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Dyslexia Assessment for Children & Teens in Singapore
A child who struggles with reading or spelling is not necessarily careless or simply “not trying hard enough”.
A comprehensive dyslexia assessment looks at your child’s literacy skills together with underlying abilities such as phonological processing, memory and cognitive functioning. This helps us understand where the difficulty is occurring, why it may be happening and what support your child needs.
Does My Child Need a Dyslexia Assessment?
Children develop literacy skills at different rates. An assessment may be helpful when difficulties with reading or spelling persist despite teaching, practice and support.
📖 Slow or Effortful Reading
Your child reads more slowly than expected and may need considerable effort to work through unfamiliar words.
🔤 Persistent Spelling Difficulties
Spelling remains inconsistent or inaccurate even for words your child has encountered many times.
🗣️ Difficulty With Sounds in Words
Your child may have difficulty recognising, separating or manipulating the sounds that make up spoken words.
🧠 Difficulty Remembering Written Words
Your child may repeatedly forget how to read or spell words that have been taught before.
✏️ Written Work Takes a Long Time
Homework or written tasks may take considerably longer because reading and spelling require so much effort.
😟 Avoidance or Frustration
Your child may avoid reading aloud, dislike literacy tasks or become discouraged despite trying hard.
Does Having One or Two of these Difficulties Mean Dyslexia?
No. A proper assessment considers the pattern, severity and persistence of difficulties together with the child’s broader learning profile.
Is Dyslexia Just Reversing Letters or Words?
No.
Dyslexia is not simply about confusing b/d, reversing letters or seeing words backwards.
Dyslexia is associated with persistent difficulties in developing accurate and/or fluent word reading and spelling skills. Children can show dyslexia in different ways, which is why assessment looks at a pattern of literacy and underlying processing skills rather than any single sign.
Word Reading
Accuracy when reading familiar and unfamiliar words.
Reading Fluency
How accurately and efficiently a child reads connected text.
Spelling
The ability to represent sounds and word patterns accurately in writing.
Phonological Processing
How effectively a child recognises and works with the sound structure of language.
This is why CHEERS considers information from multiple sources rather than relying on a single questionnaire or test.
What Happens During a Dyslexia Assessment?
Parent Consultation & Developmental History
We begin by understanding your concerns, your child’s developmental and educational history, previous interventions and how the difficulties affect learning at home and school.
Cognitive Assessment
Where appropriate, cognitive assessment helps us understand areas such as verbal reasoning, visual-spatial skills, working memory, processing speed and problem-solving.
Reading, Spelling & Writing Assessment
Your child’s literacy skills are assessed across relevant areas such as word reading, reading comprehension, spelling, reading fluency and written language.
Phonological Processing
We may examine skills underlying literacy development, including phonological awareness, phonological memory and rapid naming.
Clinical Interpretation
Results are not interpreted in isolation. We look across your child’s test performance, developmental history, school functioning and observations to understand the overall pattern.
Feedback & Recommendations
Parents receive an explanation of the findings together with practical recommendations for learning, intervention and school support.
What Tests May Be Used in a Dyslexia Assessment?
Cognitive Abilities
Depending on the child’s age and needs, cognitive abilities may be assessed using standardised measures such as the WISC-V, SAS or WPPSI-IV.
Academic Achievement
Measures such as the WIAT-4 and KTEA-3 can help examine reading, spelling, writing and other academic skills relevant to the child’s concerns
Phonological Processing
Measures such as the CTOPP-2 can provide information about phonological awareness, phonological memory and rapid naming skills.
The exact assessment battery is selected according to the child’s age, concerns and existing information. Not every child requires exactly the same combination of tests.
My Child Can Read. Could It Still Be Dyslexia?
Yes, it is possible.
Some children learn to compensate for their difficulties and can read familiar material reasonably well, particularly when they have strong reasoning, vocabulary or comprehension skills.
However, they may still experience difficulties with:
Unfamiliar words · Reading fluency · Spelling · Reading under time pressure · Learning new vocabulary · Lengthy written tasks
For this reason, assessment should not be based simply on whether a child “can read.” We examine the pattern and efficiency of literacy skills as well as the underlying processes involved.
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Could Something Else Be Affecting My Child's Reading?
