Talamo reports give you two kinds of measure, and they answer different questions:
Level of Need answers "how much support does this student need?"
Risk levels answer "do the results look like a specific difficulty, such as dyslexia?"
The two aren't always related. A student can need plenty of support without showing signs of dyslexia, and a student with likely dyslexia can be coping well. That's why we report them separately.
Level of need
Every screened student gets a Level of Need, drawn from their performance across everything they've completed. It's our best answer to the practical question: how much help, and how urgently?
Low: no meaningful pattern of difficulty. Ordinary classroom teaching is enough.
Medium: a specific or limited area of need. Worth targeted support in that area.
High: clear needs in more than one area. Plan structured support, likely small-group or individual.
Very high: widespread, significant needs. Prioritise this student for intensive support and consider specialist involvement.
Inconclusive: we couldn't score the results reliably. See below.
Two things worth knowing. Level of Need is calculated independently of the risk levels, so it never assumes a condition. And completing another test can raise a student's level, but never lower it: new information can reveal need, but it doesn't erase what's already been seen.
Dyslexia risk
From the Cognitive & Dyslexia test. We report a level of risk rather than a yes or no, because dyslexia is a spectrum and screening can't draw a hard line.
Unlikely: the results show few of the signs associated with dyslexia. No further dyslexia evaluation is suggested.
Possible: some signs are present. A specialist check is optional; consider re-screening in a year or two.
Likely: several signs associated with dyslexia.
Very likely: a strong pattern of signs. You or a parent may wish to get a specialist assessment, which can confirm a diagnosis and unlock formal support.
Signs of dyscalculia
From the Maths & Dyscalculia test.
Signs of dyscalculia: the results show the pattern of difficulties associated with dyscalculia, and further investigation is worth considering.
No signs: the results don't show that pattern.
Executive function challenges
From the Executive Function test.
Challenges identified: the student found several executive function skills significantly harder than most students their age.
No challenges identified: their skills are within the typical range.
One thing this never means: ADHD. Talamo doesn't screen for or diagnose ADHD, and no Talamo report will ever attach that label to a student. We report on the skills themselves.
When results come back Inconclusive
Any of these measures can come back Inconclusive. It means something about the results stopped us giving a reliable answer, often because a student rushed, clicked randomly, or didn't finish properly. It is not a low score. When it happens, you'll automatically be given the option to reset those activities, so the student can have another go at just those rather than redoing the whole test. If something still looks wrong, email us and we'll investigate.
A reminder about screening
Talamo is a screener, not a diagnostic tool. Risk levels tell you whose results deserve a closer look; only a specialist assessment can confirm a diagnosis. If a result doesn't match what you see day to day, that's worth knowing too.
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