Every Wednesday, we take you inside the AFS-Test, the standardized assessment that allows Certified Dyslexia Trainers to definitively diagnose and categorize dyslexia and dyscalculia. This is week 4 of 25.
This week: Why Screenings Are Not Enough
A child can score average on a screening and still struggle every single day. Screenings, reading tests, IQ tests, and phonological assessments each look through one small window, and none of them alone can definitively diagnose and categorize dyslexia. The AFS-Test takes the comprehensive route: it examines the attention span, eight areas of sensory perception, and the concrete error symptoms a child shows when reading, spelling, or calculating. Only when all three areas are tested together does the full picture appear, and with it the right kind of help.
About the AFS-Test
The standardized Attention-Function-Symptom Test has been used worldwide for more than 25 years. It examines the attention span, the sensory perceptions, and the error symptoms of a child, and turns the results into an individualized training plan following the AFS-Method.
Find a Certified Trainer
Certified Dyslexia Trainers conduct the standardized AFS-Test in your area or remotely. Learn more and find a Certified Trainer near you: dyslexiatest.com
You can find all published articles of this series under the tag AFS-Test Series.
Every Tuesday, we open up one lesson of the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program here on the blog, all 48 of them, one week at a time. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or an education professional, this series shows you exactly what certified dyslexia trainers learn, and how the program works from the inside.
This week: The AFS-Test. A Comprehensive Educational Assessment Tool
The AFS-Test (Attention-Function-Symptom Test) is a standardized assessment used worldwide to identify dyslexia and dyscalculia and to plan effective intervention. It evaluates three areas: attention span, the sensory perception abilities underlying reading, spelling, writing, and arithmetic, and the concrete error symptoms a learner shows. This lesson explains its structure and application, and how to turn results into an educational report for parents, teachers, and professionals.
What this lesson is about
Dyslexia and dyscalculia can present significant challenges for children and adults, often impacting their academic and personal lives. Early identification and targeted support are crucial to helping individuals overcome these difficulties and reach their full potential. The AFS-Test (Attention-Function-Symptom Test) is a comprehensive, standardized assessment tool used worldwide to diagnose and plan effective intervention for those experiencing reading, spelling, writing, or arithmetic difficulties.
This lesson explores the structure and application of the AFS-Test, explaining how it evaluates the key areas associated with dyslexia and dyscalculia. By understanding the test’s methodology and its critical role in developing individualized training plans, educators and specialists can better support learners who require specialized instruction. The lessons concludes with how to write an educational report to summarize your findings for parents, teachers, and other professionals.
The standardized Attention-Function-Symptom-Test (AFS-Test) is used worldwide by countless educators in their work with people affected by reading, spelling, writing, or arithmetic problems. The test enables parents, teachers, and interested parties to gain better insight into the entire issue, diagnose a dyslexia/dyscalculia definitely, and is also an invaluable tool for training planning. Based on the test results, detailed individual training plans can be created that are tailored to the affected person’s problems.
What you will learn in Lesson 7
The three areas of the AFS-Test: attention, function, symptoms
How the standardized test is conducted and evaluated
From test results to an individualized training plan
Writing an educational report for parents, teachers, and professionals
About the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program
Since 1997, more than 17,000 dyslexia trainers in 64 countries have been certified. The certification gives you more than knowledge: all the tools you need to actually work with dyslexic children are included as well. Worksheets, training programs, assessment materials, everything ready to use in your practice. You get the whole package.
The program is accredited by the American Dyslexia Association (ADA) and follows the training standards of the International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations (IFDDA).
Catch up and start free
Lesson 1 is free for everyone. Register in a minute and see the program from the inside: dyslexiacertificate.com
You can find all published lessons of this series under the tag Lesson Series.
Some writers spend a career imagining danger. Don Bentley spent a decade flying into it.
Before he became a New York Times bestselling novelist, Bentley flew Apache helicopters for the U.S. Army and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Air Medal with “V” device for valor in Afghanistan. He went on to serve as an FBI special agent working foreign intelligence and counterintelligence, and as a member of a SWAT team. Today he writes the Matt Drake thrillers and four Tom Clancy Jack Ryan, Jr. novels, and he now writes in the Mitch Rapp universe created by the late Vince Flynn.
