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You know your child better than anyone. If school paperwork leaves you more confused than when you opened it, trust your instincts. You are not overreacting.
This library is small. It holds three educational guides: one on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), one on Section 504 plans, and one on how school intervention, Section 504, and special education fit together. Read them when you want the terms explained in plain language, and a way to prepare questions. They are not a service, and they are not a diagnosis.
If you need a thinking partner for your child’s meeting, that work is special education consultation. Formal testing lives on Evaluations.
You do not have to become an expert in education law. You need real answers, and a next step you can actually take.
Who this is for
Why you might be here
Most people who arrive here are parents of school-age children. Often it is the mother who has been carrying the emails, the meetings, and the file.
You might be here because:
- A meeting notice arrived and the document does not read like English.
- You keep hearing “IEP” and “504” and you are not sure which is which.
- You want to prepare questions without turning the room into a fight.
- You are not ready to book a service, and you want a calm place to start.
This hub orients you. It does not diagnose your child. It does not decide school eligibility. It does not promise a particular plan. Crescent stays independent of districts. These guides do not take a side with or against a school.
The guides
What this library holds
These are the guides Crescent publishes. This is the complete list.
IEP Parent Guide
An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a written school plan for a student who qualifies for special education. This guide is educational and parent-facing. It glosses the terms, helps you read the document in front of you, and offers a neutral way to ask questions. It is not advocacy. It is not legal advice. It is not an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE).
IEP Parent GuideSection 504 Plans
A 504 plan, named for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, is a school plan for accommodations when a disability affects a student’s access to learning. It is not the same document as an IEP. This guide explains that difference in plain language and helps you prepare for a 504 conversation. It is not advocacy. It is not legal advice. It is not an IEE.
Section 504 PlansGetting the Help Your Child Needs
A parent-friendly guide to how school intervention, Section 504, and special education actually work in California. It covers tiered intervention, Child Find, evaluations, IEP meetings, and independent educational evaluations, and it includes three written request letters you can adapt and send. It is not advocacy. It is not legal advice.
Getting the Help Your Child NeedsAnxiety in School‑Age Children
Refusal, perfectionism, and the ways worry hides in a bright kid’s day.
Anxiety in School‑Age ChildrenDyslexia & Reading Differences
Assessment grounded in the science of reading, from someone who has read the research.
Dyslexia & Reading DifferencesADHD Across the Family
Because ADHD rarely shows up in only one person. Support that sees the whole system.
ADHD Across the FamilySelective Mutism
Steady, evidence‑based work with children whose voices go quiet outside the home.
Selective MutismNeurodiversity‑Affirming Care
Assessment that respects who your child is, not what a checklist says they should be.
Neurodiversity‑Affirming CareWhen you need help with your child’s meeting
A guide cannot sit with you on your child’s file. If the question is “help me with my child’s IEP or 504 meeting,” that is special education consultation: a focused conversation, not a new testing battery, and not a courtroom. We help you understand what the school is proposing. We do not provide advocacy.
Formal evaluations (not listed as a resource here)
If you need new independent testing, including an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE), that work belongs on Evaluations. These guides do not replace an evaluation.
How to use them
How to use these guides
Read the guide that matches the document you actually have. You can read both. Many families compare the two once, then stay with the plan in front of them.
Keep worksheets and notes with your own records. Do not send an IEP, a 504, a school report, or other sensitive details through a public form.
Districts use their own forms. These pages stay district-neutral on purpose. Let the document you have set the labels. Ask the school team to explain its own wording.
Nothing here decides whether your child qualifies for an IEP, a 504, both, or neither.
Choose a path
Choosing the right path
This is orientation, not a quiz, and not a diagnosis.
- You want to understand what an IEP is, and how to read one → IEP Parent Guide
- You want to understand a 504 plan, and how it differs from an IEP → Section 504 Plans
- You need help with your child’s meeting, draft, or existing report → Special education consultation
- You need testing or an IEE → Evaluations
- You are matching a concern by name → What We Assess/Treat
- You want a plan for home rather than school-plan reading → Parent coaching
- You are not sure yet → Tell us what’s happening
If something still feels off after months of trying to explain it, trust your instincts. You are not overreacting.
Start with a conversation
Restore your peace.
You do not have to carry this by yourself. Tell us what's happening, and let's figure it out together.
Marcia Lynn Miller, LEP #3015 · Independent practice
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