“The actual diagnosis was a relief after everything settled down, but getting to that point was really difficult”: parents’ perspectives on dyslexia assessment and diagnosis in Australia
- Dyslexia Victoria Support
- Oct 1
- 1 min read
"Objective
The present study aimed to investigate parents’ stress and satisfaction with dyslexia assessment and diagnosis in Australia and to identify and prioritise areas of improvement to better support parents at this critical time.
Method
A sample of 69 mothers and 11 fathers whose child had received a dyslexia diagnosis in Australia in the last five years completed an online survey about their stress and satisfaction with different aspects of the service. Parents also provided suggestions for how dyslexia diagnostic assessment could be improved.
Results
Survey responses indicated that parents were satisfied with the professionalism of the diagnosing practitioner, the way the diagnosis was communicated, and the clarity and usefulness of the report and recommendations provided. Parents were not satisfied with the cost of the assessment and less satisfied with the support provided post-diagnosis. Five areas of improvement to better support parents were identified: 1) cost and accessibility, 2) timely diagnosis, 3) information provided at time of diagnosis, 4) support following diagnosis, and 5) school response to diagnosis.
Conclusions
The results support existing findings that lack of timely and straightforward identification pathways, cost of service, and inadequate support following diagnosis continue to be key issues that need to be addressed."
"Acknowledgements
The researchers acknowledge and thank the contributions of the parent advisory panel which consisted of Julie Mavlian (Dyslexia Support Australia), Heidi Gregory (Dyslexia Victoria Support), and Dr. Katherine Levi.
Hayley Anthony was supported via an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and acknowledges the Commonwealth’s contribution."
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