FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions & Troubleshooting
1. What is a “screening test”?

Screening tests are used to identify individuals who have previously not been identified with, or treated for, a particular condition. So our Dyslexia Screening Test is primarily designed to identify individuals who have not previously been diagnosed with, or treated for, dyslexia. About one-third of dyslexic individuals who have received three or more months of dyslexia intervention will show a drop in their Total Dyslexia Score that is large enough to carry them below the High risk range on our test. This is particularly true of individuals with the most “classic” form of phonological (or sound-based) dyslexia.

2. In addition to screening, does this test provide a good way of measuring progress and response to training for individuals who have previously been diagnosed and treated for dyslexia?

No, it is not designed to measure the response to intervention. In fact, some of the subtests used on the test resemble the kinds of exercises used as therapy for dyslexic reading and spelling challenges. That’s why previous treatment for dyslexia can invalidate the test’s ability to identify an individual’s actual likelihood of dyslexia.

3. What age do you have to be to take the test?

The test is available for users from age 7 to 70.

4. How do I take the test?

Currently, the test app can be used on an iPad running operating system iOS 11, 12, 13, or 14, on Android tablets or smartphones with touchscreen interfaces, and on Kindle Fire tablets.

5. Where can I buy the test?

The test app is available in App Stores for Apple iPad and iPhone, the Google Play app store, and on Amazon.com. You can find our app in these stores by searching “Neurolearning” or “Dyslexia Screening Test”.

6. What if I want to test more people?

Additional testing slots can be obtained by in-app purchase. If you are a school or a professional user who is testing students as part of your business you can contact us directly at admin@neurolearning.com to learn about our reduced rates for bulk and professional purchases.

7. Are there any abilities that a person needs to take the test?

All users need 4 basic abilities to receive valid results:
• The test is administered in English, so users must be fluent in spoken English at or near their age level.
• The test requires hearing good enough to listen to spoken instructions
• The test requires vision good enough to see words and images on a touchscreen device
• The test requires arm/hand strength and coordination good enough to select answers quickly on a touch screen

8. Does the test need to be given by someone with special training?

No. The directions for the test are straightforward and are provided by the app’s recorded narrator. However, we do recommend that all users up to age 15 have an adult observer present at all times during the test to monitor their attention and focus, and to suggest taking breaks when necessary.

9. After a person takes the test, what information do they receive?

All users will receive a complete report which contains:
• A Total Dyslexia Score, which measures their dyslexia risk level, or likelihood of dyslexia
• 6 Dyslexia Subscale Scores, which measure their performance in 4 key areas of basic processing that are main contributors to dyslexia risk, and 2 areas of reading performance
• Detailed explanations of the meaning of the scores, and resources to help understand dyslexia
• A detailed set of individualized recommendations to help users create an action plan for school or work
• A resource list detailing where you can find the necessary information and tools you need to put your action plan to work

10. How accurate are the results?

Very accurate. Our screener has been designed to assess the key processing skills underlying dyslexia, using types of questions that many professionals use to measure those skills. When we compared the results of our screener with those of dyslexia experts in evaluating the data generated from these questions with over 1000 individuals, we found that our screener correctly identified over 90% of the individuals identified by the dyslexia experts as Positive (High or Very High risk–the Test’s sensitivity). In the same testing, we also found that fewer than 4% of individuals assessed as POSITIVE (HIGH or VERY HIGH risk) by our screener were identified as NEGATIVE (LOW or VERY LOW risk range) by the expert diagnosticians (the Test’s positive predictive value).

11. Can my test results be used to get an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or accommodations at school or work?

Although your results do not constitute an official diagnosis that will require your school or work to provide special services, the high accuracy of our test can be effective in prompting schools and employers to voluntarily provide accommodations, services, and even additional testing.

12. Will my results be kept private?

Yes. Our data control processes comply fully with HIPAA standards, and we will make your scores and reports available only to you and to any school or professional through whom you took the test.

13. Is the design of the test based on solid scientific evidence (i.e., evidence-based)?

Yes. Our Dyslexia Screening Test was designed by dyslexia experts in response to the latest in research on dyslexia causation and assessment. Rather than focusing only on a single or narrow set of measures, our screener is designed to test the four key brain processing functions that have been shown to contribute most to dyslexia risk:
• phonemic awareness
• working memory
• naming speed
• visual attention
It also measures two acquired reading skills:
• word level reading (real word and nonsense pseudoword reading)
• passage level reading
This broad combination of test measures means that our dyslexia screener measures many of the same kinds of skills that are measured in an expert professional assessment, which greatly supports the validity of our testing process.

14. Does the test provide any measures to assess the reliability of the test user’s results?

Yes. Our screener measures both how many questions a person answers correctly, and which questions they answer correctly. Because we have collected and analyzed such data on over 1000 test users, we now know the patterns of correct and incorrect answers that individuals with dyslexia tend to give on our test. In other words, we have a set of “dyslexia models”, and the answer patterns that are given by most people with dyslexia will fit very closely with one or another of these patterns. This allows us to determine very accurately how closely the pattern of correct and incorrect answers given by an individual taking our test corresponds to one of the patterns a truly dyslexic (or non-dyslexic) individual would show, and allows us to identify individuals who instead missed questions due to inattention or in an attempt to misrepresent their true abilities or falsify their test results.

15. Does the screener identify risk for any other learning patterns or challenges than dyslexia?

Yes. The screener also identifies children who are at risk for broader and more severe language difficulties, often referred to as Developmental Language Disorder (or sometimes Specific Language Impairment). Children with this pattern may benefit from some of the same interventions that help children with dyslexia. However, these children also typically require more in depth and specialized interventions, and they ALWAYS require thorough and detailed testing. This testing is usually provided by a Speech Language Pathologists, and schools can often help provide access to such intervention.

16. Students with very strong verbal skills can sometimes be hard to test for dyslexia. Does this screener take any steps to improve the ability of the test to identify these so-called “stealth dyslexic” students?

Yes. Although we do not list the result on the report, our screener does create a measure for verbal strengths, and uses this measure to appropriately adjust the Total Dyslexia Scores for students with very high verbal abilities.

17. Does the test also measure dyslexia-associated strengths?

The screening test itself focuses on identifying dyslexia-associated challenges. However, users also be able to take to a MIND-Strengths self-assessment survey, which is focused on helping dyslexic users identify their strengths in certain kinds of dyslexia-associated strengths, as discussed in the book The Dyslexic Advantage. Our MIND-Strengths survey tests can be used for anyone age 7 and older, but parents will often need to answer the questions for children aged 13 and under. Unlike the Screening Test, which allows a comparison of the degree of dyslexic challenges likely to be experienced by different individuals, the MIND-Strengths surveys are best used to help individuals compare their personal strengths in several different areas, rather to compare the strengths of one individual with another.

18. What if I have additional questions about using the app?

The answers to many questions can be found on this website under the Video Help tab. You can also reach us for help by emailing team@neurolearning.com.

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