It’s estimated that up to 20% of Australians have some degree of dyslexia, which is a very common learning disability. While it may not be a serious condition, this disorder can certainly have a detrimental impact on people’s lives and impact their reading skills and if not supported can cause low self esteem and many more negative effects.
Thankfully, there are ways to find out if you have dyslexia and ways to accommodate this learning disorder.
Do you think you or your child might have dyslexia? Then you might be wondering how to get a dyslexia test. Read on to find out more!
In this article, we will go over who can diagnose dyslexia in Australia and highlight some adult dyslexia assessment opportunities.
What Is Dyslexia?
As we’ve mentioned above, dyslexia is a learning disorder. With dyslexia, the person has trouble reading letters and words. Often, they confuse one for another, which can usually present in difficulties reading.
Dyslexia is a lifelong disorder with no cure. However, there are effective ways to help dyslexic people learn in different ways so their education isn’t delayed or stunted.
Looking for a reading and writing assessment for your child? We can help!
Dyslexia as a Disability
As you may have already guessed from the description of dyslexia, this disorder can have a significant effect on learning, not only that but it also an economic impact. This is why the Australian government’s covered it under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. This means people with dyslexia cannot be discriminated against and that educators must give them an equal chance at studying.
However, it is not currently under the special needs section for every Australian Education Act. This can create some issues in schools, which means if your child is dyslexic, you’ll have to be their advocate in getting the right support at school.
Signs of Dyslexia
If you don’t pay close attention, it can be somewhat difficult to notice the signs of dyslexia. Here are some things you should look for if you believe you or your child has this learning disorder:
- Reading below the appropriate age level
- Spending excessive amounts of time reading and/or writing
- Avoiding reading activities
They can also have issues with:
- Processing words they hear
- Remembering sequences
- Distinguishing between similar letters and/or words
- Pronouncing new words
- Spelling
- Memorising
Dyslexia can be mild for one person while severe for another, so the degree of these signs will vary between individuals.
How to Test for Dyslexia
After reading the above sections, you might suspect that either you or your child has dyslexia. Naturally, the next step should be getting tested to see if you actually have this learning disorder. But how would you go about getting a dyslexia test for adults or a dyslexia test for kids?
Here are some great options you can explore to move forward in this journey.
There are many ways to do/administer dyslexia assessments. You also have to understand that testing for dyslexia is not just a matter of obtaining a measure of the wechsler intelligence scale. Dyslexia is complex and often requires multiple tests & assessments.
Self-Assessment Tests
What’s great about the internet is there are plenty of sites run by dyslexia organisations. This disorder is often underdiagnosed across the world, so awareness is a great step toward getting people their accurate diagnoses. You can find many of these self-assessment tests for free, and they only take a few minutes to take.
These tests are ideal for adults because they have a good grasp of what they’re struggling with. However, you shouldn’t use these as solid proof you have dyslexia. Instead, treat it as an indicator of whether or not you have the disorder.
You can bring your results to a doctor so they get a better idea of your personal situation. This may lead to a quicker diagnosis.
Dyslexia Screening Tests
It’s not just organisations that have tests available for you. There are also companies like Dystech that have dyslexia screening tests available – the screening is relevant for anyone aged 6 through to 72 which also include adult.
For a small fee, you can take the screening test right in your browser. It takes less than 10 minutes, which means it’s very convenient to do.
At the end of the test, it’ll generate results, telling you the likelihood of having dyslexia, between low, mod. If your child is on the higher spectrum, then we provide you with a free dyslexia support letter template you can use. This letter helps you effectively communicate with their educators.
The best thing about our screening test is that all people over the age of 8 can use it, including adults.
We do have to remind you that our technology can only give you a screening or pre-assessment. It is not an official diagnosis, so you must take further steps to get one.
If you’re actually part of an organisation, then you’ll be pleased to know that our screening test can also be used to screen students or clients. In fact, you can use dystech completely free and access all our standardised reading assessments, more here
Formal Assessment
Screening or a pre-assessment is fantastic for seeing if you or your child has dyslexia. The results from these tests can be helpful in the next steps. However, often the cost involved is higher than a general screening.
Who can diagnose dyslexia
What you should do next is book an appointment with an educational psychologist. They are a licensed physician who can carry out a formal assessment. From those results, they can then give you an official diagnosis of dyslexia.
With this formal diagnosis in hand, you can then notify the appropriate people, such as your child’s educators or your employer. From there, you or your child can receive the proper support you need to get an education or perform work effectively.
Dystech offers a fast-track remote reading and writing assessment. You can obtain an assessment report in hours, not days.
Get a Dyslexia Test Today
After reading this article, you should now have a good grasp of what dyslexia is, the signs of this learning disorder, and how to get a dyslexia test.
The key to getting the best outcome in life is to get early assessment and intervention. This all starts with testing as soon as you recognise the signs of dyslexia.
So if you believe you or your child has this learning disorder, don’t delay in getting tested. Getting a diagnosis and intervention can make all the difference in the future.
Are you looking for “dyslexia testing near me”? Then start screening with Dystech.
For further information you can visit our website for parent.