If you've been told you need an education needs assessment, here's the main thing to know: it isn't a test, and there are no right or wrong answers. It's a relaxed, one-to-one conversation with a qualified assessor, usually around one and a half to two hours, face-to-face or online, where you talk through what's been difficult and what might help. You don't need to arrive with ready answers, the assessor will guide you through it, and it's completely normal not to know exactly what you need yet.

​However your assessment is being funded, whether through the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA), a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) research council if you're a postgraduate researcher, your university if you're on a degree apprenticeship, if you're an international student and not eligible for DSA, or privately, AACL can carry out your assessment. You don't need to work out the funding route yourself, just get in touch and we'll help you figure out where you stand.

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You might be managing one thing, or several at once, dyslexia alongside anxiety, hearing loss and ADHD together, or being deafblind. Whatever your situation, one AACL assessor looks at the whole picture in a single conversation, rather than sending you to see several specialists separately.

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At the end, you'll get a clear, written report setting out the support that would genuinely help, specialist software, equipment, extra time, or whatever fits your situation, so you have something concrete to take to your university or funding body, rather than having to explain yourself from scratch every time."