Attention & Executive Functioning
Difficulty sustaining attention, remembering instructions or organising work can interfere with literacy learning.
Language Difficulties
Vocabulary, language comprehension or expressive-language difficulties may affect reading and writing.
Learning Opportunities
Educational history, school attendance and previous instruction need to be considered.
Cognitive & Learning Profile
Individual strengths and weaknesses can influence how easily a child acquires literacy skills.
Emotional Factors
Repeated struggles with schoolwork can also contribute to avoidance, anxiety and reduced confidence.
This is why CHEERS assesses the child rather than looking only for a dyslexia label.
Can Dyslexia and ADHD Occur Together?
Yes.
Dyslexia and ADHD are different conditions, but a child can experience both. For example, one child may have persistent difficulty decoding and spelling words, while also finding it difficult to sustain attention, organise work or complete tasks.
When attention concerns are also present, these should be considered alongside the child’s literacy profile rather than automatically assuming that poor concentration is caused by dyslexia.
ADHD Assessment →
Cognitive Assessment →
At What Age Can Dyslexia Be Assessed?
There is no single age that is appropriate for every child.
Early literacy difficulties can be identified and supported even before a formal diagnosis is appropriate. As children progress through formal schooling, persistent difficulties in reading and spelling become easier to evaluate in relation to their age, educational experience and response to instruction.
If you are unsure whether your child is ready for a full assessment, an initial consultation can help determine the most appropriate next step.
What Happens After a Dyslexia Assessment?
The assessment should not end with a diagnosis.
Understanding the child’s learning profile allows support to become much more targeted.
📚 Educational Therapy
Structured intervention can target specific reading, spelling and literacy difficulties identified during assessment.
🏫 School Support
Recommendations can help teachers understand how the child’s learning difficulties affect classroom tasks.
📝 Examination Support
Where clinically and educationally appropriate, assessment findings may inform recommendations regarding examination access arrangements.
🏠 Home Strategies
Parents receive practical recommendations for supporting learning without turning every evening into another school lesson.
🔄 Monitoring Progress
Needs can change as academic demands increase. Progress and support should therefore be reviewed over time.
At Cheers Learning, we take pride in the positive impact our Dyslexia assessment and skills training programs have on families. Don’t just take our word for it – hear what our clients have to say about their experiences with our services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does poor spelling mean my child has dyslexia?
Not necessarily. Spelling difficulties can occur for different reasons. Assessment looks at the broader pattern of literacy skills and relevant underlying processes.
Is reversing b and d a sign of dyslexia?
Letter reversals can occur during early literacy development and are not, by themselves, sufficient evidence of dyslexia.
Can a bright child have dyslexia?
Yes. Dyslexia is not a reflection of low intelligence. A child may have strong reasoning abilities while experiencing specific difficulties with reading and spelling.
Can my child have dyslexia if reading comprehension is good?
Yes. Some children understand material very well once they have successfully read it, while experiencing difficulty with word reading, fluency or spelling.
Can dyslexia and ADHD occur together?
Yes. They are distinct conditions but can co-occur. Assessment can help clarify the contribution of literacy and attention-related difficulties.
Will the assessment include recommendations for school?
Yes, the report will include practical recommendations based on the child’s assessed needs and learning profile.
Does my child need educational therapy after diagnosis?
This depends on the nature and severity of the difficulties. Assessment findings can help determine which areas should be prioritised for intervention.
Why Families Choose CHEERS for Dyslexia Assessment
CHEERS has supported children, adolescents, families and schools in Singapore since 2013 through psychological assessment and intervention.
Our approach is guided by a simple principle:
Assessment should help us understand how a child learns — not simply give the child a label.
Registered Educational Psychologist
Assessment and interpretation by a psychologist experienced in children’s learning and development.
Experience With Schools
Understanding of the demands children face within Singapore’s educational environment.
Assessment + Intervention
Findings can translate directly into practical educational and therapeutic support.
Individualised Assessment
Assessment components are selected according to the child’s needs rather than using exactly the same battery for every child.
Not Sure Whether Your Child Needs a Dyslexia Assessment?
You don’t need to know exactly which assessment your child needs before contacting us.
Tell us what you have noticed about your child’s reading, spelling, writing or learning, and we can discuss the most appropriate next step.
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