Dyslexia assessment - is it worth it?

[TossACoinToYerWitcher]

Both the school, DP and I strongly suspect our 8 year old DS is dyslexic. However, we’ve been advised we would have to pay for an assessment ourselves as the bar is incredibly high to get an NHS diagnosis and DS is unlikely to meet it - hence the school, whilst supporting getting him tested, won’t help to refer him for one themselves.

My SIL is dyslexic and quite passionate about him getting a diagnosis (she didn’t get diagnosed until she was at University and felt this held her back) however reading around I’ve heard it said that getting an official diagnosis would make little difference to any help/understanding he’d get anyway. DS already has an ASD diagnosis and I’ve been told he’ll get the help he needs from that anyway.

Dyslexia assessments are really expensive however I’d be willing to invest if it made a significant difference to DS’ life. Can anyone advise?

[Headfirstintothewild]

If you do pay for an assessment I would go for a full ed psych assessment rather than an assessment by the dyslexia assessment.

The NHS doesn’t assess for dyslexia.

Outwith the EHCP process, unless there are severe difficulties/disruption an EP assessment via the school or LA is unlikely these days with the current funding situation.

What are DS’s difficulties? Have you considered requesting an EHCNA? If the La agreed to assess, an EP assessment would be part of that.