Akron and Summit County — Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Hudson, Barberton, Tallmadge — have strong, credentialed help for kids with special needs, anchored by Akron Children's Hospital's NeuroDevelopmental Science Center and a free Children's Dyslexia Center. This is Akron's own yellow pages of the best, most relevant help — named experts and therapists where we can verify them, not just directories. It's ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, CALT/Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Ohio has no Regional Center system, so your free front door is Help Me Grow / Ohio Early Intervention for birth–3 and your school district's evaluation for ages 3+ — start there, then the best evaluators, schools, reading specialists, therapists, doctors, and advocates near you.
✓ Every provider here is vetted by credentials, never pay-to-play. How we choose →
A K–8 school for children with mild-to-moderate autism, ADHD, and other learning and social differences, with individualized plans, certified intervention specialists, and onsite therapies. Part of the long-established Julie Billiart Schools network.
A small-class (10–12 students) K–12 school for neurodiverse students, including those on the autism spectrum, with individualized plans. Located in Lakemore just south of Akron; accepts the Ohio Autism Scholarship and EdChoice.
An alternative special-education school serving K–12 students with intensive behavioral needs, staffed by intervention specialists and mental-health professionals, and running a dedicated CORAL autism program.
Lawrence School, located between Akron and Cleveland, is Northeast Ohio's leading school for bright students with dyslexia, ADHD, and learning differences (K–12), using structured literacy (Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Barton). Its Schafer Center also offers O-G-based tutoring to the wider community.
A searchable directory for comparing additional Akron-area private and special-education school options by location, grades, and program — useful alongside the named school above.
K-12 independent school built for students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and ADHD, using an Orton-Gillingham multisensory curriculum, with its Upper School campus in northern Summit County near Akron.
Fully accredited nonprofit autism school serving children ages 3 through 8th grade with small 3:2 student-to-staff ratios and integrated intervention and therapy at no out-of-pocket cost via scholarship.
Year-round K-12 autism school operated by a long-standing Northeast Ohio disability-services nonprofit, providing full-day specialized instruction to students identified under IDEA across multiple districts.
These public schools and programs have a solid track record in special education — but we don’t re-check them every year. Staff, leadership, and programs change from building to building and year to year. Treat this as a strong starting point, and confirm the current fit for your child.
Free public program operated by the Summit County Educational Service Center (KIDS FIRST/TOPS) providing a comprehensive educational, therapeutic and supportive environment for students with autism spectrum disorders, K-12. Programs change year to year; verify current placement options.
Nonprofit 501(c)(3) network of tuition-free public community schools designed for students with autism, ADHD and related disorders, with low student-to-teacher ratios and specialized curriculum. Multiple Akron K-12 campuses. Programs change year to year.
Akron Public Schools provides federally mandated special-education services and specialized programming across its district schools for students with IEPs, including autism and learning-disability supports. Programs and placements change year to year.
A Cuyahoga Falls/Akron practice of licensed psychologists and school psychologists offering testing for ADHD, autism, dyslexia, learning disabilities, and giftedness, plus consultative support for IEP/504 documentation and plan development.
Dr. Mira Narouze provides psychological testing and psychoeducational evaluations for children and teens — ADHD, autism, dyslexia/learning differences, executive functioning, and emotional/behavioral concerns — including Independent Educational Evaluations and accommodation documentation. Serves the Akron area from a Brecksville office.
Akron Children's NeuroDevelopmental Science Center (215 West Bowery St) brings together developmental-behavioral pediatrics, neurobehavioral psychology, neurology, and an Autism Diagnostic Clinic — nearly 25,000 visits a year — for comprehensive evaluation of autism, ADHD, and learning disorders. The region's leading academic evaluation hub.
The American Board of Professional Psychology's directory lists clinicians who passed board certification in clinical neuropsychology — the credential to verify in any private evaluator across the Akron area, instead of trusting star ratings.
Part of the Scottish Rite-supported national network, the Children's Dyslexia Center of Akron (150 Springside Dr; Heather Petruccelli & Laura Arnold) provides free evaluation and one-on-one Orton-Gillingham instruction for children with dyslexia — an IMSLEC-accredited program and one of the area's best no-cost reading resources.
The Schafer Center at Lawrence School provides Orton-Gillingham-based multisensory tutoring for dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia — available to families community-wide, not only enrolled students.
A huge audiobook/highlighting library — free for students with a qualifying reading disability, so your child keeps up with grade-level books while they learn to decode.
Therapy center offering ABA, speech-language and occupational therapy for children with autism, with dedicated sensory, gross-motor and individual treatment rooms; staffed by BCBAs, SLPs and OTs.
