18. April 2026

What Happens After a Dyslexia Assessment? A Guide for Parents

Getting a dyslexia assessment for your child is a significant step, and for many parents, it brings a real sense of relief. Finally, having clarity after months or even years of uncertainty. However, the assessment itself is just the beginning. Understanding what comes next is just as important as getting the assessment in the first place.

Receiving the report

Once the assessment is complete, you'll receive a detailed written report. This document is the foundation for everything that follows, so it's worth taking time to read it carefully. A good report will outline your child's profile of strengths and difficulties, explain what the results mean in practical terms, and set out clear recommendations for school and home.

If anything in the report is unclear, don't hesitate to go back to your assessor. You should feel confident that you understand what the report is saying and why. It's your document, and it needs to work for you.

Post-diagnostic support

Receiving a report is one thing. Understanding it fully and knowing exactly what to do next is another matter entirely. At Defining Dyslexia, we offer post-diagnostic support as part of our service, which means you don't have to navigate the next steps alone.

This includes a follow-up meeting to go through the report in detail, answer your questions, and make sure you feel confident about what the findings mean for your child. Additionally, we can attend or facilitate a meeting with your child's school to present the report findings directly and help the school understand the recommendations clearly. This is a genuinely valuable step that many families find makes a significant difference to how quickly and effectively school support gets put in place.

Sharing the report with school

One of the most important next steps is sharing the report with your child's school, specifically with their SENCo. The report gives the school a much clearer picture of your child's individual needs and provides the evidence base for putting formal support in place.

Schools are required to respond to a formal assessment. This doesn't mean they must do everything the report recommends overnight, but it does mean they have an obligation to review your child's support in light of the new information. It's worth requesting a meeting with the SENCo to discuss the findings and agree on a clear plan of action.

SEN Support and written plans

If your child is identified as having Special Educational Needs, the school should put a formal SEN Support Plan in place. This sets out what additional provision your child will receive, who is responsible for delivering it, and how progress will be reviewed. It should include targets that are specific, measurable, and reviewed regularly, usually at least three times per year.

As a parent you are entitled to be involved in this process. Don't be afraid to ask questions, request changes, and ensure the plan genuinely reflects what your child needs.

Exam access arrangements

If your child is approaching GCSE years or beyond, one of the most practical outcomes of a formal assessment is the potential to qualify for exam access arrangements. These are adjustments made to the way your child sits exams. The most common is extra time, but they can also include a reader, a scribe, a word processor, or rest breaks.

To qualify, your child must meet the criteria set out by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), and the school's SENCo must apply on their behalf. A formal SpLD assessment carried out by a qualified assessor is a key part of this process. It's worth raising this with the SENCo as early as possible, as applications need to be in place before mock exams in many cases.

Support at home

The report will include recommendations for home as well as school. These might cover how to support reading and spelling practice, strategies for homework, assistive technology, or simply how to talk to your child about their dyslexia in a way that builds confidence rather than anxiety.

It's worth remembering that a dyslexia diagnosis explains difficulties rather than defining your child. Many children respond really positively to understanding why certain things have felt harder for them, and that understanding can be genuinely empowering.

Talking to your child

How you talk to your child about their assessment matters. Children often feel a mixture of emotions including relief, curiosity, and sometimes worry about what it means for them. Keep the conversation honest, calm, and positive. Emphasise strengths alongside difficulties, and make clear that having dyslexia doesn't limit what they can achieve. It simply means they learn differently.

What if I disagree with the school's response?

Unfortunately, not every school responds as positively as they should. If you feel the school isn't taking the report seriously or isn't putting adequate support in place, you have options. You can request a formal meeting, put your concerns in writing, and if necessary escalate to the local authority. Organisations such as IPSEA and the National Education Union's SEND advice line can also provide guidance for parents in this situation. We can also help here at Defining Dyslexia.

How Defining Dyslexia can help?

At Defining Dyslexia, our involvement doesn't end with the report. We offer post-diagnostic support as standard, including a follow-up meeting to discuss findings and, where helpful, direct liaison with your child's school. Face-to-face support is available across Sheffield and South Yorkshire and across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, with remote support available for families anywhere in the UK.

If you have questions about what comes next following your child's assessment, please don't hesitate to get in touch.