Auburn-Opelika and the rest of Lee County — Auburn, Opelika, Smiths Station, and the surrounding communities — has real, credentialed help for kids with special needs, anchored by Auburn University's nationally-known speech-and-hearing clinic and its university Autism Center (CARTT), with East Alabama Medical Center pediatrics close at hand. Your local districts — Auburn City Schools, Opelika City Schools, and Lee County Schools — each run special education. This is Lee County's own yellow pages of the best, most relevant help — named experts and clinics where we can verify them, ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification), never by reviews or who pays. In Alabama your free front door is Alabama's Early Intervention System (birth–3) and your school district's evaluation and IEP 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 →
Private K-12 school in Opelika accredited by Cognia (formerly SACS) and the Alabama Independent School Association, offering small classes and a supportive, individualized environment for students who learn differently. Families should confirm current learning-support offerings directly.
The Center for Autism Research, Treatment and Training (CARTT) runs an intensive, research-based preschool program for children ages 2–5 with autism, directed by BCBA-D faculty (Sarah Richling, PhD, BCBA-D, and colleagues) as the training clinic for Auburn's Applied Behavior Analysis master's program. A rare university-grade specialized early program right in Auburn-Opelika.
Auburn City, Opelika City, and Lee County Schools each serve students with specialized programs — autism support, behavior, resource, and life-skills — within an inclusion model. In Lee County the strongest specialized placements are most often within the public districts; insist on the right program through the IEP process.
The Alabama Parent Education Center, the state's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, offers free help weighing options and pushing for the right program through the IEP process — invaluable when comparing district programs across Lee County.
University-run intensive autism program in the Department of Psychological Sciences. Research-based ABA early intervention for children ages 2-5 with ASD and related developmental disorders, plus diagnostic assessment, school-readiness, social skills, toilet training, behavioral consultation to families and schools, and group classes. Board Certified Behavior Analysts on staff; sliding-scale fees with many services free via community donations. The gold-standard, credential-backed autism/ABA option physically in Auburn.
Strong public-district special education serving Auburn students with IEPs across all disability categories, with a dedicated state-aligned dyslexia program (per Alabama's 2015 dyslexia mandate) and school psychologists, psychometrists, and Board Certified Behavior Analysts on staff. Provides free evaluations, IEP services, and dyslexia resource guides for families. Phone (334) 887-1921.
Public-district special education for Opelika students, including special education, gifted services, and Section 504 supports, plus the Opelika Learning Center for students needing an alternative setting. Free child-find evaluations and IEP services. Office for Special Education: (334) 741-5601.
Comprehensive 2- and 4-year residential, inclusive postsecondary program for students with intellectual disabilities — academic enrichment, personal/social and independent-living skills, health and wellness, and integrated work experience toward employment and independent living. Backed by a 5-year, $2.3M U.S. Dept. of Education TPSID grant. The premier transition/college option in the area for older students (post-high-school) on the spectrum or with ID.
Montgomery K4-12 school with roots in serving special-needs students and a continuing personalized, low-ratio, one-on-one model for learners with ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities, dyslexia, autism, and multiple disabilities; offers non-traditional scheduling, tutoring, and distance options. Roughly 55 miles from Auburn-Opelika — the nearest accredited private school with an established LD/autism-serving track record. Christian school.
Georgia's leading dyslexia school outside metro Atlanta, exclusively serving students with diagnosed dyslexia using the evidence-based Orton-Gillingham approach to reading, writing, and spelling, with the goal of remediating and transitioning students back to mainstream schools. In Macon (~90+ miles east) — a reach for daily commute, but the closest dedicated O-G dyslexia day school and a strong fit for families able to relocate or arrange access.
Alabama's only Orton-Gillingham Academy-accredited dyslexia program, serving grades 1-6 with specialized language-based instruction while giving dyslexic students a full co-curricular and extracurricular school experience as part of Randolph School. Located in Huntsville (far north Alabama, several hours away) — included as the statewide credentialed dyslexia benchmark for families willing to relocate or weigh boarding-area options.
