Dyslexia: Assessing and Reporting; the Patoss Guide 2nd edition

This second edition of ‘Assessing and Reporting’ is designed as a guide to current best practice in diagnostic assessment. Developments in research, policy and professional practice mean the context for assessment continues to evolve and it is against this background that the text has been substantially revised.

The landscape of professional practice has also changed substantially in recent years. A new national standards body, the SpLD Assessment Standards Committee, is established and the Dyslexia-SpLD Trust is positioned to promote best practice and communication between all those interested in this field. Alongside these developments, there are many changes, as legislation and Government policy evolve and assessors respond to new circumstances.  

Diagnostic assessment, where no two cases are alike, is demanding, intriguing and rewarding. It brings with it substantial professional responsibility and decisions are not always easy. It is, however, also a privilege to work with individuals to change their lives for the better. A positive and professional assessment, which seeks strengths as well as weaknesses, conducted thoroughly and carefully with clear practical outcomes, can provide an entirely new way forward for an individual and this is what makes our task worthwhile.

How to use this book

Parts One and Two address the knowledge and skills needed by all assessors regardless of the context in which they work. Part One [Purpose, Principles and Practice] addresses underpinning theory and is clearly applicable to all, but assessment practice is also increasingly harmonised across the age ranges and therefore in this edition the core knowledge - of how to conduct assessments, the main areas to investigate, interpretations to be made from the evidence and how to present reports - is brought together in Part Two [Conducting the Assessment]. Having reviewed these sections readers might turn to Part Three [Through the Age Range] which gives additional consideration to practice in each sector of education as it is certainly still the case that assessors must respond to different circumstances.

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