Chicago's North Side and North Shore — Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Rogers Park, Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka, Highland Park, Northbrook — hold the region's densest cluster of special-education expertise, but it's scattered and hard to sort. This is the area's own directory, ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham accreditation, COPAA, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Start with the free Illinois options, then the best evaluators, schools, therapists, doctors, and advocates near you.
✓ Every provider here is vetted by credentials, never pay-to-play. How we choose →
A Northbrook K–12 school for students with complex learning disabilities — ~150 students from 50+ districts, with individualized, research-based instruction and integrated supports.
A specialized program for students 6–15 with moderate-to-severe learning disabilities (with a North Shore/Lake Forest campus) — intensive, evidence-based instruction designed to return students to their home schools.
A North Side Chicago college-preparatory high school designed specifically for students with diagnosed learning differences — dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, and executive-function challenges.
Full-day grades 1-8 program for bright students with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities, using a 5:1 ratio and Wilson Reading System to transition kids back to mainstream schools.
National-leader K-12 day school serving roughly 150 students from 50+ districts with complex learning disabilities, offering Orton-Gillingham reading, ABA, and full therapy services.
Therapeutic day school for students with autism spectrum disorder, developmental, intellectual, or emotional disability, with a Chicago campus serving ages 3 through 22.
Small, family-centered North Side therapeutic day school blending intensive therapy with academics for children with autism and related needs ages 6 to 14.
Century-old therapeutic day school on Chicago's South Side using milieu therapy for students with high-functioning autism, anxiety, and emotional/learning needs.
Long-running Chicagoland private school for students with learning disabilities, ADHD, and related differences, offering small classes and individualized instruction grades 1-12.
Autism-specialized day school providing an integrated, one-on-one approach of educational and therapeutic services for students with autism spectrum disorders ages 5 to 21.
Public-cooperative program run by the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization serving students with significant cognitive, multiple, autism, sensory, and physical disabilities.
One of Illinois's oldest special-education joint agreements, providing specialized programs and services across 18-plus North Shore school districts.
Chicago Public Schools four-year special-education high school on the Northwest Side offering a vocational, future-focused program for students with intellectual disabilities through age 22.
Lurie Children's neuropsychology includes board-certified clinicians such as Clayton D. Hinkle, PhD, ABPP — comprehensive pediatric evaluations of learning disorders, ADHD, and neurodevelopmental conditions within a top children's hospital.
A board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist assessing children from 6 months to 18 years with educational, developmental, neurological, and psychiatric concerns — serving the North Shore.
Neuropsychological evaluations for children through young adulthood, with offices downtown and on the North Shore. Confirm board certification in clinical neuropsychology when you book.
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, instead of trusting star ratings.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across the North Side and North Shore — the gold-standard credential for a private dyslexia tutor, verified by training rather than advertising.
A Chicago structured-literacy practice providing dyslexia tutoring and testing — evidence-based reading remediation for North Side families.
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 BHCOE-accredited autism therapy provider with a Rogers Park (North Side) center — center-based ABA for autistic children, accredited for clinical quality rather than chosen by ad spend.
A multidisciplinary autism provider serving the North Shore (Niles, Glenview, Skokie, Wilmette, Evanston, Winnetka) with ABA plus occupational, speech-language, and feeding therapies under one roof.
The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory lists accredited ABA providers across the North Side and North Shore (such as The Autism Therapy Group and Behavior Frontiers) — the real quality bar.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's directory lists speech-language pathologists who hold the CCC-SLP — the national mark of a fully qualified clinician.
Lurie Children's developmental & behavioral pediatrics — board-certified diagnosis and care for autism, ADHD, developmental delay, and learning concerns at one of the nation's top children's hospitals.
NorthShore / Endeavor Health's developmental-behavioral pediatricians (Evanston and North Shore) evaluate and treat autism, ADHD, and developmental concerns close to home for North Shore families.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving the North Side and North Shore — the field's real professional standard.
Founded by Matt Cohen — a nationally known special-education attorney who has represented thousands of children with disabilities — handling IEP disputes, mediation, and due process across Illinois with a high success rate.
A Northbrook firm with decades of special-education experience across Cook, Lake, and DuPage counties — IEP evaluation, negotiation, due process, and trial-court representation.
The Northwestern University Center for Audiology, Speech, Language, and Learning (Evanston) provides speech, language, and learning services for children with sliding-scale options for many families — supervised, expert university care since 1928.
Part of a national nonprofit network, this center provides free, high-quality Orton-Gillingham tutoring to children with dyslexia (Chicagoland locations) — one of the most affordable routes to gold-standard reading help.
For children birth to 3, Illinois Early Intervention provides developmental evaluations and therapies at free or sliding-scale cost — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
For children birth to 3, Illinois Early Intervention provides free or sliding-scale developmental evaluations and therapies (speech, OT, PT, developmental). The earliest, no-barrier place to start if you have any concern about your baby or toddler.
Illinois's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency — free legal information, a special-education helpline, and representation when a child's rights are denied. A powerful free resource before you pay anyone.
Illinois's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Federally funded and free — they help Illinois families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Illinois'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 Chicago?
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 Chicago?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Illinois — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.