Allentown and the Lehigh Valley — Bethlehem, Easton, Emmaus, Whitehall, Macungie, Nazareth — have strong, credentialed help for kids with special needs, anchored by Lehigh Valley Health Network, St. Luke's, and Lehigh University's nationally known Centennial School. This is Allentown's own yellow pages of the best, most relevant help — named experts and clinics where we can verify them, not just directories. It's ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. In Pennsylvania your free front door is Early Intervention (birth–3) through the county/CONNECT, preschool Early Intervention (ages 3–5) through the Intermediate Unit, and your school district's evaluation and IEP for ages 5+ — 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 long-established Catholic school dedicated to educating children, youth, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering school-age, vocational, and adult programs. Operated by the Diocese of Allentown.
A nonprofit PA Approved Private School and Waldorf school accredited by AWSNA and the Middle States Association, serving children K-12 with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Integrates occupational, physical, and speech therapy into day and residential programs.
A specialized school for children with dyslexia and language-based learning differences, serving kindergarten through grade 9 with small classes and structured, multisensory instruction. A long-established Lehigh Valley placement for bright kids who learn differently.
A Diocese of Allentown Catholic school dedicated to children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with preschool (3–5), school-age (5–21), and a transition (21+) program. A long-standing specialized placement in the city.
Centennial School, run by Lehigh University's College of Education, is a nationally recognized approved private school serving students ages 6–21 with autism and emotional/behavioral needs — a positive-behavior-support model and a national teacher-training site. A landmark Lehigh Valley placement.
Via of the Lehigh Valley provides early-intervention and inclusive early-childhood/autism programs for young children with developmental disabilities across Lehigh and Northampton counties — a long-established specialized early-years resource.
A searchable directory for comparing Lehigh Valley private and special-education school options by location, grades, and program — useful if you're seeking a specialized placement.
Operated by Lehigh University's College of Education, Centennial is a PA-licensed Approved Private Special Education Day School serving students ages 6-21 classified with emotional disturbance and/or autism, drawing referrals from nearly 40 Lehigh Valley districts and charters. It is nationally recognized for its positive behavior support model and doubles as a teacher-training laboratory school. Closest option directly serving Allentown families.
An independent K-9 day school in Lower Macungie (just outside Allentown) specializing in students of average to above-average intelligence with language-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD and processing disorders. Member of the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools (PAIS), NAIS and the Learning Disabilities Association of America; uses evidence-based Orton-Gillingham and structured-literacy instruction. A recognized benchmark school for LD education since 1983.
A tuition-free dyslexia program in Allentown delivering one-on-one, twice-weekly Orton-Gillingham instruction to students in grades 1-12 diagnosed with dyslexia or significant reading difficulty. Its MSLE practitioner-training program is accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC), and instruction is provided by formally certified tutors. A supplemental specialized program (not a full-day school) that meets a high dyslexia-credential bar.
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.
A free public autistic support program run by Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 for students who have not succeeded in a typical setting, with classes capped at six students staffed by a certified special education teacher, an autistic support interventionist, and three aides. Programs include sensory rooms and embedded OT, speech, and PT.
The public intermediate unit serving 13 districts across Northampton, Monroe, and Pike Counties, providing free autistic support and special education programs to public school children. Long-established regional provider of district special education services.
A large, highly regarded suburban Allentown public district whose Student Services department provides a full continuum of special education and learning support. Long track record serving students with IEPs across its schools.
A Lehigh Valley neuropsychology practice offering neuropsychological testing for children and adults, including ADHD diagnostic testing and IQ/cognitive assessment using gold-standard tools like the WISC-V. Serves Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and Whitehall.
A psychology practice providing psychological and educational testing for children, including evaluations for ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and learning disabilities, staffed by doctoral-level psychologists (Psy.D./Ph.D.) and certified school psychologists (NCSP).
A multidisciplinary child and adolescent mental-health practice offering comprehensive autism and ADHD evaluations conducted by child psychologists and psychiatric nurse practitioners, with relatively short scheduling windows.
Lehigh Valley Health Network's Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics provides comprehensive autism and developmental evaluations — with clinicians certified in the ADOS (the gold-standard autism observation tool) and often far shorter waits than larger centers. A premier Lehigh Valley diagnostic home.
A dedicated pediatric neuropsychology practice in Allentown providing neuropsychological evaluations for ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, and developmental conditions, with school-ready reports. Ask about board certification (ABPP) when you call.
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 Lehigh Valley, instead of trusting star ratings.
For more than 25 years the Children's Dyslexia Center of the Lehigh Valley has provided free, donor-funded Orton-Gillingham multisensory reading tutoring to children in grades 1–12 with dyslexia in Allentown — part of the Scottish Rite-supported network. One of the best no-cost reading resources in the area.
