Education Psychologists: What is their purpose

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DD has an assessment with a dyslexia assessor next week. From the score she got and discussions with SENCO it seems a foregone conclusion she will receive a dyslexia diagnosis.
I was wondering if I should also arrange someone with an educational psychologist? I don’t know the difference but I’m assuming an EP will be able to look at a wider range of learning issues? Aside from dyslexia what else could there be?
Thanks

We've never seen a dyslexia assessor, but DD's dyslexia and hypermobility were both picked up by an Ed Psych.

They spent best part of a day with DD in Y3, did a huge range of tests and a very comprehensive report. It meant that we didn't just know she was dyslexic (that was blatantly obvious to everyone by the time she was able to be tested), but knew exactly where her strengths and weaknesses are. Had a second set of tests and new report in Y6 that was almost identical and confirmed these weren't things that were going to resolve with age or teaching.

There was also a list of things that needed to be put in place at school - sitting at front of class, moving to a laptop for as much as possible - and a list of suggestions of things we could try... coloured overlays (didn't work), theraputty (helps a bit) etc.

We did briefly discuss potential ADHD as there is an incredibly strong family history, but you need a psychiatrist for that, and it wasn't what was being looked for at the time. Eventually that was causing more problems than the dyslexia and we got that Dx in Y9.

Other things an Ed Psych could potentially look for - dysgraphia, dyscalculia. Might be able to advise on processing issues. Every dyslexic will have their own specific profile - DD has VR/NVR on 98th centile, and working memory on 7th - that kind of spikiness if probably at the root of the problems. Her processing speed was 50th centile which is average, and the disconnect between that and the other scores means that it causes her problems because they're not in synch. A child with all scores in the same ballpark will find school a lot easier to navigate.

Hi there, I am an EP. There are a few factors to consider here:

• Do you have any concerns in addition to the dyslexia? Communication, social skills, behaviour etc? If so, an EP could help to explore their profile in more detail and how these factors are interacting. If not, then there would be no need for EP involvement.

• How readily accessible are EPs in your area/school? This can very hugely and many schools only have access to EP time if the child is going through a statutory assessment.

• What is it you would want to gain from EP involvement?

Happy to answer any questions you might have 🙂.

Hi

How is your DD doing now? It sounds like a lot for one child to deal with.

What is the dyslexia assessor thats not an EP she is meeting? Is it a specialist teacher or a diagnostic assessment, or is it an in school screening? I personally would advise a full diagnostic assessment either with a specialist teacher or an EP. Go for an EP if you think it may not be 'just' Dyslexia, a specialist teacher is likely to be more helpful if you really think its Dyslexia and you want more tailored advice about what school can do and what you can do at home.

Hello,
Thanks for your post.

I don’t have any concerns other than dyslexia. I think everything else is functioning OK (I hope).
However, there were no visible signs she had dyslexia and then here we are.

I am worried there is something else lurking under the surface & it would be so much easier to figure that out now than when she is in secondary school.

EPs are like gold dust, so we would need to go private.

What would I like from an EP: she is very fragile and thin skinned. Whilst this hasn’t been an issue at primary schools it could crop up at secondary schools, where she might be completely overwhelmed by the whole size of the school.

She is a specialist dyslexia assessor (APC qualified) she has worked previously with the school. She will spend the day with her and subject her to a range of tests. At the point, I don’t have any concerns other than these. I will go ahead with the assessment and if need be I can get a EP later.

She’s currently in Y11 so GCSE year and it’s a mixed bag. We have had to reduce her subject load as she is so very unsuited to exams.

The things she is interested in she’s on track for top grades. The things she’s not, she may have high targets but I suspect grades won’t quite match although between me, her lovely teachers and the odd tutor in the run up we’re going to give it a good go!

She’s only really interested in music and has a place already confirmed at a specialist college for next year. They totally get both her dyslexia (she can’t read sheet music) and the ADHD and everything can be designed to work with her strength and avoid the weaknesses.

it’s taken a long time for me to really get to a place of understanding on just how much severe dyslexia impacts, and that it’s not just issues with reading.

I really hope things work out for her. Do you ever work about what she will do career wise / once she finishes with university?

A good EP assessment will look at a wider and more comprehensive view than a specialist dyslexia assessment. It is often helpful because they can be hidden needs or one strength/need masking another strength/need/co-morbidity. Since you already have the specialist dyslexia assessment booked in, I would wait for the outcome of that, then decide next steps.