Parents and families
Dyslexia and dyscalculia assessments in Trowbridge, in person
If you are worried about your child's reading, spelling, writing or maths, a proper diagnostic assessment, what many people call a dyslexia test, answers the question clearly and tells you what to do next.
Qualified, in person, and never rushed
I'm a qualified specialist dyslexia and dyscalculia assessor with a current Assessment Practising Certificate, so my reports are recognised by schools and exam boards.
Assessments always take place in person, usually at my garden office in Trowbridge. If you live nearby, I can sometimes come to your child's school or home instead, whichever suits them best. Trowbridge is within about half an hour of Bath, Bradford on Avon, Frome, Westbury, Warminster, Melksham, Devizes, Corsham and Chippenham. Plenty of people come much further, from the Midlands, London, the Home Counties and the South East, and from abroad. I see one young person a day here, so there is never anyone waiting and we can take as long as your child needs.
Assessing dyscalculia needs a separate specialist qualification, which many dyslexia assessors do not hold. I hold it, and I taught maths in schools before I trained as an assessor. I don't separate dyscalculia and dyslexia assessments, so you pay for an assessment that will explore both areas if needed. I wholly believe that young people and their families should not have to pay twice and go through two long and stressful assessments if we can avoid it.
AMBDA and AMBDA Dyscalculia qualified · Assessment Practising Certificate (APC) · Chair of the Wiltshire Dyslexia Association · reports accepted for exam access arrangements and DSA.
Services and prices
All prices include VAT.
Full diagnostic assessment
Includes dyscalculia where needed, your full report within two weeks, and a conversation about the findings. £150 secures the booking.
£450
Dyscalculia assessment
Part of the full diagnostic assessment if needed, so you only pay once
£450
From £180
Full diagnostic assessment for adults
Dyslexia and dyscalculia in one assessment, so you only pay once
£450
Assessment for Disabled Students' Allowance
For students heading to, or already at, university
£450
Other assessments
price on consultation
Family support and advice
Online or in person, including help with the EHCP process
£50 per hour
Mathematics tuition (KS2, 3, 4)
Online
£45 per hour
Literacy and dyslexia tuition (KS2, 3, 4)
Online
£45 per hour
Why work with me
I've spent nearly twenty years teaching, as a Maths and French teacher and then as a qualified SENCo, and I've worked with primary and secondary schools to build young people's confidence. I'm dyslexic and have ADHD myself, and I offer the inclusive, friendly support I wish I'd had.
What to expect
A free 20-minute call
You tell me what you have noticed and what worries you. I'll explain whether an assessment is the right next step, what it involves and what it costs. No pressure, and no jargon.
The assessment itself
I set aside four to five hours and only ever see one young person a day here, so we are never watching the clock. Contact time itself can be up to three or four hours or so, depending on whether we look at numeracy as well as literacy. We work through problem-solving, reading speed and comprehension, writing speed and sometimes maths calculation, with a good deal of talking and plenty of breaks around it. I follow your child's lead on pace. If they need to stop, we stop, and none of that counts against them.
Your report
You receive a full written report that says plainly whether your child is dyslexic or dyscalculic (or both), what their profile looks like, and exactly what school can do about it. I write it so that you and their teachers can both act on it, and so that your child could read it one day and recognise themselves in it rather than a list of things they find hard.
Talking it through
I talk you through the findings so nothing is left unclear, and I answer questions afterwards- I make sure everyone has the opportunity for a free call to follow up the report an assessment if they want to. If further support would help, I'll tell you honestly, whether that is with me or with someone else.
Read up before you decide
Everything here is free. If it answers your question and you never need to book, that is a good outcome.
Reading on dyslexia, assessment and family life
Longer pieces, each grounded in research I have published, with the sources linked.
- What is dyslexia, really?Understanding dyslexia
- What actually happens in a dyslexia assessmentUnderstanding dyslexia
- Dyslexia and mental health: the link we can't afford to ignoreWellbeing and mental health
- Why I assess in person, and one assessment a day at homeUnderstanding dyslexia
- "It's a battle": supporting your dyslexic child through schoolFamilies and lived experience
- The real cost of dyslexia to familiesFamilies and lived experience
- Working with your child's school without it becoming a fightFamilies and lived experience
- What to do with a dyslexia report once you have itFamilies and lived experience
Still deciding?
Book a free 20-minute call and we'll talk it through. No pressure, and no jargon.