What We Assess/Treat
Dyslexia
You know your child better than anyone. If something feels off at school, trust your instincts.
Crescent helps families get real answers about reading, spelling, and learning differences, and what to do next.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. This site is not monitored and is not for emergencies.
Does this sound familiar?
Parents often notice the mismatch first.
Your child is hard-working and still struggles to get words off the page.
Spelling of the same word looks different from one day to the next.
Homework that should be short turns into a long night.
They have plenty to say, and they avoid reading aloud.
Teachers call them bright. The report card does not match the child you see at the table.
Someone has suggested they are not trying. You know that is not the story.
If some of this sounds like your child, you are in the right place. No single pattern settles whether your child has dyslexia. Wondering is a fair reason to reach out.
What this is
A learning difference.
Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects the development of accurate, fluent reading and spelling. It is not a measure of intelligence, and it is not the result of insufficient effort at home or at school.
Many children with dyslexia are bright, curious, and capable—and exhausted from working harder than others realize. They may understand complex ideas, express themselves beautifully, and still find that reading or spelling requires extraordinary effort.
A careful evaluation can help determine why your child is struggling, identify the strengths they can build upon, and clarify the instruction and support they need. The goal is not simply to name the difficulty, but to make learning more accessible and restore your child’s confidence.
How Crescent helps with dyslexia
Answers and strategy, not tutoring.
Crescent does not tutor and does not run classroom instruction. The work here is answers and strategy.
When the question is how your child learns
Psychoeducational assessment
Questions about dyslexia and other learning differences are part of that evaluation. They are not a separate testing URL.
See the assessment pageWhen the school’s picture does not match
Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE)
An IEE is an evaluation completed by someone who does not work for the school district. It can be the better door when the school’s picture of your child does not match the child you know.
See the IEE pageWhen the school side needs attention
Special education consultation
Help with an IEP or Section 504 plan, a reading report you cannot interpret, or a meeting that is coming up.
See special education consultation
How an evaluation actually runs is covered on the evaluation pages. Start here with the question, and go there when you are ready for the work.
Who you’ll work with
Who you’ll work with.
You’ll work directly with the person handling your child’s evaluation. Crescent is led by Marcia Miller, a Licensed Educational Psychologist with more than twenty years in special education. She has been on both sides of the table. That view stays with the work. It does not take a side against a school.
About Crescent
What to expect
You don’t need a diagnosis in hand.
You do not need a diagnosis in hand, and you do not need the perfect words.
- 1
Tell us what’s happening.
Use the contact form. “Reading has been a fight all year” is enough. Do not send records or sensitive details through a public form.
- 2
We sort the question with you.
The free consultation settles whether an evaluation, an IEE, or special education consultation is the useful next step. Fees are discussed then.
- 3
If an evaluation is the right path,
those details live on the assessment page. Crescent does not decide IEP or 504 eligibility. Those are school-process decisions.
Common questions
Questions parents ask.
Does noticing these things mean my child has dyslexia?
Not on its own. Trust what you are seeing. A diagnosis comes from a careful look at your child rather than from a list, and that is what an evaluation is for.
Does my child need a diagnosis before we talk?
No. Parents come with a worry, a stack of school papers, or a sense that effort and progress do not match. That is a reasonable place to start.
The school already tested, and the picture still does not fit.
You can ask about an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE). That path is for families who need an outside look when the school picture does not match the child they know.
Could this be ADHD, or anxiety, instead?
Reading trouble, attention questions, and school dread can show up together. They are different questions. If focus or follow-through is the louder concern, see ADHD. If school has become a source of dread, see Anxiety. Crescent can help you sort which question to ask first.
Will an evaluation get my child an IEP?
An evaluation can inform a school conversation. It cannot promise an IEP, a 504 plan, or any particular school outcome.
Signs by age
How dyslexia shows up at different ages
Early childhood
difficulty learning letter names and sounds
trouble recognizing rhyming patterns
delayed speech or difficulty pronouncing words
difficulty remembering sequences such as days, numbers, or songs
a family history of reading difficulty.
Elementary school age
slow, effortful, or inaccurate reading
difficulty sounding out unfamiliar words
poor spelling and inconsistent letter patterns
avoidance of reading tasks
strong listening comprehension compared to reading ability
fatigue or frustration during literacy tasks.
Adolescence
a persistently slow reading rate
difficulty with reading fluency and comprehension
avoidance of reading-heavy tasks
weak spelling and written expression
rising anxiety and reduced confidence
heavy reliance on memorization or compensation.
Over time
How dyslexia changes as your child grows
As academic demands increase, dyslexia becomes more visible. Young children may struggle quietly. Elementary students fall behind in fluency and spelling. Adolescents experience academic fatigue and anxiety. Without identification and intervention, dyslexia affects not only academics but emotional wellbeing and self-esteem.
Alongside
What dyslexia often occurs alongside
Dyslexia often occurs with ADHD, dysgraphia, a difficulty with writing, dyscalculia, a difficulty with math, and anxiety.
At school
How dyslexia affects school
Dyslexia affects reading accuracy, fluency, and comprehension, spelling and written expression, academic confidence and motivation, homework time and emotional regulation, and access to grade-level curriculum. Left unaddressed, it can turn into anxiety, avoidance, or behavioral concerns.
Myth and reality
Myth and reality
Myth
Dyslexia means seeing letters backwards.
Reality
Letter reversals can happen, but dyslexia is primarily a difficulty processing sounds and language.
Myth
Children with dyslexia are not smart.
Reality
Dyslexia occurs across all intelligence levels.
Myth
Good instruction will fix dyslexia.
Reality
Dyslexia needs explicit, structured literacy intervention.
Myth
Children outgrow dyslexia.
Reality
Dyslexia is lifelong, but with the right support children can do well academically.
Where we work
By appointment, serving California’s Central Valley and Central Coast.
In person in Fresno, Madera, Merced, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties. Virtual throughout California.
Reviewed by Marcia Miller, Licensed Educational Psychologist, Crescent Psychological Services.
Last reviewed August 28, 2026.
This page is general information. It is not a diagnosis, not a school-eligibility decision, and not a substitute for care from a licensed professional who knows your child.
988: If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911. This site is not monitored and is not for emergencies.
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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