Fire Brigades Union – Union Learning

Dyslexia QUICKSCAN®Assessment Tool

Introduction:

In 2008 the FBU Union Learning Fund produced a document entitled ‘Dyslexia – A Guidance Document for Officials and Members’. The need for such guidance was born through the increasing number of FBU members and Fire Service Employees who were revealing that they had some degree of Dyslexia and, no doubt, due to the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 which offered employees protection where they knew or considered they may have Dyslexic Tendencies or similar associated difficulties.

During the last few years the FBU Union Learning team members and Union Learning Representatives (ULRs) have been approached and asked if support can be found to help those with Dyslexic Tendencies. In many cases this is the first time that the individual has openly suggested that they have a learning difficulty that may be due their being Dyslexic and must be a very difficult decision to reveal this possibility.

Assessing an individual for Dyslexia can be very costly and, in many cases, the individual has paid for these themselves despite the DDA and the requirement on employers to have Health and Safety workplace risk assessments.

With this in mind the FBU Union Learning team has undertaken and attended a number of presentations from companies who provide Dyslexia Screening Tools for individuals.

One particular screening tool called QUICKSCAN® offers individuals the opportunity to carry-out an online Dyslexia assessment and also provides information on the adoption of particular learning styles that may help overcome learning difficulties.

QUICKSCAN® is not an in depth Dyslexia screening tool but, used correctly, will provide an instant analysis of the individual’s probability of having Dyslexia.

Before taking the assessment please take the time to read the following guidance and, importantly, discuss the outcome with your Dyslexia Support Official.

Finally, ALL DATA information is CONFIDENTIAL and, unless the individual agrees, will NOT be shared with other individuals, managers or employers.

ACCESSING QUICKSCAN®:

Individuals will not be able to access the QUICKSCAN® screening tool on their own – there is a need to provide a unique log-in number and be in contact with one of the trained FBU Dyslexia Support Advisor (DSA).

This is purely to ensure that each individual assessment is carried out and can be interpreted correctly. It also means that, if it indicates possible Dyslexia, then the individual will be able to discuss their next steps with their DSA.

If you feel you may be Dyslexic and wish to take the assessment then you need to do the following:

  • Contact your brigade or regional DSA (names and contact details can be found via the dyslexia support link orin the regional pages of the FBU Education and Learning website They will be able to assign you a personal log-in number that will only be identifiable to you and your DSA.
  • Have access to a computer and the internet that will allow access to the QuickScan® website. (If you require a copy of the assessment report you will need access to a printer).
  • Have simple computer skills that include using a mouse and keyboard (QuickScan® will provide the opportunity within its own programme to change background colour and fonts without the need to change computer settings).
  • Give thought to the possibility that the assessment could indicate that you may be Dyslexic and how you may wish to follow this up.

NOTE: UNDER THE DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT 1995 (AMENDED 2005) THE EMPLOYERS DO NOT HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO APPLY THE ACT IF THEY HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE DISABILITY.

FOLLOWING SCREENING, AND, IF THE OUTCOME SHOWS AN INDICATION OF DYSLEXIA, FBU MEMBERS WILL NEED TO GIVE DUE CONSIDERATION OF INFORMING THEIR EMPLOYER.

TheOn-Line Dyslexia ScreeningTool:

QuickScan® is a computer based dyslexia screening test; individuals will need to read or listen through headphones to 100 questions. The test is designed to assess how the individual thinks and works, their strengths and weaknesses and their preferred learning style.

You will be asked to answer either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to each question. Your answers are then evaluated to build a profile to see if you may be at risk of being Dyslexic and provide information of your personal learning style.

The computer generated report has four sections:

  1. Diagnosis and explanation of the student’s preferred learning style, which could be any of the following;
  • Visual
  • Auditory
  • Kinaesthetic
  • Visual Kinaesthetic
  • Auditory Kinaesthetic
  • Visual Auditory
  1. Assessment of the need for supplementary study support, which could recommend any of the following:
  • General study skills
  • Test for visual stress (colour / light sensitivity)
  • Building learning confidence
  1. Whether there are sufficient indicators of specific learning difficulties to warrant a full Diagnostic Dyslexia Assessment
  1. Supplementary Report Student Information:
  • The student’s first language is English
  • Breakdown for indications of areas for attention
  • Left / right handed
  • Eye dominance
  • Hand-eye coordination
  • Laterality function

Interpreting the results:

QuickScan® screening results will tell you:

  • If you are ‘at risk’ of being dyslexic.
  • Your preferred learning style – auditory, visual or kinaesthetic
  • Whether you will need study skills support if you are in further or higher education or taking exams of any sort

There are 5 categories of ‘risk’ which are measured by indicators of dyslexia:

1. Most indicators

2. Many indicators

3. Some indicators

4. Borderline indicators

5. No indicators

QuickScan® screening results can't tell you:

It is important to realise that the test is only a ‘screening’ and is the first stage in possibly diagnosing Dyslexia.

It will not conclusively state a diagnosis of dyslexia, this can only happen after a full and formal assessment by a specialist in the field (such as an Occupational Physcologist). It will, however, allow you to consider your future options and whether you should take a more detailed Dyslexia assessment such as the Dyslexia Adult Screening Tool (DAST).

Additional Support:

The FBU’s guidance document on Dyslexia can be found on the FBU’s Education and learning website ( This gives individuals a degree of help in understanding more about what Dyslexia means and how to get further help from specialist organisations and Access to Work; it all also gives information that will help officials when representing members who maybe Dyslexic.

It is extremely important that any member, who has undertaken the QuickScan®screening tool and, where it has indicated possible Dyslexia, has access to support.

DSA’s who administrate the screening tool are not experts but will be able to offer guidance on what and where the individual needs to go next. The resulting information from QuickScan®may be used to help approach management or an employer and raise awareness of possible Dyslexia.

This information is confidential and WILL NOT be used under any circumstances by DSA’s or representatives without the authorisation of the individual.