The Academy of Orton-Gillingham and the Academic Language Therapy Association list accredited O-G practitioners and CALTs across the Lehigh Valley — searchable near Allentown, Bethlehem, or Easton. The gold-standard credentials for a private dyslexia tutor.
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.
An autism center providing personalized, BCBA-supervised ABA therapy and parent training with play-based plans built around each child's strengths. Multiple Lehigh Valley locations.
Acorn Health's Allentown clinic delivers BHCOE-accredited applied behavior analysis for children with autism, with skills assessment, functional behavior analysis, and family training. BHCOE accreditation is the meaningful quality marker for ABA.
A pediatric rehabilitation practice serving children 0–21 with occupational, physical, speech-language, and feeding therapy, plus social-skills groups and specialized sensory programs. A dedicated kids-only Lehigh Valley clinic.
A pediatric branch of Ivy Rehab offering occupational, physical, and speech therapy for children, with licensed and nationally certified therapists. A convenient West Allentown kids' therapy location.
A Lehigh Valley multidisciplinary center serving children with autism, ADHD, anxiety, and mood disorders, combining diagnostic/assessment services, therapy, medical management, nutrition, and family advocacy under one roof.
A Lehigh University-based, PA-licensed IBHS clinic providing one-on-one ABA and Pivotal Response Treatment for young children with autism, in home, school, community, or their Bethlehem clinic.
A clinician-founded practice (OTR/Ls including a board-certified pediatric OT) providing private and school-based occupational, physical, and speech therapy for children across the Lehigh Valley. By-appointment; Whitehall mailing base.
Mission Autism Clinics' Allentown center provides center-based applied behavior analysis for children with autism and carries BHCOE accreditation — the real quality marker for ABA.
Good Shepherd Rehabilitation provides pediatric occupational, physical, and speech therapy for children with developmental and physical disabilities at its West Allentown and Hyland Center (South Allentown) sites — with a Cedar Pointe program specializing in autism, staffed by licensed and nationally certified clinicians.
NeurAbilities Healthcare's Allentown location combines BHCOE-accredited ABA therapy with neuropsychological evaluation and diagnostic services — a coordinated, multidisciplinary option under one roof.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across the Lehigh Valley, ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Bethlehem, Easton, or Whitehall find the nearest.
KidsPeace is a long-established Lehigh Valley nonprofit providing outpatient psychiatric and behavioral-health evaluation and treatment for children and teens, plus dedicated autism services and IEP-related therapies.
Lehigh Valley Health Network's developmental-behavioral pediatricians diagnose and help manage autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, and complex developmental conditions — a premier Lehigh Valley developmental-medicine team with relatively short waits.
St. Luke's University Health Network's Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics evaluates and manages developmental concerns, speech delays, learning disabilities, and behavioral conditions from birth through adolescence — a second strong Lehigh Valley health-system option.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across the Allentown area — the credential to verify for a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis.
A well-established Lehigh Valley law firm with a dedicated special-education practice representing families in IEP disputes, evaluations, due-process hearings, and discipline matters. Strong local bench of education attorneys.
An Allentown law firm whose education-law attorneys handle special-education matters — including denied services and IEP disputes — for Lehigh Valley families.
A Pennsylvania special-education law practice assisting families when schools refuse to comply with IEP or 504 plans or when a child's needs require developing those plans. Serves the Lehigh Valley and surrounding counties.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving the Lehigh Valley — the field's real professional standard.
The PEAL Center is Pennsylvania's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, evaluations, and the IEP process, with trained parent specialists. A respected statewide free resource before hiring a private advocate.
Pennsylvania'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.
Free, donor-funded Orton-Gillingham multisensory reading tutoring for children in grades 1–12 with dyslexia in Allentown — an outstanding no-cost reading resource for qualifying families.
North Penn Legal Services provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across the Lehigh Valley — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
The Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living offers free information, referral, and peer support for people with disabilities and their families across the Allentown area — a no-cost local hub when you're not sure where to turn.
For children birth to 3, Pennsylvania Early Intervention provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies — call the CONNECT Helpline (800-692-7288), the earliest no-barrier place to start in the Lehigh Valley.
For children birth to 3 with a delay or disability, Pennsylvania's Early Intervention provides free evaluation and services (speech, OT, PT, developmental) — run through Lehigh and Northampton County programs. The CONNECT Helpline (800-692-7288) is the no-barrier place to start.
Ages 3–5 are served by Preschool Early Intervention through the regional Intermediate Unit (Carbon Lehigh IU 21 / Colonial IU 20); at school age, request a special-education evaluation in writing from your district. This is the free legal route to an IEP and services.
Pennsylvania'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 Pennsylvania families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Pennsylvania's protection & advocacy agency — free legal-rights information and help if your child's rights are being denied.
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How do I start the special-education process in Allentown?
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 Allentown?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Pennsylvania — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.