Description: The British Dyslexia Association is the voice of dyslexic people. They aim to influence government and other institutions to promote a dyslexia-friendly society. The BDA promotes early identification and support in schools to ensure opportunity to learn for dyslexic learners. They want to represent the needs of dyslexic people on leaving school, in higher education and in work. They have developed a screening tool which is a 20 item checklist that requires a "yes" or "no" response to each question. http://www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk/main/information/adults/a03check.asp


Name of tool

 Criteria Evidence Limited evidence
Adult Dyslexia Checklist The British Dyslexia Association Yields reliable information: the screening material reliably measures indicators of potential learning disabilities and yields consistent results (if the screening tool was given to the same person again, similar indicators of potential learning disabilities would be evident). A low standard of error should be evident. A statistical procedure involving discriminate function analysis, a factor analysis and a series of t-tests was carried out. The objective was to identify the items on the questionnaire that best discriminated between dyslexic and non-dyslexic individuals.  
  Is valid: The screening material adequately represents the full range of characteristics associated with learning disabilities. The screening material is consistent with what is currently known about learning disabilities. It covers a scope sufficient to provide an initial assessment in several areas such as language, motor, organization and social skills (look for a description of which learning disability indicators may be assessed with the instrument). A statistical procedure involving discriminate function analysis, a factor analysis and a series of t-tests was carried out. The objective was to identify the items on the questionnaire that best discriminated between dyslexic and non-dyslexic individuals.  
  The tool is cost-effective including initial purchase and ongoing purchases of related materials such as question booklets, score sheets etc. Available on line. Costs would only include photocopying.  
  The time required to conduct the screening procedures is reasonable: it is quick to administer, score, and interpret. It would take about 5 minutes to administer and about 3 to 5 minutes to score and interpret.  
  The requirements for learning to use the screening tool are reasonable. Requirements may range from reviewing the instructions and user manual to participating in a training session. Practitioners would only need to read over the checklist along with the brief instructions prior to usage. No manual or requirements stated.
  Minimize bias: The screening material accurately highlights potential indicators of learning disabilities regardless of a person's age, gender, race, ethnicity, or primary language.

This questionnaire was completed by 679 adults divided into the following groups:-

Students enrolled in BA & BSc degree courses. 57%
Students enrolled in Certificate and Access courses. 7%
A-Level students. 15%
Non-student adults. 21%

The age range was 18 to 68 and the proportion of men and women was approximately equal.

The sample contained 32 known dyslexic individuals.		  
  Instructions are provided on how to interpret the screening tool results/findings.

If the majority of these items are ticked, this is a strong indication of dyslexia.

On the questionnaire as a whole (ie. all 20 items):
  • 60% of people gave no more than four YES response.
  • 90% of people gave no more than eight YES responses
The 20 items are rated in a table format listing the most powerful indicator first. Nine or more YES responses on the questionnaire, as a whole, is therefore a powerful indicator of a difficulty. The items ticked should be compared with the "best twelve" shown in the table format.		  
  The tool is compatible with the goals of the organization. For example, if you serve only adults, was the test developed for adults only or if you serve a number of ESL learners, was this the intended audience for the screening tool? Geared to adults, including adults who are non-students.  
  The format and written text follows clear language guidelines. Good use of white space, font size easy to read, table format clear and easy to read language.  
  The tool includes information to help select possible learning materials and/or instructional practices. Provides an indication of learning disabilities. The practitioner would need to conduct further informal assessment on the challenge areas to develop learning materials and/or instructional practices. None available - only indicators are identified.