SPACE provides both dyslexia screenings and a full dyslexia diagnostic assessment service for children and young people in Hertfordshire.
Our lead assessor is a qualified British Dyslexia Association and AMBDA registered assessor and has over 25 years experience of SEN teaching and consultancy.
As you would expect from SPACE, we offer supportive and impartial advice and are available to answer any questions you might have. If you want to find out if your child has dyslexia but are unsure if a full diagnostic assessment is right, please book a free, no obligation consultation with our assessor here.
Or you can go straight to booking an appointment for a dyslexia screening or assessment here.
Understanding Dyslexia
The universally agreed Delphi Definition of Dyslexia (2025) states:
- Dyslexia is a set of processing difficulties that affect the acquisition of reading and spelling.
- In dyslexia, some or all aspects of literacy attainment are weak in relation to age, standard teaching and instruction, and level of other attainments.
- Across all languages, difficulties in reading fluency and spelling are key markers of dyslexia.
- Dyslexic difficulties exist on a continuum and can be experienced to various degrees of severity.
- The nature and developmental trajectory of dyslexia depends on multiple genetic and environmental influences.
- Dyslexia can affect the acquisition of other skills, such as mathematics, reading comprehension or learning another language.
- The most commonly observed cognitive impairment in dyslexia is a difficulty in phonological processing (i.e., in phonological awareness, phonological processing speed or phonological memory). However, phonological difficulties do not fully explain the variability that is observed.
The definition has been recently updated from the Rose (2009) definition. It identifies the same or similar underlying cognitive indicators of dyslexia as the previous Rose (2009) definition, alongside recognition of its impact on individuals. For this reason, there is no suggestion that anyone diagnosed under the previous definition would not continue to meet the criteria for a diagnosis.
Who can have a dyslexia assessment?
At SPACE we offer full diagnostic assessments to children and young people aged 8-18.
Before exploring a dyslexia assessment we recommend:
✅ Discussing any concerns with your child’s school/setting. Your child should have had consistent interventions and support to try and support phonics and/or literacy – how well they have responded to high quality, consistent support may influence if an assessment is needed.
✅ They should have had a standard eye test within the last two years (preferably within the last 12 months)
✅ If glasses are required, they should have been wearing them consistently since they were prescribed
✅ If a child has visual stress, any overlays should have been used consistently
✅ They should have had a recent hearing test (within the last two years)
What is the difference between a dyslexia screening and a dyslexia assessment?
Dyslexia Screenings:
Many children who are autistic and/or have ADHD find literacy difficult. Our dyslexia screenings take place in our studio in Stanstead Abbots, Hertfordshire, and are available for children and young people aged 7-16. They involve a consultation of up to one hour and 15 minutes that explores your concerns as well as your child’s strengths, needs and learning history. Possible strategies or support that may help will also be discussed, followed by a screening for any signs that may indicate a risk of dyslexia (this is NOT a full diagnostic assessment). A full report will be shared with you within two weeks. You can book a dyslexia screening here.
Dyslexia Diagnostic Assessments:
Our full diagnostic assessments are for children and young people aged 8-18. Background information and education history is collected pre-assessment from family, school, and your young person and recent eye tests and hearing checks are essential.
The assessment itself can last for up to four hours and will take place in your child’s school/college or in your home. As well as being in an environment that is familiar to them so they are as comfortable as possible our assessor will spend some time getting to know your child so they feel happy and relaxed and will build in short breaks whenever they are needed.
The assessment will include a number of short activities that will give our assessor a clear picture of your young person’s strengths and challenges. These are designed to look at many many aspects of your child’s profile including overall ability and reasoning (visual and nonverbal ability), working memory, phonological awareness and processing speed.
A detailed assessment report is produced, including a diagnosis of dyslexia where appropriate. Each report will identify your child’s strengths and difficulties and include education advice or recommendations for onward referrals (if needed). This full report will be shared with you within four weeks.
You can book a dyslexia assessment here.
How much is the dyslexia assessment?
The full dyslexia assessment is £565. This includes:
✅ Up to 4 hours of in-depth diagnostic assessment
✅ Led by a qualified British Dyslexia Association and AMBDA registered assessor with 25+ years of experience in SEN teaching and consultancy
✅ A detailed report shared within 4 weeks identifying your child’s strengths, difficulties, and educational advice.
Our dyslexia screenings are £150.
We offer supportive and impartial advice and are available to answer any questions you might have. If you want to find out if your child has dyslexia but are unsure if a full diagnostic assessment is right, please contact services@spaceherts.org.uk or book a free, no obligation consultation.
Or you can go straight to booking an appointment for a dyslexia screening or assessment here.
Free Dyslexia Workshops
We regularly run free online workshops on understanding dyslexia where our experienced dyslexia assessor, Kim Dobner BEd, PGCert, AMBDA will share her expertise and provide practical strategies to aid in supporting dyslexia effectively.
