Dyslexia: Exams And Tests

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Exams and Tests

Doctors do not diagnose dyslexia with a single test. Rather, your doctor looks at your child's medical history, reviews your observations and those of teachers, and asks your child questions. Reading tests and other types of assessments may also be done to help your doctor find out more about your child's skills. For example, tests may include those that focus on your child's personality traits, learning style, language and problem-solving skills, and intelligence quotient (IQ).

Dyslexia is diagnosed only after it is clear that your child does not have another problem that could cause him or her to struggle with reading, such as a condition that affects cognitive development.

Dyslexia is only diagnosed when:

• There is evidence of a severe reading problem.
• The problem is not due to low intelligence, a visual or hearing deficit or other physical conditions, or a lack of educational opportunity.

Your child's doctor will assess your child's general health and cognitive development. The doctor and your child's educators will assess academic skills and abilities. A complete medical, behavioral, educational, and social history will be taken to rule out other conditions (such as a brain injury) that can also interfere with the ability to read or memorize words.

The most critical tests are those that are timed. A few tests that can help doctors and educational professionals diagnose dyslexia include:

• The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), an intelligence test that is mostly verbal and does not require reading or spelling.
• The Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery-Revised, which measures cognitive or thinking ability.
• The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC), which measures intelligence and reading skills.

Depending on the severity of your child's dyslexia, you may want to have a teacher's aide or tutor available to help your child with schoolwork. To qualify for special education assistance, federal law requires that a child be tested in the following seven academic areas: oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skills, reading comprehension, math calculation, and math reasoning. These tests help check a child's language and math abilities.

Last updated:	June 12, 2008
Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Louis Pellegrino, MD - Developmental Pediatrics
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC