Reading Fluency: Measures speed and accuracy in reading, highlighting potential comprehension difficulties.

Cognitive Efficiency

Working Memory: Assesses the ability to retain and manipulate information, crucial for learning.

Processing Speed: Evaluates how quickly students process information, identifying those who may benefit from additional support.

Maths Fact Fluency: Tests quick and accurate recall of basic math facts.

Spelling: Analyses spelling proficiency to identify literacy challenges

• Visual stress is NOT dyslexia, and treatment of visual stress, e.g. coloured overlays/ paper, is not treatment of dyslexia.

  
  

• School staff and any SpLD assessors or specialist teachers working on their behalf should not undertake assessment aimed at identification and treatment of ‘visual stress’.

  
  

• Schools should always encourage parents to take their children to a qualified optomotrist/ opthamologist to assess such difficulties (see letter on page 17).

Inclusive practices that schools can put in place:

• Provide access to coloured overlays for all students, e.g. some available in classrooms. If students report a preference for using one, that is fine, in the same way there would be no objection to them changing the background colour on a computer screen as they find it easier to read. In my experience, when freely available, lots of students try them initially and only a few consistently continue to do so. In these cases, I would advise a referral to a qualified optomotrist/ opthamologist.

  
  

• Schools should avoid any practice that suggests a link between coloured overlays and dyslexia/ SpLD/ SEND

  
  

• Use buff/ cream paper for all in the photocopier rather than white 

  
  

• Avoid a white background on IWBs and change background colour to, for example, cream or pale blue 

  
  

Assesses emotional and behavioural strengths and difficulties , informs intervention and measures progress

See HM for paper copies

Lots of ‘avoids’/ ‘seeks’/ ‘mixed’ responses – referral to OT advised

Reviewed annually and updated as appropriate