We wrote to him with a small request. We asked whether he would say a few words to children who find reading hard, and to the families sitting at the kitchen table with them. He answered within the week.
Dyslexia is an obstacle, but it doesn’t have to be a limitation. My favorite author, Vince Flynn, was dyslexic and his thirteen novels reflect the creative, out of the box thinking common among dyslexics. Writing was a struggle for Vince, but his perseverance birthed one of commercial fiction’s most iconic protagonists, Mitch Rapp, and delighted millions of readers. Don’t give up—the world needs what’s waiting inside of you too!
Don Bentley
Why Vince Flynn
There is a reason Flynn came to mind. He was open about his dyslexia, and the start of his career was anything but a straight line. He collected rejection letter after rejection letter and finally published his first novel himself, in 1997. Readers found it anyway. The character he created went on to fill shelves in airports and libraries all over the world, and the series is still running today, written by the author who sent us these words.
That is the part we want children to hear. Not that dyslexia is easy, and not that it goes away. It is that the way a dyslexic mind works, arriving sideways at an answer other people walk straight past, is the same quality that made those books worth reading in the first place.
If your child has decided that books are for other people, this is worth reading out loud to them.
Double Tap, out September 22
Bentley’s next novel, Double Tap, arrives on September 22, 2026 from Atria/Emily Bestler Books. It continues Vince Flynn’s American Assassin storyline and sends a young Mitch Rapp on his first deep cover mission. A Pakistani chemical weapons scientist has been snatched off the streets of Verona, and Rapp has to get inside the cell that took him before anyone can put that expertise to use.
It is his third novel in the Mitch Rapp series, after Capture or Kill and Denied Access.
More from Don Bentley: the Mitch Rapp novels Capture or Kill and Denied Access, and the Matt Drake thrillers Without Sanction and Forgotten War.
Our thanks to Don Bentley for taking the time. You can find all of his books at donbentleybooks.com.
The American Dyslexia Association is a nonprofit organization in Osprey, Florida, supporting children, families, educators, and adults affected by dyslexia and other reading and writing differences.
The International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations welcomes a new member: The Dyscalculia Network CIC, based in England.
Dyscalculia is in the name of our federation, but around the world it is still the quieter half. Dyslexia has associations, awareness weeks, and specialist teachers in most countries. Dyscalculia rarely does. That is why this membership matters to us more than most.
Who they are
The Dyscalculia Network was founded in 2019 by two math teachers and learning difficulty specialists, Cat Eadle and Rob Jennings. It is a not-for-profit community interest company, run by volunteers, that supports and advocates for children and adults with dyscalculia and math learning difficulties. Its patron is Baroness Deborah Bull.
In their own words:
The Dyscalculia Network is a volunteer-led not for profit community interest company that supports, educates, and advocates for individuals with dyscalculia and maths learning difficulties. It bridges the gap between research and practice by hosting the only exclusively dyscalculia UK-based postcode finder for assessors and tutors; providing educational support, practical tips, toolkits, and resources for parents, students, and educators; advocating for dyscalculic adults by promoting workplace accessibility, inclusive recruitment, and reasonable adjustments; and leading campaigns to raise awareness of dyscalculia and offering training for schools, workplaces, and community services.
What sets the Network apart is how much of its work is aimed at adults. Most dyscalculia support ends with school. The Dyscalculia Network runs an Adults with Dyscalculia Advisory Board made up of people who live with dyscalculia themselves, and their experience shapes what the organization does. Alongside that, the Network:
runs the UK’s only dedicated directory of dyscalculia specialist assessors and tutors,
provides training for schools, workplaces, and community organizations on how to accommodate people with dyscalculia and math learning difficulties,
campaigns for better provision for children and adults with dyscalculia,
and set up two annual awareness days that are now fixed points in the calendar: Dyscalculia Day on March 3 and Maths Anxiety Awareness Day on November 10.