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.
Lee County School System provides IEP-driven special education with in-house speech, language, and occupational therapy resources for autistic and other eligible students across its campuses. As a public program, services and staffing change year to year.
Opened in 2024 by Auburn University's College of Education, TACC coordinates comprehensive autism spectrum disorder evaluations in person and via telehealth, with a focus on serving low-income and rural Alabama families. University-supervised diagnostic services.
A licensed-psychologist private practice in Auburn offering ADHD and learning assessments, cognitive/intellectual testing, autism spectrum (ASD) testing, and neuropsychological assessment for children and teens. Ask about the specific evaluator's training when you call.
Dr. Polly Dunn is a licensed psychologist with 25+ years in the Auburn-Opelika area, providing assessments, therapy, parenting support, and school advocacy for children through college age. A long-established local option for evaluation and IEP-related support.
The Auburn University Psychological Services Center, the clinical-psychology department's on-campus training clinic, offers psychological assessment and therapy supervised by licensed faculty psychologists — a credentialed, lower-cost local option for evaluation of learning, attention, and behavior concerns.
East Alabama Medical Center (East Alabama Health), with pediatric practices across Auburn and Opelika, is the region's hospital and a local medical starting point for developmental concerns — and the referral hub toward neuropsychology and developmental subspecialty evaluation when more is needed.
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 Lee County (or in nearby Montgomery and Columbus, GA), instead of trusting star ratings.
An Opelika dyslexia-therapy practice delivering explicit, systematic, multisensory structured-literacy instruction (Orton-Gillingham, Neuhaus, SPIRE, Barton) in 1:1 and small-group sessions. Led by a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT), with several therapists in CALT training — strong credentials for private dyslexia work.
An Auburn reading practice offering remediation, evaluation, and coaching for reading, spelling, and writing difficulties using Barton Reading & Spelling and tailored Orton-Gillingham multisensory structured-language instruction. Confirm the tutor's specific dyslexia training when you call.
A clinical service of the University of Alabama Speech and Hearing Center providing assessment and structured-literacy intervention for children with reading/writing challenges, including dyslexia — delivered by graduate clinicians under CCC-SLP clinical educators. A credentialed, lower-cost option (Tuscaloosa-based) for thorough dyslexia evaluation.
Alabama law and the State Department of Education's dyslexia resource guide require districts to screen for dyslexia indicators and provide evidence-based, multisensory, structured-literacy intervention (Orton-Gillingham-based). Auburn City, Opelika City, and Lee County Schools must offer this free — request dyslexia screening and services in writing, and know your rights before paying for private tutoring.
The Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators lists accredited O-G practitioners — searchable near Auburn and Opelika. The gold-standard credential for a private dyslexia tutor, instead of trusting ads. (Avoid any program selling Davis, Brain Gym, or vision therapy — they are not evidence-based for dyslexia.)
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.
A long-running Auburn pediatric private practice (since 2010) staffed by speech-language pathologists, auditory-verbal therapists, special educators, and occupational therapists, offering speech, language, feeding, OT, and literacy services. Confirm CCC-SLP / OTR-L credentials when you call.
A neurodiversity-affirming pediatric clinic in Auburn offering occupational, speech, and feeding therapy, founded by a pediatric occupational therapist. A good fit for families who want a presume-competence, family-empowering approach.
A pediatric speech-language clinic in Opelika owned by Allie Wallace, M.Ed., CCC-SLP, helping children of all ages build communication skills — a credentialed local SLP option.
ABA therapy across home, school, community, and clinic settings, founded by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Licensed Behavior Analyst, serving the Auburn-Opelika area with individual therapy, social-learning groups, and parent/school consultation.
A multi-state, BHCOE-accredited ABA provider serving Auburn with individualized therapy in homes, schools, and the community, including insurance verification and free consultations. Care is delivered where your child is, so there's no public clinic address.
