Dyslexia
Does your child read slowly, keep making mistakes, and does reading require a lot of energy despite practicing? Then it may be dyslexia. Below you can read what it is, how a trajectory works, what assessments are involved, and what it costs.
What is dyslexia?
Dyslexia is a persistent disorder in reading and/or spelling, despite adequate instruction and normal intelligence. It is neurobiological in nature: the brain has more difficulty linking sounds and letters. Dyslexia has nothing to do with being «lazy» or «not smart» — with the right guidance, a child learns to cope with it well.
What does this mean in practice? For your child, it means that reading is slow and difficult, with many errors; that spelling remains difficult (even with practiced words); and that reading takes so much energy that little motivation and sometimes fear of failure remains.
Important distinction. We do not speak of dyslexia if the reading problems are explained by e.g. insufficient reading instruction, a hearing or vision problem, a general developmental delay or learning in another home language. The characteristic is persistence: the difficulties remain, even after extra practice.
Mogelijke signalen
Do you recognize any of these signs? That does not automatically mean there is a disorder — an intake interview helps us look at what is going on together.
- difficulty linking letters to sounds; remains reading by spelling
- slow, halting or guessing reading
- many spelling errors, even with familiar words
- difficulty automating sequences (days, multiplication tables, rhymes)
- reading takes a lot of energy → resistance and fear of failure
When is help useful?
- Typical request for help: «My child reads much slower than classmates and keeps making mistakes.»
- Who refers: often the school or the CLB, sometimes the GP or pediatrician.
- Age: first signs often in 1st grade; a formal diagnosis usually from 2nd grade onwards, when your child has already received sufficient reading instruction.
- When further testing? When difficulties remain persistent despite extra support at school. That «response to intervention» is an important criterion.
Step by step
- 1Registrationyou / parent
You contact the practice with your question.
- 2Prescription for the assessmentGP / specialist
A medical prescription for the speech therapy assessment.
- 3Intake & speech therapy assessmentspeech therapist + parent
Introduction, the request for help, and medical history. A targeted assessment is conducted using standardized tests.
- 4Any external examinationspsychologist / ENT specialist / ear doctor
E.g. an IQ test, hearing test if necessary.
- 5Analysis & conclusionspeech therapist
The results are combined to form a diagnostic picture. A report of the examination is drawn up.
- 6Prescription for therapyspecialist
Have a prescription for the treatment signed by a specialist. The application form is sent to the health insurance fund.
- 7Decision of the advising physicianhealth insurance fund
The health insurance fund approves the reimbursement.
- 8Tailored therapyspeech therapist + child + parent
Guidance for your child, together with you.
- 9Evaluation & extensionspeech therapist
Monitoring of progress, and continuation or completion.
What can a result mean?
Within the norm
The performance is within the expected range for the age. Based on this test, there is no indication of a disorder in this domain.
Weak score
Lower than expected for the age — a difficulty in this domain. A single weak score in itself is not sufficient for a diagnosis or reimbursement.
Criterion met
The score meets the RIZIV criterion value for this test. This supports the reimbursement application. The final decision rests with the advising physician.
Contradictory picture
The results are not unambiguous. We interpret them together with the anamnesis, observations, school information and, if necessary, additional examination.
The therapy
- Goals
- Reading & spelling more fluently and accurately, learning strategies and tools, and above all restoring reading pleasure and self-confidence.
- Frequency
- Usually 1 to 2 sessions per week, within the RIZIV framework.
- Session duration
- 30 minutes or 60 minutes
- Role of the school
- Reasonable accommodations (STICORDI) and coordination with the teacher.
- Evaluation
- Periodic; extension based on progress.
What are the costs?
Dyslexia can be reimbursed under certain conditions through RIZIV and your health insurance fund. In short, you will need:
You only pay the co-pay (±€2 with increased reimbursement). Your health insurance covers the major part.
The full fee, e.g. when the RIZIV conditions are not met.
- a valid medical prescription (assessment + treatment);
- a speech therapy report with reading scores below the criterion values from the RIZIV list;
- approval before the full 18th birthday;
- approval by the advising physician of your health insurance fund.
Specific conditions apply for reimbursement regarding, among other things, the diagnosis, testing, age, and required prescriptions. Together we check whether your child meets the current RIZIV requirements and inform you in advance about the expected cost. As contracted speech therapists, we follow the official RIZIV rates. If you qualify for reimbursement, you only pay the co-payment; otherwise, the full fee. You can find the exact, annually indexed amounts and full explanation under «How a trajectory works».
Indicative rates 2026 (30 min). You can find the exact, indexed amounts and the full explanation on the services page.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a prescription from the doctor?
You need two prescriptions: one for the examination and one for the therapy — we will explain step by step during the intake interview which documents you need.
How long does a session last and how often do we come?
An individual session lasts 30 minutes or 60 minutes. We will agree on the frequency (usually 1 to 2 times a week) together, tailored to you or your child.
Can the therapy take place at school or at home?
In consultation, therapy at school is sometimes possible; home-based guidance is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
What if my child does not (yet) have a diagnosis?
That is not necessary. During the introduction and any examination, we will look together at what is going on and what makes sense.
Ready for a first step?
Still unsure if this is right for your child? Schedule a non-binding appointment — together we will take a calm look at it.