On this page you will find information about what a Needs Assessment is, how to arrange one, and what preparation is necessary before attending.
The Needs Assessment is a meeting between you and an assessor, a person qualified by their experience and knowledge of the equipment and support that students with disabilities, including Specific Learning Differences (SpLDs) such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADHD, need to study successfully at university.
At the meeting, your study needs and the demands of your course will be discussed. The assessor will aim to agree with you all the equipment and support you will need for your studies that can be paid for from the DSA. The assessor will produce a written report of what was agreed, and copies will be sent to you and your funding authority (e.g. Student Finance England) for their agreement.
The assessment will also help you and your university or college to discuss and agree important study strategies that can help you to get the most out of your course. You should ask for a copy of the Needs Assessment Report to be sent to the Disability and Dyslexia Service at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).
If your screening for SpLDs is positive, you will be sent for a diagnostic assessment with a SpLD diagnostician. This will confirm whether you have a SpLD such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or ADHD.
If you are applying for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA), the diagnostic assessment report is used as evidence of your SpLD, but you will also have to have a Needs Assessment to work out how the allowance can be used to support your studies.
Think about the course activities that you are expected to participate in: