Dyslexia is a specific learning difference resulting in a range of specific skills and strengths alongside some challenges in information, learning or language processing. 

The exact prevalence of dyslexia is unknown and estimates vary. It is thought up to 10% of doctors in postgraduate training are dyslexic. It is not uncommon for dyslexic healthcare professionals in postgraduate training to have passed through many educational milestones without dyslexia ever being suspected or identified.

Identification of dyslexia is not an indication of clinical incompetence or lack of knowledge; many highly intelligent, capable and competent senior healthcare professionals will be dyslexic and have exceptional professional attributes and skills. Some may find it harder to pass postgraduate exams using their old strategies and some  may find it more challenging to manage specific aspects of work.

Features of dyslexia include strengths in creative thinking and problem solving, visual or 3D thinking and excellent verbal communication and relational skills. Dyslexic adults may find it hard to complete some tasks on time (especially those involving reading or writing under time pressure), to organise and sequence tasks effectively, to remember information under pressure (for example in exam situations or when tired) or they may need more energy, attention or time to read and process complex information. Difficulties in spelling, formulating written expression and processing print may also be a feature in some cases and affect performance.  Everyone's dyslexia and needs will be different, hence why we an individualised and strengths-based focus is important.

Dyslexia may be associated with other learning or information processing differences in some cases and there can be an overlap with other neurodivergent conditions such as dyspraxia or ADD/ADHD.

If you are eligible for accessing PSU support (see our eligibility criteria) and have not previously had a formal assessment for dyslexia you may be eligible for a funded dyslexia assessment via the PSU. 

This is a multi-step process as follows:

Step 1  Complete self-screening questionnaire

Complete brief self-screening questionnaire via  British Dyslexia Association adult screening checklist and keep a record of your screening score

Step 2:  Submit your online request/application to us

Complete and submit the following PSU form Dyslexia application form (Form A).

Please give specific information where possible about what you are struggling with at work or in training which has led you to consider dyslexia.

If anyone involved in your training has recommended a dyslexia assessment please let us know this and why they suspect dyslexia. We will only use this information to help us decide if we can fund a dyslexia assessment for you within the PSU.

Step 3:  PSU processes your request/application and will contact you

Once we receive your dyslexia request form we will review the information to decide if we can offer you a funded assessment.  If we have enough information which meets our criteria for a funded assessment we will automatically refer you for the assessment. If we don't have enough information we will offer you an appointment with one of our advisors in the SPOC (Single Point of Contact) team first to discuss things further. Either way you should expect further contact.

Currently the dyslexia assessments are done via 'Genius Within' and once we refer you, you should receive an email from their Client Services team within 2 weeks with further instructions. You will need to register onto their secure online portal through which information (such as your assessment report) will be shared with you. Please look out for their initial email and check your junk email folder because everything regarding your appointments only happen after you have registered onto their portal.

Demand for assessments is high but currently we expect that Genius Within to have sent you the initial registration email within 2 weeks of us referring you to them.

If you have not received an initial email from either us in the PSU or Genius Within within 2 weeks of submitting your form please email us at Neurodiversity.PSULondon@nhs.net so we can look into this.

Step 4:  Assessment appointment (virtual)

Your assessment appointment will be online and with an educational psychologist at Genius Within.

The appointment will take up to around 3 hours and you should receive some information in the post before it.  Face to face appointments can be arranged if you have any accessibility requirements so please inform Genius Within at the time of booking.

You will be told at the end of your appointment if the findings are consistent with dyslexia and you should have a chance to ask questions at the time and also afterwards.

If features suggestive of wider neurodivergent conditions are also identified during your assessment then this information will also be shared with you at the time and in your report. 

You can directly contact your assessor for a follow-up conversation if you have any outstanding questions about their findings once you've received their written report.

Step 5: After your assessment

A draft copy of your assessment report will be made available to you via the online Genius Within portal (usually within 1 week) and you will be asked to confirm that you're happy for it to be finalised.

You will also be asked to authorise the release of the summary version with us in the PSU if you are happy to do so. Without this authorisation we will not know of the outcome of your assessment and can therefore not offer you additional input unless you contact us directly.

