Can I Get a Dyslexia Assessment Through the Right to Choose?
If you've heard of the Right to Choose pathway and wondered whether it could get you or your child a dyslexia assessment without the private cost, you're not alone. It's a question that comes up regularly, and understandably so, particularly for parents trying to access support without the cost of a private assessment. This guide explains what the Right to Choose pathway actually covers, where dyslexia fits into the picture, and what your options are depending on your circumstances.
What is the Right to Choose pathway?
Right to Choose is an NHS pathway that gives patients in England the right to choose their provider for certain assessments and treatments, rather than being limited to their local NHS service. A GP can refer a patient to an approved independent provider, which can significantly reduce waiting times. However, it's specifically limited to autism and ADHD assessments. Dyslexia and other SpLDs sit outside this pathway, so there isn't an NHS route your GP can refer you through in the same way.
It's worth noting that Right to Choose is currently available in England only. If you're in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, different arrangements apply, and it's worth contacting your GP to discuss what's available locally.
Can my GP refer me for a dyslexia assessment?
Going to your GP with dyslexia concerns is a natural first instinct, and an understandable one, GPs are often the first port of call for anything health or development related. However, the NHS is upfront that a GP cannot diagnose dyslexia, and there isn't a Right to Choose style referral for it.
What a GP can genuinely help with is ruling out other conditions that might be affecting your child's reading or writing, and in some cases, supporting a referral if there's a wider concern alongside it. Beyond that, the recommended starting point is your child's school SENCo, who can arrange an initial screening test.
What if ADHD is the main concern?
Dyslexia and ADHD frequently overlap, and if you suspect both, Right to Choose can still be genuinely useful, just for the ADHD side specifically. You, or a parent on a child's behalf, can ask your GP to refer you to an approved provider of your choosing for an NHS-funded ADHD assessment. The dyslexia side would still need to be pursued separately, through a specialist assessor, but there's no reason the two can't run alongside each other.
Who is eligible for Right to Choose?
Right to Choose is available to anyone registered with a GP in England. For children, a parent or guardian makes the request; for adults, you can self-refer to your GP directly. Availability of approved providers can vary by area, and waiting times through Right to Choose vary too, so it's worth asking your GP what's realistic locally, for the ADHD or autism assessment specifically.
What are the advantages of the Right to Choose pathway?
The primary advantage is cost. A private dyslexia assessment typically costs between £400 and £600, which represents a significant outlay for many families. The Right to Choose pathway allows you to access a formal assessment through an approved provider without that cost, as it is funded through NHS commissioning.
Additionally the assessment produced through this route should meet the same standards as a privately funded assessment, meaning the resulting report can be used for school support, exam access arrangements, DSA applications, and workplace reasonable adjustment requests in exactly the same way.
What if the Right to Choose pathway isn't available or suitable?
If your GP is unable or unwilling to make a Right to Choose referral, or if you want a faster or more flexible route, an independent private assessment remains the most straightforward option. A PATOSS-registered or BDA-accredited assessor can carry out a formal assessment without any GP referral needed, and the resulting report carries exactly the same weight.
It's also worth checking whether your local authority funds assessments in certain circumstances, and for children whether the school's SENCo can provide any guidance on locally available routes.
What's the most reliable route to a dyslexia diagnosis?
For most families, a private assessment with a PATOSS-registered or BDA-accredited specialist teacher, or an educational psychologist, remains the clearest and fastest path to a formal diagnosis, one that's recognised by schools, exam boards, and universities, without needing a GP referral at all. It's also worth checking whether your local authority funds assessments in certain circumstances, and for children, whether the school's SENCo can point you toward any locally available support in the meantime. Read out helpful article here on choosing a dyslexia assessor.
A final word
If you do visit your GP to discuss dyslexia concerns, it's worth going prepared. Being clear that you're there to rule out other conditions and to ask about the school's screening process, rather than expecting a dyslexia-specific referral, will make the appointment more useful for everyone. And if ADHD is part of the picture too, knowing the name of the Right to Choose pathway and having a provider in mind will help that conversation go more smoothly.
It's also worth being patient but persistent. If the first response you get isn't helpful, it's entirely reasonable to ask further questions or follow up in writing.
How Defining Dyslexia can help?
At Defining Dyslexia, we offer full diagnostic SpLD assessments for children and adults across Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and Peterborough, with remote assessments available across the UK. Every assessment includes time at the end to talk through findings together, so you leave with a clear understanding of the results, not just a document to decipher on your own.
If you have questions about your child's scores, or you are wondering whether an assessment might be the right next step, we are happy to have an initial conversation. There is no obligation, and sometimes a short chat is all it takes to feel clearer about where to go next.
You can get in touch via the contact page at https://www.definingdyslexia.org/contact-us/