The Dyslexia Early Screening Test

Abstract

This paper describes the rationale behind the Dyslexia Early Screening Test for identifying children at risk for dyslexia before they fail to learn to read. The DEST comprises 11 simple subtests – speed, phonological skill, motor skill, cerebellar function and knowledge – which together provide an overall ‘at risk’ judgement, together with an ability profile that indicates the particular areas of difficulty. It has been designed to be administered by teachers or health professionals with no training in psychological testing, and takes about 30 minutes per child. It forms the first stage in a planned screening assessment support system and is currently under evaluation in British schools.