A dyslexia assessment report can be a strange thing to receive. You’ve waited for it, maybe paid a fair amount for it, and then a long document lands in your inbox full of tables, percentiles and standard scores. Relief, confusion and fresh worry can all arrive at once.
So here’s how to make that report earn its keep. Because a report that gets read once and filed away helps nobody, and a report that’s used well can change everything.
First, don’t drown in the numbers
The scores matter, but they are not the point. If you find yourself panicking over a low figure, take a breath. A good report, and I’ve written about what one should contain in what actually happens in a dyslexia assessment, does far more than list numbers. It explains the pattern behind them in plain terms, and it tells you what to do next.
If your report doesn’t make sense to you, that’s not a failing on your part. Any assessor worth their salt should talk you through it, so ask. You’re entitled to understand your own child’s report, every line of it.
Read for two things above all
When you sit down with the report properly, look hardest at two sections.
Your child’s strengths. Every good report names them, and they are not padding. They are what you and the school will build on, and they’re what your child most needs to hear about themselves. A child who knows they’re a strong verbal reasoner, or a creative problem-solver, carries their dyslexia very differently from one who only hears about deficits.
The recommendations. This is the engine of the whole document. It should set out specific, practical things that home and school can do. When I was a SENCo, this was the first section I turned to, because it’s where the quick, low-cost, high-impact changes live.
Take it to school, and turn it into a plan
A report only changes things when it reaches the classroom. Share it with your child’s class teacher and, crucially, the SENCo. Then use it as the basis for a calm, constructive conversation about what happens next. My guide to working with your child’s school walks through how to do that without it becoming a fight.
The goal is to turn the recommendations into a small number of concrete actions the school will actually take, and to agree when you’ll review them. Many of those recommendations, you’ll notice, are things that quietly help every learner in the room, not just your child, which makes them an easier “yes” for a busy school.
Ask specifically: which of these recommendations will you put in place, and by when? Vague agreement is where good reports go to die. A short follow-up email confirming what was agreed keeps everyone on track.
Don’t forget exam access arrangements
If your child is approaching formal assessments or exams, a diagnostic report can be an important part of the evidence for access arrangements, things like extra time or a reader, where the profile justifies them. These arrangements have their own specific rules set by exam boards, and schools coordinate them, so raise it early with the SENCo rather than the term before exams. If you’re unsure whether your child’s profile supports a particular arrangement, ask your assessor.
Keep it alive
A report is a snapshot, not a life sentence or a one-off event. Children grow, demands change, and support should change with them. Revisit the report at transition points, moving schools, starting exam courses, going to college, and don’t be afraid to seek a reassessment if a lot of time has passed or your child’s needs have clearly shifted. I’ve written more about this in my blog Dyslexia reports and schools: what to do.
Most of all, use the report to keep telling your child a good, accurate story about how their brain works. That, in the end, is what a report is for: not to label a child, but to understand and equip them.
If you’d like help interpreting a report, putting its recommendations into practice, or arranging an assessment in the first place, you can read about how I work or book a free 20-minute call.
Questions people often ask
I don’t understand the scores in my child’s report. What should I do? Ask the assessor to talk you through it, that should be part of the service. Focus less on individual numbers and more on the overall pattern, the strengths, and the recommendations, which are what actually guide support.
Does the school have to follow the report’s recommendations? Schools aren’t strictly bound to follow every recommendation from a private report, but a good report gives them clear, reasonable, evidence-based actions, most of which are inexpensive and help the whole class. Framing it as a shared plan usually works better than treating it as a demand.
Can the report get my child extra time in exams? It can form part of the evidence, where the profile justifies it. Exam access arrangements follow specific exam-board rules and are coordinated by the school, so raise it early with the SENCo.
How long is a dyslexia report valid? Dyslexia is lifelong, so a diagnosis doesn’t expire. However, specific recommendations and any exam access evidence can date, and reassessment is sometimes needed at key transitions or after a number of years. When in doubt, ask.
References and further reading
- Ross, H. (2022) Dyslexia reports and schools: what to do, Studying with Dyslexia Blog. Read the article
- Ross, H. (2019) Supporting a child with dyslexia: how parents/carers engage with school-based support for their children, British Journal of Special Education, 46(2), 136-157. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.12254
- Ross, H. (2017) An exploration of teachers’ agency and social relationships within dyslexia-support provision in an English secondary school, British Journal of Special Education, 44(2), 186-202. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.12174
See the full list of publications.