Colorado Springs and El Paso County — Monument, Fountain, Manitou Springs, Falcon, plus the Pikes Peak region — have strong, credentialed help for kids with special needs, and it's also home to PEAK Parent Center, Colorado's statewide parent-training hub. This is Colorado Springs' 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, CALT/Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. In Colorado, birth–3 early intervention runs through your Community Centered Board — here that's The Resource Exchange — and your school district handles ages 3+. Start with those free front doors, 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 →
Tuition-free charter school in Colorado Springs serving grades 2-8 with dyslexia and reading difficulties. Every student receives daily one-hour reading therapy from a Certified Academic Language Therapist using the structured-literacy, Orton-Gillingham-based approach.
Tuition-free public charter school for students with dyslexia, drawing from District 49 and several nearby districts. Certified Academic Language Therapists deliver the Take Flight curriculum (Texas Scottish Rite, Orton-Gillingham based) in groups of four.
Cognia-accredited therapeutic school and day-treatment program for K-12 students with significant academic, social, emotional, and mental-health needs who have struggled in traditional schools. Long-standing Colorado nonprofit (founded 1904) integrating clinical and educational services.
Approved Facility School (licensed by the Colorado Department of Education) serving students with significant emotional and behavioral needs who have not succeeded in traditional settings, with embedded mental-health support to build skills for school and life.
Private Colorado Springs school for students grades 3 through high school with autism and related needs, using a flexible, individualized curriculum that prioritizes emotional health alongside academics. Families should confirm current accreditation directly.
The Colorado Literacy & Learning Center in Colorado Springs delivers intensive structured-literacy instruction for students with dyslexia, staffed by Certified Academic Language Therapists — a specialized, credential-rich learning environment (not a full-day school, but a deep intervention hub).
A searchable directory for comparing Colorado Springs-area private and special-education school options by location, grades, and program — useful if you're seeking a specialized private placement.
Public school of choice in District 49 dedicated to students in grades 2-5 with dyslexia and language-based learning difficulties. Students receive Take Flight therapy from CALTs in intensive sessions (50 minutes daily, 5 days a week, over a 3-year cycle), and all teachers are trained to accommodate dyslexia across every class.
Nonprofit Southern Colorado autism treatment provider operating since 2005, offering full-day (8:15 a.m.-3:45 p.m.) and half-day programs built on Applied Behavior Analysis. Staffed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts and assistant analysts, with intensive individualized instruction in communication, academic, social, and daily-living skills for children with autism.
Center-based and home-based Applied Behavior Analysis program for children with autism, holding full Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) accreditation. The Colorado Springs learning center includes treatment rooms, a simulated classroom environment, sensory/gross-motor space, and arts areas to build communication, social, and school-readiness skills.
Center-based autism therapy provider delivering Applied Behavior Analysis under Board Certified Behavior Analysts, accredited by the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence. Provides intensive, individualized early-intervention and school-readiness programming for children on the autism spectrum at its North Academy Boulevard location.
One of the Pikes Peak region's strongest public-district special-education systems. ASD20's Communication and Social Development (CSD) programs provide specialized, structured placements for students with autism who have significant functional-communication, social, or behavioral needs, alongside a full continuum of IEP-based services, resource, and related therapies across district schools.
ASD20 magnet school serving Pre-K through grade 5 that houses a Communication and Social Development (CSD) program for autistic students plus a dedicated dyslexia program and a communication-and-sensory department specializing in integrating students with communication and sensory needs into the classroom, all staffed by certified special educators within a strong public district.
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.
Northern Colorado Springs public district offering a full continuum of special-education services, including Communication & Social Development programs for students on the autism spectrum. Programs change year to year; confirm current placement options with the district.
The city's largest district, with a dedicated dyslexia program and Orton-Gillingham-trained literacy specialists alongside a full special-education continuum. Programs change year to year; verify current services with the district.
Large east-side Colorado Springs district providing IEP-based special-education services and specialized autism/behavioral programming across its schools. Programs change year to year; confirm current options with the district.
Southeast Colorado Springs district with a full special-education continuum and center-based programs for students with autism and significant support needs. Programs change year to year; verify current services with the district.
