Lucid Assessment System for Schools
Identifying dyslexia and other
learning problems using LASS
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Lucid Assessment System for Schools
Outline of presentation
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What is LASS?
What is dyslexia?
Indicators of dyslexia
Components and features of LASS
Uses of LASS for screening and assessment
Types of results provided by LASS
Conclusions
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Lucid Assessment System for Schools
What is LASS?
• LASS stands for ‘Lucid Assessment System for Schools’
• LASS is an objective, multifunctional system for assessing children aged 8
years 0 months to 15 years 11 months
• It comprises 8 tests: four assessing core cognitive skills, and four assessing
key aspects of literacy attainment
• The tests are delivered by a computer in the form of games which pupils
enjoy
• LASS has two versions: LASS Junior (age 8:0 – 11:11) and LASS Secondary
(age 11:0 – 15:11)
• Results are based on national standardised norms
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How does LASS work?
• LASS is easy to administer. The computer does the assessment and
calculates the results.
• For older children the tests can be self-administered, and group
administration using a network is available.
• The tests are adaptive so assessment time is minimised.
• Results are shown as a graphical profile with standardised norms.
• The profile enables the teacher to measure the pupil’s basic literacy skills
and reasoning ability, and to identify cognitive strengths and limitations
that can underpin any difficulties being experienced.
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Lucid Assessment System for Schools
What is dyslexia? #1
“Dyslexia is a complex neurological condition
which is constitutional in origin. The
symptoms may affect many areas of learning
and function, and may be described as a
specific difficulty in reading, spelling and
written language.”
[British Dyslexia Association, 1995]
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What is dyslexia? #2
“Dyslexia is a specific language-based disorder of constitutional
origin characterised by difficulties in single-word decoding,
usually reflecting insufficient phonological processing abilities.
These difficulties in single-word decoding are often
unexpected in relation to age and other cognitive and
academic abilities.”
[International Dyslexia Association, 1994]
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What is dyslexia? #3
“Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that primarily affects the skills
involved in accurate and fluent word reading and spelling.
Characteristic features of dyslexia are difficulties in
phonological awareness, verbal memory and verbal
processing speed.”
[Rose Report on Dyslexia, 2009]
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Lucid Assessment System for Schools
Characteristics of dyslexia
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Genetically inherited developmental condition
Neurologically based impairment of cognitive functioning
Affects 5-10% of the general population
Impacts on learning to read and write and other aspects of
education (e.g. maths)
Varies in severity
Independent of intelligence and social class
Boys outnumber girls about 4:1
Comorbidity with related developmental disorders
Responds to teaching but cannot be ‘cured’
Positive strengths, e.g. in visual thinking
Problems of self-esteem
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Brain scans while reading #1
[Eden, 2004]
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Brain scans while reading #2
Good readers
Dyslexic readers
[Shaywitz, 2002]
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Compensated
dyslexic readers
Lucid Assessment System for Schools
Why should teachers try to identify
dyslexia?
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Legislation on dyslexia, disabilities and SEN
Dyslexic children often ‘slip through the SEN net’
Deleterious effects of waiting for children to fail
Potential litigation
Shortage (and expense) of Educational Psychologists
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Main factors to look for
• Unusual pattern of skills
• Significant discrepancy between intelligence
and literacy attainment
• Difficulties with memory
• Language difficulties
• Family history of similar problems
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Key early years indicators of dyslexia
• Speech and language difficulties
• Little or no interest in books or writing
• Auditory discrimination problems
• Poor phonological awareness (e.g. poor
rhyming skills)
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Key primary-age indicators of dyslexia
• Puzzling underachievement in some or all
aspects of literacy
• Difficulty in acquiring phonics
• Reluctant reader or writer
• Characteristic spelling errors
• Poor short-term memory
• General disorganisation
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Key secondary-age indicators of
dyslexia
• Unexplained discrepancy between ability
and school achievement
• Difficulties when reading new or unfamiliar
words
• Poor spelling, with characteristic errors
• Slow writing with word omissions,
confusions of ‘little words’, etc.
• Unexpected poor recall in exams
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Main effects of dyslexia on learning
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early speech problems
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poor phonological awareness
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difficulty with acquiring phonic skills
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slow and inaccurate reading
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poor spelling
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disorganised writing
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memory difficulties
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Advantages of computer-based
assessment
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Standardised presentation
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Improved accuracy of measurement
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Time saving — speedier administration,
especially with adaptive tests
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Labour (and cost) saving
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Enjoyable for pupils
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Results available instantly
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Lucid Assessment System for Schools
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Lucid Assessment System for Schools
The tests in LASS
DIAGNOSTIC TESTS
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‘Cave’
(Visual memory)
‘Mobile’
(Auditory memory)
Nonwords
(phonic skills)
Syllables
(phonological processing)
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ATTAINMENT/
ABILITY TESTS
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Word reading
Sentence reading
Spelling
Reasoning
Lucid Assessment System for Schools
Features of LASS
• The tests are adaptive and start at a fairly easy level and
get progressively more difficult.
