During clinical appointments the medical team are frequently asked questions in relation to education.

• I think my child might be dyslexic, what can I do?
• How can I get my child tested and diagnosed for dyslexia?
• What support is there available for my child with dyslexia?

For all educational questions, speaking to your child’s class teacher or SENCO would be your first port of call. Reasonable adjustments in the educational setting are led by the strengths and challenges that your child presents with. Children showing signs of a learning difficulty will be supported in many different ways.

Documents that illustrate the types of strategies and interventions readily on offer in Kent

• The Educational Psychology Service
• KELSI schools in Kent: KELSI schools are able to buy a service level agreement from the Educational Psychology Service. This offers a range of support, including school-based reviews, where children and groups of children can be discussed and recommendations can be made.
• Training for staff: The Educational Psychology Service offer training around interventions and strategies to school staff. This includes whole class observations, where the Educational Psychology Service may observe a whole class and make recommendations of whole class strategies. Currently in Kent the Educational Psychology Service does not offer a diagnostic service for dyslexia.

Kent’s approach to literacy development

• The Kent approach to literacy development difficulties, including dyslexia document, aims to set out the practice that Kent families, children and young people can expect from their mainstream schools to support developing literacy needs, including when difficulties present with that development.
• This document has been developed with the input from 47 Kent primary and secondary schools, Kent Educational Psychology Service, the Specialist Teaching and Learning Service, specialist literacy advisers at The Education People, the Fair Access Team and parent and carers of children and young people in Kent.

The Mainstream Core Standards

The Mainstream Core Standards Mainstream Core Standards guide for parents. These are documents which set out guidance for all for dimensions including Cognition and Learning. All schools in Kent have access to these documents and are encouraged to consider their content when providing support for children within their setting.

Screening tools

Your child's school may have access to a screening tool. These tools, can provide a snap shot in time of your child's literacy strengths and weaknesses. Along with observations and teacher assessment a literacy profile can be built. From this the school will use all of the documents described above to support your child appropriately.

Useful links

• British Dyslexia Association
• Local Offer Directory