Dyslexia Assessments

This week, we are going to discuss the topic of assessment and these so called "brain training" programmes offered in Malaysia. I have already told you about "sensory integration programmes"and their lack of any valid brain research to support such "miracle therapies".

I have had a few questions put to me with regards to every programme provider wanting to conduct their own "assessments" on potential new clients. Now, what you parents need to know is that, it is one thing to want to make money from conduction a RM 200 assessment and its a whole different story about the ability of these professionals to interpret these results accurately especially in the field of specific learning difficulties. In the end, you get what you pay for. A reading test that  has not been properly normed or is not validated is NOT test! A report which reads "problems with reading, and only read 5 out of 10 words on our internal test" is not a valid test. 

If someone conducts an assessment and says to you, your child needs, "right brain or left brain" or even "both brain integration" as a result of their testing, then, please know that something is dreadfully wrong. If any side of your child's brain isn''t working, then, that child is said to have brain damage! There is absolutely no empirical/scientific evidence to suggest that left brain and right brain training programmes, much less the assessment of the same is justifiable or valid! If there was, these programmes would be used within the mainstream educational systems in the US, UK, Europe or even Canada and Finland! Stop getting taken in by these silly baseless programmes.

Intervention for specific learning difficulties lie in traditional methods which take time. Can you train for a marathon in 3 months having never exercised in your life? Its the same analogy. The brain is a muscle! Whatever, traditional methods of intervention are going to take time and require constant practice. You teach reading in 6 months but reading alone is not enough. What use is being able to read and not understand what is being read? What use is reading, when strategies that have been in place by miracle phonics programmes only serve the learner at the very basic level?e

If these professionals run tests, these tests should be standardised and norm referenced. Sure, there is a concern about the test being validated on samples in foreign countries, but if your child comes from a medium of instruction that is English,  you have little to worry about. Generally, you can expect the results to be accurate to 90% at least. 

One cannot run testing, if one possess' just a degree level qualification. One needs to be trained at postgraduate level in testing. One must know how to interpret results from these tests which means, one must have learnt how to do so by attending further training, or supervised practice. Typically, psychologists, ONLY train to run tests. They do not train to run intervention programmes. In Malaysia, they do both. Again, the reason is because, there is a lack of legislation.

International schools that advocate assessments for their learners, typically, have staff, who work on a "referral"  system with these private provisions conducting assessments. International school teachers, derive personal gain from recommending one provision over another. So, you as parents, have no choice but to equip yourself, with knowledge of what is really going on and how to overcome it in order to provide the best services for your children with learning difficulties. 

A mistake in test interpretation, leads to mistakes in the way intervention is conducted.

Brain training is nonsense! And it most certainly cannot be done in 20 sessions!! If you see that type of advertising, then, question it, ask for empirical and scientific evidence from the provider NOT just testimonies from other parents!

A good test is reported at 95% confidence intervals and generally, are tests that are published overseas. There are no psychometric tests at present time, in Malaysia, to test for dyslexia in Malay. Another pointer, is when no scores are given. An IQ test cannot diagnosed a learning difficulty on its own.

Hope this articles helps you make good decisions for your learners!