Assesments
At Mastering Maths Difficulties, I assess individuals aged 6 to 16 years old for suspected Dyscalculia/Maths Difficulties due to a specific learning difficulty (SpLD). I support schools, parent(s)/carer(s) and pupils in relation to their SpLD(s). My assessment results in a diagnostic assessment report stating in detail what your child’s strengths and weaknesses are and whether they have dyscalculia or whether another SpLD is impacting their achievement in maths. In addition to an appropriate diagnosis, the assessment results in recommendations for the school and parent(s)/learner and in the ability to develop an individually planned intervention programme, if private tuition is requested. Normally, the assessment involves the following:
Full-Diagnostic Assessment - £530
An in-depth assessment of your child’s attainment in literacy and mathematics, number sense, underlying ability and cognitive processing (working memory, speed of processing, rapid automatised naming, spatial working memory and phonological processing). This assessment is carried out in my house or at the school (if arranged by the school), on a school day (preferably in the morning) and takes approximately 4 - 4.5 hours to complete.
Prior to the assessment, the parent(s)/carer(s) will be asked to fill in background information, visual difficulties and maths anxiety questionnaires. In addition, a background information questionnaire will be provided for the school to complete. Furthermore, a copy of their end of year/module report in relation to maths and english will be requested.
Within four to eight weeks of the assessment a diagnostic assessment report will be emailed to the party who requested the assessment. The report will confirm the diagnosis. Recommendations will be made for support within the school and at home and it will also recommend any access arrangements for exams, such as extra time, reader or scribe. Recommendations will also be made for any areas which require further investigation such as dyslexia, developmental coordination disorder (DCD/Dyspraxia), visual stress or ADD.
A block of SMART targets (12 weeks) will be produced,if private tuition is requested.
In relation to access arrangements secondary schools need to be involved in the process as they need to provide evidence that any access arrangements in place are the normal way of working for that pupil. It is the decision of the institution as to what, if any, access arrangements are put in place.
Add-on Diagnostic Assessment - £395
If your child already has a diagnosis of a SplD(s), e.g. poor working memory/speed of processing or phonolgocial awareness, and you want to have a further assessment of maths, you may wish to have an add-on diagnostic assessment conducted. This assessment is identical to the Full-Diagostic Assessment except for the omission of the assessment of your child's attainment in literacy, underlying ability and cognitive processing. This information is taken from the existing diagnostic assessment report is used (with permission) in conjunction with the results from the Add-on Diagnostic Assessment to give a potential diagnosis of Dyscalculia/Maths Difficulties alongside recommendations for the school, parent(s) and pupil. This assessment is carried out either virtually, at school (if arranged by the school) or in my house, on a school day (preferably in the morning) and takes approximately 2 - 2.25 hours.
Prior to the assessment, the parent(s)/carer(s) will be asked to fill in background information in relation to maths, visual difficulties and maths anxiety questionnaires. A background information questionnaire will be provided for the school to complete.
An analysis of their existing Diagnostic Assessment Report is conducted to familialise myself with their assessed strengths and weaknesses in relation to their underlying abilities, working memory, speed of processing, phonolgocial processing and any other assessed areas. In addition, a copy of their end of year/module report in relation to maths and english will be requested.
Within six weeks of the assessment, an Add-on Diagnostic Assessment report will be emailed to the party who requested the assessment. Recommendations will be made for support within the school and at home.
A block of SMART targets (12 weeks) will be produced, if private tuition is requested.
Maths Assessment - £180
If you would just like to have a Maths Assessment conducted in order to have an individual intervention programme planned, the assessment would consist of the following;
An in-depth assessment of your child’s number sense and attainment in mathematics. This assessment is carried out either virtually or in my house on a school day (preferably in the morning) and takes approximately 2 - 2.25 hours to complete. If the outcome of the Maths Assessment indicates a certain degree of maths difficulties, you will be informed and given the opportunity to convert to a full or Add on (if applicable) Diagnostic Assessment.
If tutoring is requested, the assessment data from any of the three assessment options above, will be used to inform the planning of your child’s 1:1 intervention programme. The data will also be used to produce SMART targets that are shared at the beginning of the 12-14 week block of sessions. Progress against the targets is shared after the block has been completed and a curriculum progress grid is updated accordingly.