Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether those people involved in teaching and diagnosing pupils with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties in the school system have been consulted on the changes to who is able to conduct assessments for eligibility for the disabled students’ allowance.

In 2018 the department reviewed the requirement that students with specific learning difficulties applying for Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) must submit a post-16 diagnostic assessment to determine their eligibility for DSAs. This review also sought views on which assessments should be used to determine eligibility, regardless of the age of the person being assessed. The organisations invited to contribute to the review included organisations involved with teaching and diagnosing pupils with dyslexia and specific learning difficulties in the school system.