Provides speech, occupational and behavioral (ABA) therapy plus social-skills and music programs for children with autism and developmental differences across the Akron/Cleveland area.
A BHCOE-accredited autism therapy center providing ABA therapy plus diagnostic assessments and, at this location, occupational and speech-language services for children.
A Fairlawn/Akron-area autism center offering BCBA-led ABA therapy, a pediatric autism diagnostic clinic, social-skills groups, and school consultation — accredited by the Autism Commission on Quality (ACQ).
An autism treatment center providing BCBA-led ABA therapy, feeding therapy, and day programs for children, in-network with most insurers and an Autism/Jon Peterson scholarship provider.
A childcare center with optional therapeutic supports — ABA, speech, and occupational therapy — integrated for children who need additional assistance, scheduled flexibly.
LLA Therapy's Akron clinic (clinic director Carrie Ravine) offers speech, occupational, physical, reading, music, and behavioral/ABA therapy together — convenient interdisciplinary pediatric care, with reading therapy alongside the usual disciplines.
Akron Children's Rehabilitative Services provides hospital-based pediatric speech-language and occupational therapy with ASHA-certified and licensed clinicians, at multiple locations across the Akron area — the regional specialists for complex pediatric needs.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across Summit County, ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, or Hudson find the nearest.
Dr. Jacqueline Branch, MD, FAAP, is a developmental-behavioral pediatrician at Akron Children's with subspecialty board certification in developmental-behavioral pediatrics and a special interest in autism, ADHD, and learning disorders — she also directs the hospital's Dyslexia Clinic. A named, top-credentialed diagnostician.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across the Akron area — the credential to verify for a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis.
A Cuyahoga Falls-based independent advocate (founder holds a University of Akron special-education degree) providing special-education advocacy, IEP services, and intervention support for Northeast Ohio families.
Founder/Director Lisa Perez provides special-education advocacy and educational consulting — assessment review, IEP/504 support, and attending meetings alongside families — serving families across Ohio and the Midwest.
An Ohio special-education advocate and COPAA SEAT graduate who supports families through the full special-education process, from evaluation to IEP implementation. Works remotely with families statewide.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving the Akron area — the field's real professional standard.
OCECD's trained parent mentors help Ohio families prepare for and understand IEP meetings at no cost — a respected, statewide free alternative to hiring a private advocate first.
Ohio's protection & advocacy agency offers free legal information and advocacy for special-education rights — a no-cost first stop before hiring a private advocate or attorney.
The University of Akron's Audiology & Speech Center provides low-cost speech, language, and hearing evaluation and therapy delivered by supervised graduate clinicians — one of the area's best-value options for ongoing speech-language services.
Free evaluation and one-on-one Orton-Gillingham instruction for children with dyslexia at the Children's Dyslexia Center of Akron — an outstanding no-cost reading resource for qualifying families.
Community Legal Aid Services provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across the Akron/Summit County area — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
For children birth to 3, Help Me Grow provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies — the earliest, no-barrier place to start in Ohio.
Ohio's Help Me Grow / Early Intervention provides free developmental evaluation and in-home early-intervention services for children birth to 3 with delays or disabilities. The earliest, no-barrier place to start in Summit County.
Ohio's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center offers free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings — knowledgeable, statewide, and a great first call.
Ohio's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency — free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are denied. A powerful free resource before you pay anyone.
Federally funded and free — they help Ohio families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Ohio's protection & advocacy agency — free legal-rights information and help if your child's rights are being denied.
When you’re ready, an expert can review your child’s IEP and build your plan. See how it works →
No sign-up, nothing saved — use as much as you want.
✉️ Get a ready-to-send letter →
Your state's free programs · Find help by ZIP · Explore the tools →
How do I start the special-education process in Akron?
Put your request in writing to your child's school, asking for a full special-education evaluation — that is the legal first step. On A New Story you'll find a free, ready-to-send evaluation-request letter you can use today.
How long does a special-education evaluation take?
Once you give written consent, the school generally must complete the evaluation and hold an eligibility meeting within a set timeline (often around 60 days, though it varies by state). Putting your request in writing starts the clock.
Can my school district pay for a private special-education school?
Sometimes. If the public school can't provide an appropriate education, the district can be required to fund a state-approved nonpublic placement. It isn't automatic — it takes the right evaluation and advocacy — but families do it every year, including ones with limited funds.
What's the difference between an IEP and a 504 plan?
An IEP provides specialized instruction and services under IDEA; a 504 plan provides accommodations under civil-rights law. A New Story's free guides walk you through which one fits your child.
Where can I find free special-education help in Akron?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Ohio — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.