SINGAPORE — To reduce the waiting time for an assessment, the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) will be recruiting and training more psychologists to meet increasing demand from parents, teachers and other professionals to diagnose dyslexia in children.

Currently, waiting time for an assessment is between six and eight weeks, with a longer wait closer to examination periods or when parents seek help for why their child is not performing in school.

In the last two years, the DAS assessed an average of 800 students annually, up from 300 assessments conducted in 2005, as awareness of dyslexia increased. This contributed to the waiting time, together with the “very comprehensive” psychological assessments, which take about three hours, with some returning on a second day for a concluding session, according to the social enterprise.

The DAS aims to cut waiting time for an assessment to four weeks by hiring five or six psychologists by the end of the year. It now has 11 specialist psychologists.

Dyslexia is a learning disability which affects a person’s reading, writing and spelling skills, but the condition does not affect intelligence. There is also a spectrum of severity ranging from mild to severe.

Last month, the DAS opened its 11th branch at Chinatown Point and launched a Chinese remediation programme following a successful pilot in January.

It is also looking at expanding its services for adult dyslexics aged between 18 and 30 years. Last year, it screened 20 adults, mostly those studying at the tertiary level. Adults pay S$800 for an assessment and do not qualify for financial assistance, unlike children, whose assessments start from S$214.

Next month, the United Kingdom’s Adult Dyslexia Organisation will be visiting the DAS. “We will want to develop links with such organisations to see how we can serve the needs of adult dyslexics in Singapore,” the DAS spokesperson said. The association is also developing a Student Alumni Group, besides the Parent Support Group it currently has. ASHLEY CHIA