UK Enterprise Awards 2026/ 82 Leading Independent Dyslexia & SpLD Assessment Service 2026 Dyslexia Bedford supports children, young people, and adults to better understand how they learn, and to see a diagnosis as something empowering rather than limiting. With a goal of helping individuals recognise their strengths and equipping them with practical strategies that make a meaningful difference in their learning, work, and daily life, we learn more from Louise Cunningham following a win in the UK Enterprise Awards 2026. Owned and operated by Louise Cunningham, Dyslexia Bedford provides dyslexia and dyscalculia assessments, ADHD screening through QbCheck, broader SpLD assessments, support for EHCP applications and, more recently, workplace needs assessments too. With core values centred around compassion, trust and understanding, Louise’s guiding belief has always been empowering minds and changing lives by helping people understand how they learn, giving them practical next steps, and helping them find confidence in their abilities. The majority of Louise’s clients are parents seeking answers for their child, although she also works with adults, schools and increasingly people seeking support in the workplace. Families often come after a long period of worry or feeling their concerns have not been heard, so creating a space where they feel supported matters enormously. “For me, an assessment is never just about producing a report,” Louise tells us. “It is about helping someone understand their strengths as well as their challenges, and giving them practical recommendations they can use. One of the loveliest parts of the job is seeing children leave an assessment looking visibly more confident than when they arrived.” For many families and adults, an assessment provides answers they may have been seeking for years, often bringing a sense of relief, validation and renewed confidence. As a dyslexic professional, Louise brings a unique combination of lived experience and specialist expertise to every assessment. With more than 25 years' worth of experience in education and SEND, she is ideally positioned to lead within the industry. Louise believes her own experience of dyslexia helps her build trust quickly with clients, many of whom feel reassured knowing they are working with someone who genuinely understands both the challenges and the strengths associated with neurodivergence. Over the last decade, awareness of neurodiversity has increased significantly, which is positive, however, Louise feels there are still important gaps. Dyscalculia remains very under-recognised and Louise feels strongly about this. She is also experiencing more recognition of overlapping needs such as developmental language disorder and attention differences, although these can still be missed. “Unmet needs do not just disappear,” Louise continues. “They often show up later as anxiety, disengagement or reduced confidence. That is why good assessment and meaningful recommendations matter so much.” In the UK especially, long waiting lists and funding pressures continue to affect families, and schools are often doing their best within stretched systems. For Louise, continual professional development is essential in order to stay ahead of the curve in such a rapidly evolving sector. She does this by undertaking regular CPD sessions and holding an Assessment Practising Certificate, which means her assessments can support DSA applications as well as wider recommendations. “I think staying current is about more than qualifications,” elaborates Louise. “My background means I tend not to focus on one area of difficulty in isolation, but to consider the whole person, that is especially important where difficulties overlap. “One thing that makes my work a little different is that assessments are highly individualised. I adapt to the person in front of me rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. People often come for an assessment, but what I hope they leave with is clarity, practical support and reassurance.” Recently, for its dedication and commitment to helping individuals understand how they learn and thrive, Dyslexia Bedford gained recognition in the UK Enterprise Awards and received the title of Leading Independent Dyslexia & SpLD Assessment Service 2026. Now, Louise plans to develop stronger links with universities and support more young adults as they move into higher education, an important transition point. She is also excited about expanding workplace needs assessments and supporting neurodiversity inclusion beyond education. “I care deeply about advocacy,” Louise enthuses. “Each day I want the people I work with to leave feeling understood and more hopeful. A good assessment should not stop at identifying needs. It should help open doors.” Contact: Louise Cunningham Company: Dyslexia Bedford Web Address: www.dyslexiabedford.co.uk
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