A DEST result showing a strong likelihood of dyslexia is a screening indicator rather than a formal diagnosis, but it is still useful because it gives the school a clearer reason to act.
I’ve worked in specialist dyslexia/literacy support and school inclusion for a number of years, including supporting schools with screening, intervention and parent guidance, and I’d see this as a point for action rather than a reason to wait.
The next step should not just be “wait and see”. I would ask the school what support they are now putting in place and how they will measure whether it is helping. For an 8-year-old, that might include structured phonics/spelling intervention, reading fluency work, reduced copying, extra time for written tasks, alternatives to copying from the board, support with sequencing and organisation, and careful monitoring of progress.
I would ask for a meeting with the SENCO and class teacher and take three questions:
- What did the DEST show as her main areas of difficulty?
- What specific support will now be put in place?
- When will this be reviewed, and what progress measures will you use?
Whether a full dyslexia assessment is worth it depends a bit on your situation. It can be helpful if you want a clearer profile of strengths and difficulties, specific recommendations, or evidence for future support. It can also be useful if school support is vague or if you feel you are having to keep pushing. However, the school should not need a formal diagnosis before providing support. They should respond to her identified needs now.
So I would probably start by asking school what they are going to do differently as a result of the screening. If the answer is vague, or if she continues to struggle despite support, then a full assessment may be worth considering.