When a child is bright, curious and capable, but reading, spelling or writing seem much harder than expected, many parents begin to wonder whether dyslexia could be the reason.
Knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. Who should you speak to first? Does your child need a formal diagnosis? What role does a speech pathologist play?
Understanding the typical dyslexia diagnosis process in Australia can help families take the next step with greater confidence.
Recognising the First Signs of Dyslexia
Dyslexia often becomes noticeable during the first few years of school, although some children may show signs earlier.
Parents and teachers may notice that a child:
- struggles to learn letter-sound relationships
- has difficulty reading accurately or fluently
- guesses unfamiliar words rather than sounding them out
- finds spelling particularly challenging
- avoids reading tasks
- becomes frustrated or loses confidence during literacy activities.
Every child develops at a different pace, and occasional reading difficulties are common. However, persistent challenges despite quality teaching and regular practice may indicate that further assessment is needed.
Speaking to Your Child’s Teacher
Your child’s classroom teacher is often the best person to approach first.
Teachers can provide valuable information about:
- how your child is progressing compared with classroom expectations
- which reading and spelling skills are most difficult
- what support or intervention has already been provided
- how your child responds to additional instruction
- whether similar concerns have been observed at school.
This conversation can help build a clearer picture of your child’s literacy development and determine whether further assessment may be appropriate.
Understanding the Role of a Speech Pathologist
Many families are surprised to learn that speech pathologists play an important role in assessing and treating the skills that support reading and spelling, and that they can also diagnose dyslexia.
A speech pathologist assessment may examine areas such as:
- phonological awareness
- phonological processing
- letter-sound knowledge
- decoding
- spelling
- vocabulary
- oral language
- reading fluency
- reading comprehension.
These assessments help identify a child’s strengths and areas of difficulty. They can also determine whether the child’s literacy profile is consistent with dyslexia or another language-based learning difficulty.
A formal diagnosis is not required before therapy can begin. Assessment results can be used to develop an evidence-based therapy plan that targets the child’s specific needs.
Understanding the DSM-5 Criteria
In Australia, dyslexia is generally diagnosed under the broader category of Specific Learning Disorder with impairment in reading in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, commonly known as the DSM-5.
The DSM-5 criteria consider whether a child has:
- persistent difficulties with reading, spelling or written expression
- academic skills that are significantly below what is expected for their age
- difficulties that continue despite targeted support or intervention
- challenges that affect academic performance or everyday functioning
- difficulties that cannot be better explained by another condition, sensory impairment or inadequate educational opportunity.
Completing an Educational Psychology Assessment
Families seeking a formal dyslexia diagnosis are often referred to an educational psychologist or another appropriately qualified psychologist.
The psychologist may consider information from several sources, including:
- cognitive assessment
- academic achievement testing
- developmental and educational history
- parent and teacher questionnaires
- school reports
- previous intervention records
- reports from speech pathologists and other professionals.
Receiving a Formal Diagnosis
For many families, receiving a diagnosis provides clarity and relief.
It can explain why reading and spelling have remained difficult despite effort, teaching and practice. It can also help the child, family, teachers and therapists develop a shared understanding of the child’s learning profile.
A dyslexia diagnosis does not reflect a child’s intelligence, effort or potential. With explicit, structured and evidence-based instruction, children with dyslexia can make meaningful progress and become more confident readers.
Understanding How a Diagnosis May Change Therapy
A formal diagnosis does not always change the core content of therapy.
At Lindsay Fordham Literacy and Speech Therapy, intervention is based on the individual child’s assessment results rather than a diagnostic label alone. Therapy may continue to target areas such as phonological awareness, decoding, spelling, fluency, vocabulary or comprehension.
However, a formal diagnosis may influence the broader therapy and education pathway.
It may:
- support requests for school adjustments
- help teachers better understand the child’s learning needs
- provide evidence for additional classroom support
- improve communication between families, schools and therapists
- help the child understand why literacy has been difficult
- guide longer-term planning and progress monitoring.
A diagnosis may also help families decide which professionals should remain involved and whether further assessments are needed.
Knowing When to Seek Support
If your child has experienced ongoing difficulty with reading or spelling despite quality classroom instruction, it may be helpful to seek an assessment.
An assessment does not automatically lead to a diagnosis. Its purpose is to better understand the child’s skills, identify any underlying difficulties and determine the most appropriate support.
Early identification and intervention can help children build stronger literacy foundations, reduce frustration and develop greater confidence.
If you are concerned about your child’s reading, spelling or language development, book an assessment with me today to take the first step to identifying the skills contributing to their difficulties.