How do I get my child assessed for dyslexia?

The steps, in order

Start by asking your child's school SENCO to screen for dyslexia and arrange support; no diagnosis is needed for school help. Formal diagnosis comes from a specialist teacher or educational psychologist, paid privately. The SENCO is the teacher at the school in charge of special educational needs, and the in-school route is free, so it is where to start.

1. Talk to your child's class teacher and the SENCO. Ask them to run an in-school dyslexia screening check. A screener is an indicator, not a diagnosis, but it gives the school enough to act on.
2. Ask for SEN support to start straight away, using the graduated approach of assess, plan, do and review. The school does not have to wait for a label to put help in place.
3. If your child keeps struggling despite that support, ask the school to refer to the local authority educational psychologist, or arrange a full private diagnostic assessment yourself.

Who does the formal assessment, and the cost

A formal dyslexia assessment is carried out by an educational psychologist (registered with the HCPC) or a specialist teacher or assessor holding a current Assessment Practising Certificate. A GP cannot diagnose dyslexia, and the NHS does not run dyslexia assessments, so most families pay. As a 2026 guide, the British Dyslexia Association charges £690 for a specialist teacher assessment and £882 for a psychologist assessment, and most assessors will see a child from around age 7 or 8. For more on who is qualified to assess, see who can diagnose dyslexia in the UK.

You do not need a diagnosis for help

This is the bit most search results bury. A mainstream school must use its "best endeavours" to secure the support a child's needs call for (Children and Families Act 2014, section 66), and that duty applies whether or not your child has a formal dyslexia diagnosis. A paid assessment confirms the label and pinpoints which interventions will help, but it is not a gate to school support, and it is not required for an EHC needs assessment either. So if you have been told "we don't diagnose dyslexia", that is true, but it does not mean nothing can be done.

If the school is slow to act

Put your request in writing and ask the school for its SEN information report, which sets out what it should already be doing for any pupil with SEN. If support still does not appear, your local SENDIASS service gives free, impartial advice, and you can request an EHC needs assessment from the council yourself. See what to do if school says your child doesn't have SEND.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.