We will not share details of what is in your report with anyone involved with your work or training or others outside of the PSU.

Once we have your assessment report we can contact you regarding any additional support which is available to you via the PSU, such as specialist coaching. You should expect to hear from us within 2 weeks (usually 1 week) of you authorising the release of the report to us via the Genius Within portal. Please email us if you have not heard from us after this time.

If your assessment confirms that you are dyslexic, recommendations will be made about additional support and or adjustments which may be helpful for you. Please see the information in the tabs below about what some of the options usually are.

If dyslexia is not identified but other neurodivergence is you may still be eligible for further specialist support including specialist support. Please email us about this for further information. We will usually need to see a copy of the summary assessment findings and recommendations to advise you.

If neurodivergence is not identified, we still have a number of other resources within the PSU which may be useful for you such as coaching from within the PSU, individual communications or linguistics sessions or Careers advice. Please email us if you would like to know what options may be available for you.

Disclosure about your dyslexia (and/or other neurodivergence) is a matter of personal choice. You can decide who to share information with, what information you want to share, how to do it and when. However we also recognise that sometimes it can be hard to access the type of support you need if others aren't involved and aware.

Finding out that you are dyslexic as an adult may be a relief and explain why you've always found certain things hard or it may be a total shock and initially upsetting, leading you to question many past experiences. Some people will feel confused or overwhelmed initially and need time to make sense of what being dyslexic means before deciding what they want to do.

It can help to speak with someone who works with dyslexic healthcare professionals as they may be able to answer questions you have before you decide to share information about your dyslexia with others. This is where the specialist dyslexia coaching sessions (funded by the PSU) can be very powerful as they can also help you with how you discuss your dyslexia (including both your strengths and needs) with others. Alternatively you can speak to a member of the PSU team confidentially first.

Informing those responsible for your training and/or employment

If you would like to access or consider adjustments in relation to work or training then those involved in your work and training will need to know about the recommendations from your assessment.   There is no blanket way of doing this. For example you may want to discuss the recommendations in your report with your Training Programme Director, Educational Supervisor or your Manager first to find out which adjustments can be implemented and the process for this before deciding if and how to inform others. You can also say whether or not you are happy for them to share the information wider in the team, in what circumstances and for what purpose. 

If you want future employers to be made aware you will usually need to inform them in advance yourself. This is particularly relevant if you want adjustments to be put in place when you change Trust. In some cases if you've informed your HR department or your current employer they may pass this information on to your future employer but we suggest that you check if this is routinely done and not make an assumption.

To access an Occupational Health assessment your manager or employer will usually need to know but this does vary from Trust to Trust as in some cases you can self refer to Occupational Health. 

Informing Exam Boards

If adjustments are recommended related to your exam you will need to inform the exam board yourself. Your employer, Training Programme or the PSU cannot do this on your behalf. The exam board may want further information such as a copy of the parts of your report which outlines the recommendations such as additional time allowance. We suggest informing them in good time as in some cases they may not be able to provide you with what you need until a later date or sitting.

Informing the PSU

Your assessment report is not shared with us until and unless you have authorised it to be shared via the online Genius Within portal. If specific recommendations such as specialist dyslexia coaching are made we can fund this for you once we have a copy of the report. 

If you'd like to discuss other support available to you via the PSU please email us at Neurodiversity.PSULondon@nhs.net.

The PSU will not routinely share information about your dyslexia with others outside of our unit including those involved in your training or employment without your consent. On rare occasions, if you are at risk of non progression at ARCP and a PSU referral or dyslexia assessment has been formally recommended by your training programme or ARCP but you have not updated them afterwards, they may contact the PSU to find out if we have referred you and what the outcome is.

Wherever possible we would encourage them to contact you directly for an update first. In very exceptional circumstances if your Head of School or Dean believes it is justified for the purposes of the ARCP process and they have not heard back from you despite trying, then we may have to tell them if we have referred you for an assessment and whether dyslexia was identified. We would not disclose any other information without your consent.

If you are worried and would like to discuss the implications of disclosure further you can speak with a member of our  team confidentially at any time. Please email us at Neurodiversity.PSULondon@nhs.net about this or any other related queries.