Your DSAs needs assessment

You may have been asked to go for a Needs Assessment as part of the process of applying for Disabled Students' Allowances.

The needs assessor will help you identify strategies you can use to enable you to participate in all aspects of mainstream higher education. The strategies will help mitigate the adverse effects your disability or learning difficulty may have. These strategies often include assistive technology and specialist human support.

How to get a Needs Assessment

Also known as "Study Aids and Study Strategies Assessment".

Needs Assessments are mainly required by the funder as part of your application process for Disabled Students' Allowances to Student Finance England or equivalent bodies. The funder pays for the Needs Assessment.

Firstly, you will need a formal written diagnosis of your Specific Learning Difficulty (such as dyslexia), disability, or chronic medical condition (such as a RSI or depression). This must be obtained from a medical or health professional (such as a GP, Educational Psychologist, or Specialist Tutor).
You can then apply to the funding body for Disabled Students' Allowances (DSAs) if you are a UK student.
If the funding body determines that you are eligible for DSAs, they will then write to you and request that you go for a 'Needs Assessment / Study Aids and Study Strategies Assessment'.
At this point you should contact an assessment centre directly to book your assessment.
Following your appointment, the assessment centre will send both you and the funding body your Needs Assessment report.