Diagnosis
Who Can Diagnose Dyslexia In Australia?
In Australia, the professional who can diagnose dyslexia is usually a psychologist with training in learning assessment. A speech pathologist assesses reading, spelling and the language skills underneath. A GP, a paediatrician and the school each have a part, but none of them usually gives the formal diagnosis.
Who Does What
Each Professional, And What Their Report Is For
Up to five people can be involved when a child’s reading is a concern, along with hearing and vision checks. Only one of them usually gives the formal diagnosis.
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Psychologist
Assesses thinking and learning skills, and reading, spelling and maths, on standardised tests, with the child's history and school records. Gives the formal diagnosis: usually yes.
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Report: the formal diagnosis, written as a specific learning disorder, with recommendations for teaching and support
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Published cost: $1,845 and $2,700 at two providers that publish a fee
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Medicare: neither of those two providers lists a rebate. Ask before booking
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Speech pathologist
Assesses reading, spelling and the language skills underneath, such as the sounds in words and oral language. Gives the formal diagnosis: usually no.
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Report: which skills are holding reading back, how far, and what to work on
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Published cost: $890 or $1,290 with Dr Lauren Crumlish
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Medicare: a $63.40 rebate per eligible service, only if the GP puts the child on a chronic condition management plan before the appointment. The GP decides eligibility
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GP
Checks general health and development, and whether hearing, vision or another condition needs a closer look. Gives the formal diagnosis: no.
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Report: referrals to a paediatrician, psychologist or allied health, and the plan a Medicare rebate needs
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Published cost: the GP's usual consultation fee
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Medicare: the usual rebate for a GP visit
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Paediatrician
Checks physical, mental and behavioural development, and medical causes of a learning problem. Gives the formal diagnosis: not usually.
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Report: rules medical and developmental conditions in or out. A paediatrician can diagnose ADHD
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Published cost: private fees vary. A public hospital clinic has no charge
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Medicare: a GP referral is needed
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School
Checks progress against the class, through the school's own reading checks and the teacher's observations. Gives the formal diagnosis: no.
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Report: used to start extra help at school and to track the response to it
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Published cost: no charge
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Medicare: not applicable
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Audiologist and optometrist
Check hearing and eyesight. Give the formal diagnosis: no.
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Report: shows that hearing or vision is not the cause, which a diagnosis depends on
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Published cost and Medicare: ask the provider
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A family who needs a formal diagnosis will also need a psychologist’s assessment, at that provider’s fee. The psychologists’ fees shown are those published by one SPELD organisation ($1,845) and Learning Links ($2,700), read on 15 November 2026. How the Medicare rebate works is on the fees and Medicare rebates page.
Can A Speech Pathologist Diagnose Dyslexia?
In Australia a speech pathologist assesses reading, spelling and language, and the formal dyslexia diagnosis is usually made by a psychologist. That is the position this site holds to, and it is what the professional bodies describe:
- Speech Pathology Australia says a speech pathologist can assess a student’s language and literacy skills to see whether intervention is needed, and can provide that intervention.
- AUSPELD says the diagnostic assessment is, in most cases, carried out by a psychologist with knowledge and experience in education, and that a speech pathologist may assess for a language difficulty.
- The Australian Psychological Society says a diagnosis of a specific learning disorder requires formal assessment by a psychologist, who may seek input from a speech pathologist.
Dr Lauren Crumlish is a speech pathologist. She assesses reading, spelling and the language skills underneath, and she does not diagnose dyslexia. Some websites say a speech pathologist can. A family relying on that answer for a formal diagnosis should first ask whoever needs the diagnosis, such as the school, which report it requires.
Should We See A Speech Pathologist Or A Psychologist First?
Start with whichever answers the question the family has now.
| Professional | Start here when |
|---|---|
| Speech pathologist | Your child was late to talk or hard to understand, or still finds spoken language hard. Your child is in the first years of school. You want to know which skills to work on, whatever the label |
| Psychologist | A formal diagnosis is needed now. Attention, memory or maths are also a concern. Your child has already had six months of targeted help and reading is still behind |
| GP | Hearing or vision has not been checked, or you have health or development concerns as well |
| School | Always, and early. The teacher holds the reading results and can start extra help |
Starting with one does not replace the other. The psychologist decides which earlier results they use and what further testing they do. The whole route, in order, is in how dyslexia is diagnosed in Australia.
What Is An Educational Psychologist’s Assessment?