Why it matters for IFDDA
Our members exchange knowledge, methods, and experience across borders. With The Dyscalculia Network, the federation gains a partner with deep practical expertise in math learning difficulties and a working model for adult support that other members can learn from. We are looking forward to sharing their awareness days with our international audience and to bringing dyscalculia the attention it deserves.
Every Wednesday, we take you inside the AFS-Test, the standardized assessment that allows Certified Dyslexia Trainers to definitively diagnose and categorize dyslexia and dyscalculia. This is week 3 of 25.
This week: The Three Levels of Diagnostics
When a child struggles in school, parents often travel a confusing road between teachers, psychologists, and doctors. Diagnostics happen on three levels: the medical, the psychological, and the pedagogical-didactic level. Each answers different questions, and none can replace the others. The pedagogical-didactic level, where the AFS-Test works, is so often the missing piece: it looks at how a child actually reads, writes, and calculates, and what kind of targeted training will help. Only when this level is included does a diagnosis lead directly to support.
About the AFS-Test
The standardized Attention-Function-Symptom Test has been used worldwide for more than 25 years. It examines the attention span, the sensory perceptions, and the error symptoms of a child, and turns the results into an individualized training plan following the AFS-Method.
Find a Certified Trainer
Certified Dyslexia Trainers conduct the standardized AFS-Test in your area or remotely. Learn more and find a Certified Trainer near you: dyslexiatest.com
You can find all published articles of this series under the tag AFS-Test Series.
Every Tuesday, we open up one lesson of the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program here on the blog, all 48 of them, one week at a time. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or an education professional, this series shows you exactly what certified dyslexia trainers learn, and how the program works from the inside.
This week: From Errors to Insights. Understanding Symptom Patterns through Error Analysis
Every error a child makes in reading or writing is a window into how their brain processes language. This lesson walks through the full process of error analysis: cataloging errors, recognizing patterns, and distinguishing structural, phonological, and orthographic error types. Trainers learn to link these patterns to visual, auditory, or memory-related challenges, and to turn everyday mistakes into a precise map for targeted support.
What this lesson is about
Every error a child makes in reading or writing is more than a “mistake”, it is a window into how the brain is processing language. By examining these errors closely, trainers can identify which areas of perception and processing require targeted support.
This lesson walks through the full process: from cataloging errors in the symptom area to analyzing patterns. Trainers will learn to distinguish between structural, phonological, and orthographic errors, and to recognize when these are linked to visual, auditory, or memory-related challenges.
Most importantly, error analysis is not about labeling a child as “weak” or “failing,” but about uncovering the reasons behind their struggles. This understanding can then be transformed into a training plan that restores confidence and builds essential literacy skills.
What you will learn in Lesson 6
How to catalog reading and writing errors systematically
Structural, phonological, and orthographic error types
Linking error patterns to visual, auditory, and memory challenges
Turning everyday mistakes into a targeted support plan
About the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program
Since 1997, more than 17,000 dyslexia trainers in 64 countries have been certified. The certification gives you more than knowledge: all the tools you need to actually work with dyslexic children are included as well. Worksheets, training programs, assessment materials, everything ready to use in your practice. You get the whole package.
The program is accredited by the American Dyslexia Association (ADA) and follows the training standards of the International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations (IFDDA).
Catch up and start free
Lesson 1 is free for everyone. Register in a minute and see the program from the inside: dyslexiacertificate.com
You can find all published lessons of this series under the tag Lesson Series.
Every Wednesday, we take you inside the AFS-Test, the standardized assessment that allows Certified Dyslexia Trainers to definitively diagnose and categorize dyslexia and dyscalculia. This is week 2 of 25.
This week: 3 Children in Every Classroom
It is estimated that about 15 percent of the world’s population is affected by dyslexia or dyscalculia. In a class of 20 students, that can mean 3 children who struggle with reading, spelling, or arithmetic even though they are intelligent and motivated. If dyslexia or dyscalculia already runs in the family, the probability of inheriting it is between 60 and 70 percent. These children do not need more pressure or more of the same homework. They need clarity first: a standardized assessment that shows exactly how they perceive and process information.
About the AFS-Test
The standardized Attention-Function-Symptom Test has been used worldwide for more than 25 years. It examines the attention span, the sensory perceptions, and the error symptoms of a child, and turns the results into an individualized training plan following the AFS-Method.
