Help for students with Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLDs)

If you have been doing your best with your studies but all your efforts are not producing the grades that you need or expect, you may be one of the 10% of people in the UK living with a Specific Learning Difference or Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia/DCD.

SpLDs are lifelong, neurological differences that can present barriers to new learning, recalling, or processing information and literacy acquisition.

SpLD traits can present themselves in many positive ways, such as:

Above average intelligence
Exceptional creativity
Unique problem-solving skills
A keen sense of empathy and justice
Good intuition

However, someone living with a SpLD may also experience:

Poor focus and attention
Poor handwriting
Poor spelling and sentence construction
Short-term and working-memory difficulties
Difficulties with reading, absorbing information and comprehending text
Trouble synthesising information
Difficulties in organising thoughts for writing
Poor personal organisation and coordination skills
Left/right confusion

The effects of SpLDs can be difficult to manage but with the right guidance, interventions, technologies, and strategies, they don't need to limit academic attainment or career aspirations.

Useful websites

BRAINinHE: a comprehensive resource on dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties at university with detailed definitions and suggested strategies.
British Dyslexia Association: has general information and advice on dyslexia.
Dyspraxia Foundation: supports individuals affected by dyspraxia.
Adders: information and support for people affected by ADD and AD(H)D. Mostly aimed at families but research articles are useful.

Can I apply for Disabled Students' Allowance?

With a diagnosis of a SpLD, you can apply for the DSA (Disabled Student's Allowance). Your diagnostic report is used as evidence of your learning difference. The DSA process can be long and so, if you have your report, do not wait until you arrive at university to apply for it.

If you are diagnosed with a SpLD while at university, we can help you with your DSA application, securing your exam recommendations and additional support. International students are not eligible for the DSA, but we can discuss further options with you.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us for assistance.

Can I be assessed at the University of Reading?

Yes, we have an arrangement with some local assessors and an Educational Psychologist who will come to the university. Their rates are slightly lower than is expected for the area.

Diagnostic assessments might seem expensive, but assessing is a complex, labour-intensive process. Assessments will typically take about 3 hours to complete. During that time, you will complete around 11 different tests. The assessors will produce an extensive and lengthy report from this information.

I do not have an official diagnosis, but I describe myself as living with an SpLD

If you think you might be living with a SpLD, where possible, we always recommend getting your assessment and diagnostic report before you come to university. This will help to ensure that any support and adjustments are in place when you start your course.

If you do not have a formal diagnosis, completing an online screener might be a good place to start as it will highlight the likelihood of you living with a SpLD.

If you are unsure, you could discuss your learning differences with a specialist assessor in your area, and then decide whether-or-not to have a diagnostic assessment. Diagnostic reports written by specialist assessors are less expensive than reports written by educational psychologists and are equally accepted.

I have already been assessed by a suitably qualified professional and diagnosed with a SpLD

Great. If you have not done so already, you can register with DAS (Disability Advisory Service) by completing our online registration form and uploading your evidence. We encourage you to register with us before you start your course, this will enable us to get you all set up for the start of term.

You will need to submit evidence of your SpLD. This means that you will need to provide the university with a clear diagnosis of a learning difference. We can only put your reasonable adjustments in place once we have reviewed and accepted your evidence.

The team can advise you about additional support that might be available, including Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs).

I am at university now, I think I might have a SpLD, but I don’t have any evidence. What do I do now?

We would recommend that you make an appointment for a SpLD screener and have a chat with our Specialist Assessor.

Screening appointments last about thirty minutes. Prior to the session you will be asked to complete a SpLD checklist. During the session, you will be asked about the:

• Nature and extent of your learning differences
• Impact that they currently have on your studies and everyday activities

At the conclusion of the session, you will be advised if having a full SpLD diagnostic assessment would be right for you. Any associated costs and any available funding will be explained. We will then talk through how the assessment can be arranged. If having an SpLD assessment is not right for you, you may be offered other referral or support options.

Screening appointments are primarily offered from September through to February. They can be face-to-face or online. Please contact DAS to book your screening appointment.

Is there any funding to help me with the cost of an assessment?

As you may be aware, SpLD assessments and diagnoses are not covered by the NHS, and so assessments are arranged privately. If you are at university and have a bursary, your assessment can be part-funded. You will pay the first £100 of the assessment, and the UoR Bursary funding will pay the remaining balance.

What counts as evidence for a SpLD?

Your evidence should be a full diagnostic report carried out by a qualified and registered Specialist Teacher/Assessor or Psychologist. At school or college, you may have been assessed for access arrangements and given a JCQ Access Arrangement (Form 8). While this provides useful information, universities do not accept a Form 8 as sufficient evidence of your learning difference, as it does not contain formal diagnosis.

Diagnostic reports must be in English. All evidence written in another language must be translated by a qualified transcription service and formally authenticated as such. If you have questions about the suitability of your evidence, please contact the DAS Office.

Specific learning difficulties