An educational psychologist’s assessment is the full assessment of learning that usually leads to a formal diagnosis. It is often called a psychoeducational or cognitive and educational assessment. The psychologist looks at:
- the child’s learning strengths and weaknesses on standardised tests, compared with others the same age
- medical, developmental, school and family history
- the teacher’s input and the school’s test results
- how the child has responded to at least six months of targeted help
One provider that publishes its inclusions lists an initial consultation, cognitive and academic testing, questionnaires, a feedback session and a written report.
“Educational psychologist” is an everyday term. On the national register the matching area of practice is educational and developmental psychology. The Psychology Board of Australia lists it as one of nine endorsed areas. Other registered psychologists with training in learning assessment also diagnose. Dr Lauren is not a psychologist and does not offer this assessment.
Can A GP Or A Paediatrician Diagnose Dyslexia?
A GP does not diagnose dyslexia, and a paediatrician does not usually diagnose it either. Both are worth seeing for a different reason. A GP can arrange hearing and vision checks, refer a child to a paediatrician or a psychologist, and write the plan a Medicare rebate depends on. A paediatrician looks for medical and developmental causes, including ADHD, which often occurs alongside dyslexia and is assessed on its own. A paediatrician appointment needs a referral from a GP.
What The School Can And Cannot Do
A school can check and teach. A school does not usually diagnose. The classroom teacher can screen reading, compare a child with the class, start extra help and record how the child responds. Those records matter, because a diagnosis rests on them.
Some school systems have their own psychologists or support staff who can assess. Ask the school whether that is available and how long it takes. Each school and each state curriculum authority decides what evidence it accepts for adjustments, and some ask for a psychologist’s report. Ask the school what it requires before arranging any assessment, especially for a teenager facing exams: the signs of dyslexia in high school are often missed until then.
What Each Report Covers
A speech pathologist’s report describes reading, spelling and language: which skills are weak, how far behind they are, and what to work on. A psychologist’s report adds the testing of thinking and learning, and states whether the criteria for a specific learning disorder are met.
The list of what to take to a psychologist is on the diagnosis pathway page. For Dr Lauren’s own dyslexia assessment there is more on what happens on the day of the assessment, its fees and Medicare rebates in full and how to read her report once it arrives.
Who does the assessment
Dr Lauren Crumlish (PhD), Certified Practising Speech Pathologist
Dr Lauren Crumlish assesses reading, spelling and the language skills underneath, online, for school-aged children and teenagers across Australia. She holds a PhD from The University of Queensland and does every assessment herself.
$890 or $1,290, online, with Dr Lauren Crumlish
About Dr Lauren
Questions
Questions About Who Diagnoses Dyslexia
Who diagnoses dyslexia in a child?
A psychologist with training in learning assessment usually gives the formal dyslexia diagnosis in Australia. It is written on the report as a specific learning disorder with impairment in reading. Speech pathologists, GPs, paediatricians and teachers each contribute, but none of them usually gives the formal diagnosis.
Does Dr Lauren diagnose dyslexia?
No. Dr Lauren Crumlish is a speech pathologist: she assesses reading, spelling and the language skills underneath, and she does not diagnose dyslexia. In Australia the formal diagnosis is usually made by a psychologist. A family who needs a formal diagnosis will also need a psychologist's assessment, at that provider's fee.
Can a GP diagnose dyslexia?
No. A GP does not diagnose dyslexia. A GP can arrange hearing and vision checks, refer a child to a paediatrician or psychologist, and write the plan that a Medicare rebate for speech pathology depends on.
Can a paediatrician diagnose dyslexia?
Not usually. A paediatrician checks a child's development and looks for medical causes of a learning problem, and can diagnose ADHD. The formal dyslexia diagnosis is usually made by a psychologist. A GP referral is needed to see a paediatrician.
Can schools test for dyslexia?
Schools can screen reading and track progress, and a teacher's results are part of the evidence for a diagnosis. A school does not usually give the formal diagnosis. Some school systems have their own psychologists who can assess, so ask the school what is available.
Does a speech pathologist's assessment replace a psychologist's?
No. A speech pathologist's assessment and a psychologist's assessment answer different questions. The speech pathologist's shows which reading, spelling and language skills to work on. The psychologist's decides whether the criteria for a diagnosis are met.
Dyslexia Assessment With Dr Lauren
Apply Now
Dr Lauren works with a small number of families and has limited availability. Our team will review your application. A place cannot be guaranteed, and not every application receives an individual reply.
Apply Now- Online, Australia Wide
- Reading, Spelling And Language
- Children And Teenagers Up To 18
- $890 Or $1,290