To ask the Minister of Education to detail the process (i) a pupil; and (ii) their parents or carers would be required to go through to receive an assessment for dyslexia.

The Education Authority (EA) has advised that where a parent has a concern in relation to their child’s literacy, they should, in the first instance, discuss this with their child’s school. All schools have access to a designated EA Educational Psychologist (EP) to consult with on these matters.

The Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice is needs led and not dependent on a pupil having a diagnosis of dyslexia. If following assessment of needs by an EP, a request is made to the EA Literacy Service (EALS) for support, the request will note the required support which may be in the form of advice and guidance, small group support or individual support.

Pupils experiencing literacy difficulties should be recorded on the school SEN register under the category Cognition and Learning.

The supports and resources available from all EA SEN and/or Disability (SEND) services to support schools in the implementation of the SEN Code of Practice are set out In the EA SEND Plan of Arrangements. Further details can be viewed here: https://send.eani.org.uk/ea-plan-arrangements.

If any parent or school has a specific query, they can contact the service at any time by e-mailing literacyservice@eani.org.uk or phoning 028 9448 2228.

As part of the End to End (E2E) Review of SEN, all pupil support services delivered by the EA are being reviewed.