Dyslexia Testing and Diagnosing Dyslexia

There is no single way of diagnosing Dyslexia. Various kinds of tests are used to identify and diagnose it. Initially, screen testing is used to identify the presence of common symptoms. If symptoms that have a high correlation with actual dyslexia are found, then more thorough and detailed tests are conducted to determine if there is dyslexia and to what extent it is present.

There is no way to know for sure whether or not a person is dyslexic except by testing. Testing is really important if some of the primary indicators are observed.

If there is any possibility of dyslexia being present it is much better to be diagnosed earlier rather than later. Dyslexic children see things differently and learn in different ways from non-dyslexics. They need to be identified as soon as possible and taught the proper methods of learning for them.

It is important that this be discovered and dealt with before the effects of some of the problems of dyslexia can damage self confidence and self esteem.

There are two classes of tests used for diagnosing dyslexia. These classes are screening tests (fast and easy to administer by teachers), and thorough, comprehensive tests (which must be administered by professionals who are trained in giving such tests).

Screening tests are administered to any size of groups of school-aged children to identify potential problems. Comprehensive tests are given one-on-one. They test for different kinds of dyslexia and measure the presence and severity of each.

Comprehensive tests for dyslexia may either be done by an educational psychologist or other qualified professional in person, or through an interactive exam made live online. Individual tests made by educational psychologists can be expensive, and the quality depends on the skill and knowledge of the person administering the test.

In online tests administered over the Internet, the subject is shown various images and is asked to describe what he sees. There is interactive showing, questioning and answering. The results are compared with a large sample of responses made by other dyslexica and non-dyslexics before. Online tests are fast, economical and very accurate.

Today, in the United States of America, under Federal Law, public school districts are required to conduct screening tests for Dyslexia. This was not always the case.

Most dyslexics who graduated from elementary school more than 15-20 years ago have never been tested. It is estimated that 95% of adult dyslexics over 30 are still unaware that dyslexia is their problem. This keeps them from starting on the route to overcoming dyslexia and its limitations. Limitations that only affect those who have never been taught how to deal with it effectively.