SpLD Assessment Standards Committee

In the UK 438,010 international students (91,215 from China) study in H.E. One in eight 16-18 year-olds at school / college in the UK have an EAL background. This workshop will enhance understanding of the issues involved in assessing students with English as an additional language / complex linguistic histories for specific learning difficulties.

This is a practical workshop linking theory to practice. Participants will work collaboratively to design a screening or diagnostic interview and to discuss critically the use and interpretation of tests in the diagnostic assessment of students with EAL / complex linguistic histories. There will be a focus on distinguishing between literacy difficulties arising from the learners' language history and risk factors more likely to be linked to a dyslexic / dyspraxic profile.  The use of standardised assessment tools will be analysed using case studies, exploring how best to report findings of qualitative and quantitative data. Finally, the course will address the wording of the conclusion and recommendations sections of a diagnostic report.

The participants must be assessors working either in further or higher education.  While access arrangements will be discussed, the workshop aims primarily to help assessors implement SASC guidelines for full diagnostic assessments with reference to EAL learners.