Dyslexia and Learning Disability Evaluation
If your child is struggling with reading, writing, spelling, or math despite effort and good instruction, a targeted evaluation can identify what is getting in the way, explain why certain skills have been hard, and provide the documentation needed to put the right support in place.
Learning disabilities like dyslexia are not a reflection of intelligence or effort. They reflect differences in how the brain processes certain types of information, and they are identifiable, documentable, and treatable. At Clary Clinic, we see children and families who are ready for answers.
Who This Evaluation Is For
Children and adolescents who are struggling academically in ways that don't match their overall ability or the effort they are putting in. This includes children who:
Read slowly or inaccurately despite repeated instruction
Struggle to sound out unfamiliar words or spell reliably
Have strong verbal skills but significant difficulty with written language
Struggle with math concepts, calculation, or math fluency in ways that feel out of proportion
Have difficulty with written expression, including organizing ideas on paper
Have been told they are "not trying hard enough" when effort is not the problem
Received a school evaluation that was inconclusive or did not result in services
No referral is required. Families can contact us directly to schedule.
What the Evaluation Includes
Our targeted learning disability evaluation focuses on the cognitive and academic skills most relevant to the area of concern:
Cognitive testing: assessment of phonological processing, processing speed, working memory, and related skills that underlie reading, writing, and math development
Academic achievement testing: direct assessment of reading accuracy, fluency, decoding, spelling, written expression, and math skills as relevant to the referral question
Rating scales and background history: information from parents and, where available, teachers to capture how difficulties show up across settings
A comprehensive written report follows, including diagnostic impressions and specific recommendations for intervention, classroom accommodations, and school-based support.
Common Learning Disabilities We Evaluate
Dyslexia: difficulty with reading accuracy, decoding, and spelling rooted in phonological processing differences
Dysgraphia: difficulty with written expression, handwriting, and the mechanics of writing
Dyscalculia: difficulty with math reasoning, calculation, and number sense
Many children present with more than one area of difficulty, and co-occurring ADHD is common. The evaluation is designed to capture the full picture.
Why a Targeted Evaluation
A full neuropsychological evaluation is the right choice when the clinical picture is complex or when multiple diagnoses are being considered. A targeted learning disability evaluation has a more focused scope, making it more accessible in terms of both time and cost, and a faster path to answers when academic difficulty is the primary concern.
If the evaluation raises questions that point to a broader profile, Dr. Lee will let you know.
Connecting Results to School Support
A learning disability diagnosis from a licensed neuropsychologist can support requests for an IEP, a 504 plan, or specific academic interventions. If your child has already had a school evaluation and you disagree with the findings or feel the evaluation was incomplete, an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) may be a better fit. Click here for additional information on the IEE process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can't the school just test my child? Schools can conduct evaluations, but they are not required to diagnose dyslexia or other learning disabilities specifically, and school evaluations vary widely in depth and scope. An independent neuropsychological evaluation provides a more detailed picture of the cognitive factors underlying your child's academic difficulties, and the resulting report carries weight in IEP and 504 meetings.
My child's teacher says to wait and see. Should I? Early identification matters. The research is clear that interventions are most effective when they begin early. If you have concerns, an evaluation is a concrete next step.
What if my child has trouble in more than one area? That is common. The evaluation is designed to assess across reading, writing, and math, and the report will address each area of difficulty that emerges.
Will this get my child an IEP or 504 plan? A neuropsychological evaluation from Clary Clinic can support a school-based accommodation request, though schools make their own eligibility determinations. The report will include specific recommendations to guide that conversation.
How long does the evaluation take? Testing is typically completed in a single appointment. Reports are delivered within 4 weeks.
Ready to get answers for your child? Call us at 320-247-4068 to speak with our clinic director and find out if a targeted learning disability evaluation is the right fit.
Smart kid. Hard time reading. There's a reason.
Dyslexia isn't about intelligence; it's about how the brain processes language. An evaluation can identify exactly where the disconnect is and point you toward the right support.
Dyslexia and Learning Disabilities
When a child is bright, curious, and clearly capable, but struggling in ways that don't quite add up, a learning disability is often what's hiding behind the confusion. Learning disabilities are neurobiological in origin. They aren't caused by lack of effort, low intelligence, or poor teaching. They reflect genuine differences in how the brain processes specific kinds of information, and they respond well to the right intervention once they're properly identified.
The challenge is that "properly identified" matters enormously. A learning disability that's missed, mischaracterized, or attributed to something else, laziness, anxiety, or not trying hard enough, can shape a person's entire relationship with learning, work, and their own sense of capability. Getting an accurate evaluation is the first step toward changing that story.
The learning disabilities we evaluate
Learning disabilities aren't one thing. They're a family of distinct conditions, each with its own cognitive profile and its own implications for intervention. We evaluate for:
Dyslexia — the most common learning disability, affecting reading accuracy, fluency, and spelling. Dyslexia is rooted in phonological processing, the brain's ability to connect written symbols to the sounds they represent. It has nothing to do with intelligence, and it doesn't go away with maturity or effort alone. Early identification and targeted reading intervention make a significant difference.
Dysgraphia — a learning disability affecting written expression, which can involve difficulties with handwriting, spelling, organizing thoughts in writing, or some combination of all three. Because writing draws on multiple cognitive systems at once, motor planning, memory, language, and attention, the underlying pattern varies from person to person and benefits from careful evaluation.
Dyscalculia — a learning disability affecting mathematical understanding and computation. Often under-recognized compared to dyslexia, dyscalculia involves difficulty grasping numerical concepts, performing arithmetic, and understanding mathematical relationships. It frequently coexists with other learning disabilities and with ADHD.
Learning disabilities in children vs. adults
Most people think of learning disability evaluations as something for school-age children, and early identification is genuinely important. The sooner a learning disability is identified, the sooner the right supports can be put in place, both at school and at home.
But adults come to us for learning disability evaluations too, and for good reason. Many adults navigated childhood with an unidentified learning disability, compensating through sheer effort, choosing paths that avoided their area of difficulty, or internalizing the experience as a personal failing rather than a neurological difference. For adults returning to school, seeking workplace accommodations, or simply trying to understand themselves better, an evaluation provides answers that have been long overdue.
We also provide evaluations that produce documentation for academic accommodations (including extended time, alternative testing formats, and assistive technology) at the college level and for professional licensing exams.
Why a neuropsychological evaluation — not just a school evaluation
Schools can identify learning disabilities and are required to evaluate students who may qualify for special education services. But school evaluations are designed to determine eligibility for school-based services, not to provide a full picture of why a student is struggling and what specifically will help.
A neuropsychological evaluation goes deeper: looking at the full cognitive profile, processing speed, working memory, phonological awareness, executive functioning, attention, and language to understand not just what the difficulty is, but what's driving it. That level of specificity yields actionable recommendations, not generic ones. It also distinguishes learning disabilities from other conditions that can look similar, including ADHD, anxiety, and language disorders, which frequently co-occur and require their own attention.
Who we evaluate
We see children from school age through high school, college students, and adults at any stage of life.
No referral is required to get started.