and experienced teacher, my aim is to provide assessments that are not only professionally rigorous but genuinely useful to the individual, their family and their school.
If you are unsure whether your child would benefit from screening or a full diagnostic assessment, please contact me. I am happy to discuss your concerns and help you decide on an appropriate next step.