The Auburn University Autism Center (CARTT) provides intensive, research-based applied behavior analysis for young children with autism, led by BCBA-D faculty and listed in the BHCOE directory — the most credentialed ABA program in Auburn-Opelika. Email ABAclinic@auburn.edu or call to ask about openings.
Smith Group Behavioral Consulting provides applied behavior analysis from a team of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT), in its Auburn clinic and in homes within a reasonable drive — a credentialed local ABA option. Ask about BHCOE accreditation and your insurance.
Auburn Therapy and Learning Center provides licensed pediatric speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, and feeding therapy in Auburn — a credentialed local clinic. ALL for Children (Auburn) and East Alabama Health Pediatric Rehabilitation are additional CCC-SLP/OTR-L options. Confirm CCC-SLP / OTR-L credentials when you call.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers near Lee County, ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Auburn, Opelika, or Smiths Station find the nearest credentialed clinician.
A psychiatry practice with an on-site board-certified child psychiatrist and BCBAs serving the Opelika-Auburn area, offering psychiatric evaluation, autism/ADHD care, and ABA — a local route to a physician diagnosis without a long drive.
The state's academic developmental-behavioral pediatrics program (Civitan-Sparks Clinic) evaluates children for development, behavior, social skills, and learning, currently prioritizing autism assessment for kids 5 and under. The Birmingham referral for complex diagnoses; ask your pediatrician for the referral.
East Alabama Medical Center provides pediatric care across Auburn and Opelika — a strong local medical starting point for developmental concerns and referrals, with academic centers in Birmingham (UAB / Children's of Alabama) as the referral for complex autism, ADHD, and developmental diagnoses.
Pediatric Associates of Auburn provides board-certified primary pediatric care across Auburn and Opelika, including developmental screening and management of ADHD and related concerns — a local medical home that can begin the evaluation and referral process.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians serving the Auburn-Opelika area (and in Montgomery, Columbus, GA, and Birmingham) — the credential to verify for a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis.
A special-education law firm representing children with disabilities from IEP meetings and mediation through due-process hearings and federal court, under IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA. Alabama is one of its served states — a strong option for families needing legal muscle.
A firm that exclusively represents students and families (never districts) in IEP disputes, due-process hearings, mediation, 504 plans, and discipline matters, with statewide Alabama coverage including a Central/Southern Alabama line — convenient for Lee County families.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving the Auburn-Opelika area — the field's real professional standard.
The Alabama Parent Education Center is the state's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, evaluations, and the IEP process. A respected statewide free resource before hiring a private advocate.
Alabama'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 Auburn University Speech and Hearing Clinic, on the first floor of Haley Center, provides low-cost speech-language and audiology services to children — evaluation and therapy delivered by graduate clinicians under CCC-SLP and audiologist faculty supervision. A standout affordable, credentialed local option.
For children birth to 3, Alabama's Early Intervention System provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies — the earliest, no-barrier place to start in Lee County. Call 800-543-3098 to reach the local coordinator.
The Auburn University Psychological Services Center offers lower-cost psychological assessment and therapy delivered by supervised graduate clinicians under licensed faculty — an accessible, credentialed option for evaluating learning, attention, and behavior.
The Alabama Parent Education Center offers free help understanding evaluations, IEPs, and your rights — a no-cost first call for any Lee County family navigating special education.
For children birth to 3 with a developmental delay or disability, Alabama's Early Intervention System (through the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services) provides free evaluation and early-intervention services — speech, occupational, physical, and developmental therapy. Call the statewide intake line (800-543-3098) to reach the Lee County early-intervention coordinator. The earliest, no-barrier place to begin.
Request a special-education evaluation in writing from your district — Auburn City Schools, Opelika City Schools, or Lee County Schools. In Alabama the district must complete the evaluation within 60 calendar days of your written consent, then hold an eligibility/IEP meeting. This is the free legal route to an IEP under IDEA.
Alabama's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency — based at the University of Alabama School of Law — offers 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 Alabama families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Alabama'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 Auburn?
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 Auburn?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Alabama — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.