• Most pupils require minimal supervision while doing the
tests.
• Most pupils enjoy the tests.
• The cartoons that accompany each test are designed to
enhance engagement of disaffected or poorly motivated
pupils but can be switched off if desired.
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Cave
• Test of visual
memory
• Pupil has to
remember visual
items and their
locations
• Time limit for each
item
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Mobile
• Test of auditory
memory.
• Pupil has to
remember
telephone numbers.
• Starts with two
digits in sequence
and goes up to nine
digits.
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Non-words
• Test of phonic skills
• Pupil has to choose
best spoken version
of various nonwords out of four
alternatives
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Segments
• Test of phonological
processing
• Pupil has to
determine what is
left when a sound or
syllable is removed
from a word
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Single word reading
• Test of word
recognition
• Pupil hears the word
spoken and has to
select from five
visual alternatives
• All the alternatives
are real words (i.e
this is not a test of
spelling)
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Sentence Reading
• Test of reading
comprehension
• Pupil has to identify
a missing word from
a sentence
• No speech is
involved in this test
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Reasoning
• Test of nonverbal
intelligence
• Pupil has to
identify which
picture is missing
from the grid and
select from six
alternatives
• Time limit of 30
seconds per item
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Test administration tips
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Test in a quiet place where there are minimal
distractions (use headphones where noise is likely
to be a problem)
Prepare the pupil (especially if unconfident) for
the tests by explaining what is going to happen
Allow a rest between tests if required
Do not give specific feedback but give general
encouragement where necessary
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Dyspraxic or poorly coordinated pupils
• The important data is on accuracy so time
taken to compete the tests is generally not
important
• Time is only a factor in the Reasoning and
Cave tests
• In severe cases the teacher can use the mouse
and respond according to the child’s
instructions
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Attention and distraction
• LASS is designed to maintain pupils’ attention and
concentration, but obvious distractions should be avoided
• The cartoons are provided as additional reinforcement for
reaching the end of the test (but use of these is optional)
• Even a seriously disaffected pupils usually maintain good
attention and motivation when doing LASS
• In extreme cases greater supervision may be required to
ensure the pupil stays ‘on task’
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Lucid Assessment System for Schools
Using LASS for screening
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When screening all pupils it may not be necessary to
administer all the tests
One strategy is to administer just the Sentence Reading,
Spelling and Reasoning tests initially
If there is discrepancy (i.e. Sentence Reading and/or,
Spelling are significantly lower than the Reasoning score)
then the pupil is underperforming in literacy and further
investigation will be necessary to uncover the cause of this
Group testing can be done using the network version
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Lucid Assessment System for Schools
Using LASS for assessment
• If pupils are suspected of having problems with learning or
screening has revealed a problem, LASS can be used as an
assessment
• This should help in the identification of the likely causes
of the problem and formulation of appropriate solutions
• All eight tests will need to be administered
• Other information about the pupil should be taken into
consideration
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Lucid Assessment System for Schools
General uses of LASS
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Assess reading and spelling skills
Spot weaknesses in memory and phonological skills
Estimate intelligence
Measure discrepancies between expected and achieved levels
of attainment in literacy
Identify dyslexia and related learning difficulties
Monitor progress in reading and spelling
Evaluate developments in cognitive skills (e.g. in response to
training)
Remember that LASS results are just part of the overall
information the teacher should use to identify SEN
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LASS results pages
• The main LASS
results are in the
form of a
graphical profile
• Scores are shown
in centiles or z
scores (≡
standard scores)
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Data pages
• For each test full
results for every
item can be
accessed
• All results can be
printed out or
archived for future
reference
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Summary table
• A summary table
shows the main
results in
numerical
format
• Statistical
discrepancies are
also calculated.
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Conclusions
• LASS provides a speedy, convenient, pupil-friendly way of
assessing core learning skills and attainments
• LASS results are teacher-friendly and can be used to help
identify learning problems, barriers to learning and SEN
• LASS is a tool for teachers to use in the process of deciding
the best way for pupils to be educated — but other
information about the pupil should also be taken into
account
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