Find a Certified Trainer
Certified Dyslexia Trainers conduct the standardized AFS-Test in your area or remotely. Learn more and find a Certified Trainer near you: dyslexiatest.com
You can find all published articles of this series under the tag AFS-Test Series.
Every Tuesday, we open up one lesson of the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program here on the blog, all 48 of them, one week at a time. Whether you are a teacher, a parent, or an education professional, this series shows you exactly what certified dyslexia trainers learn, and how the program works from the inside.
This week: Beyond Screenings and Assessments: Why Only Comprehensive Testing Reveals Dyslexia
A child can score average on an achievement test and still struggle every single day. This lesson explains why screenings, reading tests, IQ tests, and phonological assessments alone cannot diagnose dyslexia, and what comprehensive testing has to cover instead. Trainers learn to see what standard instruments miss, and why an incomplete assessment so often leads to the wrong kind of help.
What this lesson is about
Accurate identification is the foundation of effective dyslexia support, but not all assessments serve the same purpose. Screenings are valuable for highlighting children who may be at risk, but they do not provide a diagnosis and cannot guide an intervention plan.
Similarly, standardized reading and spelling tests, intelligence tests, and phonological assessments are often misused in dyslexia evaluation. These tools were never designed to diagnose dyslexia, and when applied in this way they frequently produce misleading or incomplete results. A child may test “average” on an achievement test while still struggling daily, or may score poorly on an IQ test and be misclassified as having low intelligence rather than dyslexia.
As trainers, it is crucial to understand both the possibilities and the limits of these tools. Recognizing their shortcomings not only prevents misdiagnosis but also ensures that no child is denied the support they need. This lesson introduces the most common screenings and assessments you will encounter in practice, while emphasizing the need for comprehensive evaluation methods that truly reflect the unique profile of dyslexic learners.
What you will learn in Lesson 5
What screenings can do, and where they stop
Why achievement and IQ tests are misused in dyslexia evaluation
What comprehensive testing has to cover
How incomplete assessment leads to the wrong help
About the Dyslexia Trainer Certification Program
Since 1997, more than 17,000 dyslexia trainers in 64 countries have been certified. The certification gives you more than knowledge: all the tools you need to actually work with dyslexic children are included as well. Worksheets, training programs, assessment materials, everything ready to use in your practice. You get the whole package.
The program is accredited by the American Dyslexia Association (ADA) and follows the training standards of the International Federation of Dyslexia and Dyscalculia Associations (IFDDA).
Catch up and start free
Lesson 1 is free for everyone. Register in a minute and see the program from the inside: dyslexiacertificate.com
You can find all published lessons of this series under the tag Lesson Series.
Every Wednesday, we take you inside the AFS-Test, the standardized assessment that allows Certified Dyslexia Trainers to definitively diagnose and categorize dyslexia and dyscalculia. This is week 1 of 25.
This week: What Is the AFS-Test?
Do you suspect dyslexia or dyscalculia? The AFS-Test (Attention-Function-Symptom Test) is a standardized, comprehensive pedagogical assessment that has been used worldwide for more than 25 years. It allows Certified Dyslexia Trainers to definitively diagnose and categorize dyslexia and dyscalculia by looking at the three areas where they show: the attention span, the sensory perceptions, and the symptoms (errors) a child makes when reading, spelling, or calculating.
Over the next 25 weeks, we will walk you through every part of the test: the attention test, all eight sensory perception areas, the symptom tests for reading, spelling, and arithmetic, and everything that happens after testing, from the detailed evaluation to the educational report and the individualized training plan.
About the AFS-Test
The standardized Attention-Function-Symptom Test has been used worldwide for more than 25 years. It examines the attention span, the sensory perceptions, and the error symptoms of a child, and turns the results into an individualized training plan following the AFS-Method.
Find a Certified Trainer
Certified Dyslexia Trainers conduct the standardized AFS-Test in your area or remotely. Learn more and find a Certified Trainer near you: dyslexiatest.com
You can find all published articles of this series under the tag AFS-Test Series.
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