South-area Colorado Springs district serving students with disabilities through IEP-based services and specialized programs. Programs change year to year; confirm current placement options directly with the district.
Colorado Springs practice specializing in neuropsychological, neurocognitive, and neurodevelopmental testing, including comprehensive autism spectrum evaluations for children and adults, conducted by licensed psychologists.
Colorado Springs assessment practice providing testing for autism, ADHD, traumatic brain injury, and learning disabilities for children and adults, with autism evaluation available for very young children.
Practice offering thorough neuropsychological and autism spectrum evaluations for children and adults across Colorado Springs and Denver.
Children's Hospital Colorado's Colorado Springs campus provides developmental and behavioral evaluation for autism, ADHD, and developmental concerns — part of a nationally ranked academic children's system, the region's leading hospital-based diagnostic route.
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 Pikes Peak region, instead of trusting star ratings.
At the Colorado Literacy & Learning Center, Grace Peak is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and Dr. Lynne Fitzhugh is a CALT-Qualified Instructor (CALT-QI) — the level that trains other therapists. Together they provide top-credential, structured-literacy dyslexia therapy in Colorado Springs.
The Academy of Orton-Gillingham and ALTA's Rocky Mountain chapter list accredited O-G practitioners and CALTs across the Pikes Peak region — searchable near Colorado Springs, Monument, or Fountain. 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.
The Pikes Peak region's first private nonprofit ABA treatment center for children with autism, providing evidence-based, individualized one-to-one therapy supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), plus home, school, and family support.
Integrated behavioral-health provider offering in-home and center-based ABA therapy across Colorado Springs, with a team of 30+ Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) developing and supervising individualized treatment plans.
Long-established pediatric rehabilitation provider offering speech-language therapy (ASHA CCC-SLP), occupational therapy (OTR/L), and physical therapy for children across the Pikes Peak region since 1988.
Colorado Springs speech-language practice founded by a certified speech-language pathologist (MA, CCC-SLP), serving children with articulation, language, fluency, social-communication, and orofacial myofunctional needs.
Whole Kids Co., founded in 2019 by Christie Casimiro (a parent of a child with special needs), brings speech, occupational, and physical therapy together with ABA and psychological testing under one roof — awarded Silver for Best Pediatric Rehab Practice in Colorado Springs in 2025. A named-founder, full-service local option.
LEAP Therapies is a family- and veteran-owned private practice providing pediatric speech-language and occupational therapy in Colorado Springs, with Colorado-licensed therapists bringing over twenty years of experience.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across the Pikes Peak region, ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Monument, Fountain, or Falcon find the nearest.
Children's Hospital Colorado's developmental-behavioral pediatrics in Colorado Springs diagnoses and helps manage autism, ADHD, and developmental conditions — part of a nationally ranked system, the Pikes Peak region's main hospital-based developmental program.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across the Pikes Peak region — the credential to verify for a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving the Colorado Springs area — the field's real professional standard.
Headquartered right in Colorado Springs, PEAK Parent Center's trained specialists help Colorado families prepare for and understand IEP meetings at no cost — a respected, local free alternative to hiring a private advocate first.
Colorado'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.
PEAK Parent Center offers free workshops and one-on-one parent support from its Colorado Springs home — a rich free resource for families learning their rights and navigating the system across Colorado.
For children birth to 3, Early Intervention Colorado (coordinated locally by The Resource Exchange) provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Colorado Legal Services provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across the Pikes Peak region — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
The Resource Exchange is El Paso County's Community Centered Board — the free public entry point for developmental-disability case management and birth-to-3 early intervention, connecting families to services across the region.
For children birth to 3, Early Intervention Colorado provides free developmental evaluations and services (speech, OT, PT, developmental). In El Paso County it's coordinated by your Community Centered Board, The Resource Exchange (TRE) — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Colorado's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center is headquartered in Colorado Springs — free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. Local, knowledgeable, and a great first call.
Colorado'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 Colorado families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Colorado'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 Colorado Springs?
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 Colorado Springs?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Colorado — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.