Des Moines and central Iowa — West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Altoona, Waukee — have strong, credentialed help for kids with special needs, anchored by Blank Children's Hospital, ChildServe, and Iowa's distinctive Area Education Agency system. This is Des Moines' 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/Wilson, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Iowa has no Regional Center system; your free front doors are Early ACCESS for birth–3 and your local Area Education Agency (Heartland AEA here) plus your school district 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 day school in West Des Moines serving students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences since 2005, using a structured-literacy, Orton-Gillingham-based program.
Long-established (since 1973) specialized school serving secondary students with significant intellectual, physical, behavioral, and autism-related disabilities; on-staff speech-language pathologists, OT, PT, behavior interventionists, and an autism specialist. (Listed under schools as a specialized program; see public note.)
Postsecondary transition program at DMACC for young adults ages 18-21 with autism and learning disabilities, focused on independent-living, vocational, and academic skills.
In Iowa, much specialized instruction is delivered within public schools with Heartland AEA support rather than separate private schools. Heartland AEA can help your family understand the right special-education services and placement for your child at no cost.
A searchable directory for comparing Des Moines-area private and special-education school options by location, grades, and program — useful if you're seeking a specialized private placement.
The Des Moines metro's flagship district special-education school, serving roughly 140 students ages 5-21 with intellectual, physical, autism, and complex needs.
On-campus accredited school at Iowa's largest Psychiatric Medical Institution for Children, with teachers experienced in serving students with behavioral and mental-health diagnoses.
Iowa's strongest credentialed private special-education day school (a small, low-ratio program with board-certified clinical staff), about 125 miles east in Cedar Rapids for families willing to travel.
Behavioral Health Center of Excellence-accredited applied behavior analysis for children with autism, intellectual disabilities, and behavioral needs, offering clinic, community, and in-school services across central Iowa.
Autism Commission on Quality-accredited center providing intensive ABA therapy for children ages 2-6 with an autism diagnosis, a school-readiness bridge for preschool-age learners in the metro.
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 DMPS school serving students with significant physical, health, and developmental disabilities, with integrated therapy services and specialized special-education staffing.
Free special-education continuum across the West Des Moines district, including autism, behavioral, and learning-disability supports delivered with AEA support and licensed special-education staff.
Free, federally compliant special-education services across Ankeny schools (autism, SLD, behavioral, speech/language, and related services) supported by Heartland AEA.
University-affiliated interdisciplinary diagnostic center (Iowa City, serving the Des Moines region) providing comprehensive autism and developmental evaluations through developmental-behavioral pediatrics, psychology, and the Regional Autism Assistance Program.
Des Moines diagnostic clinic providing autism and developmental testing led by licensed psychologists, coordinating multidisciplinary assessment for families across the metro.
UnityPoint Health's Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines provides developmental pediatrics and a developmental center evaluating autism, ADHD, and developmental concerns — central Iowa's main hospital-based diagnostic route.
ChildServe, a major Iowa pediatric specialty organization, offers professional psychological evaluations and diagnoses — giving parents a clear picture of their child's functioning alongside its therapy and autism programs.
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 central Iowa, instead of trusting star ratings.
True Potential Education provides dyslexia remediation in Des Moines based on the Orton-Gillingham approach using the Wilson Reading System — structured-literacy intervention by trained tutors, an evidence-based local option for struggling readers.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across central Iowa — searchable by area so you can find one near Des Moines, West Des Moines, or Ankeny. The gold-standard credential for a private dyslexia tutor, verified by training rather than advertising.
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.
Long-standing statewide disability-services nonprofit offering credentialed therapy and assistive-technology services for children and adults with disabilities in Des Moines.
Comprehensive, BCBA-supervised ABA therapy clinic for young children with autism, part of a multi-state autism-focused provider serving the Des Moines metro.
Early-intervention ABA provider specializing in BCBA-supervised therapy, behavior assessments, and pre-academic development for children ages 2-6+ on the autism spectrum.
Kristin Hanson, BCBA, LBA, is the founder, CEO, and clinical director of Axis Therapy Centers (West Des Moines, Ankeny, and beyond), offering ABA therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, feeding therapy, social-skills groups, and parent training — a named, board-certified clinician leading the practice.
Blank Children's Pediatric Therapy provides hospital-based speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy plus audiology, with ASHA-certified and licensed clinicians at Des Moines, Ankeny, Altoona, and West Des Moines locations.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across central Iowa (including Kind and Uplifting in Urbandale), ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Urbandale, Waukee, or Altoona find the nearest.
Blank Children's developmental pediatrics team diagnoses and helps manage autism, ADHD, and developmental conditions — central Iowa's main hospital-based developmental program, working alongside ChildServe for ongoing care.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across central Iowa — 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 Des Moines area — the field's real professional standard.
ASK Resource Center's trained parent specialists help Iowa families prepare for and understand IEP meetings at no cost — a respected, statewide free alternative to hiring a private advocate first.
Iowa'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.
Heartland AEA provides free educational evaluations, special-education services, and family support across the Des Moines area — the no-cost backbone of Iowa's special-education system, working with your school district.
For children birth to 3, Early ACCESS provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention services — the earliest, no-barrier place to start in Iowa.
Iowa Legal Aid provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across central Iowa — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
ASK Resource Center offers free workshops and one-on-one parent support across Iowa — a rich free resource for families learning their rights and navigating the system.
Early ACCESS is Iowa's IDEA Part C early-intervention system for children under 3 with a developmental delay or qualifying condition — service coordination, assessments, evaluations, and early-intervention services all at no cost to families. The earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Iowa delivers special-education evaluation and support through regional Area Education Agencies. For the Des Moines area that's Heartland AEA — free evaluations, special-education services, and family support working alongside your school district. A uniquely Iowa free resource many families underuse.
Iowa'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.
ASK Resource Center is Iowa's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings, with parent guides on educational advocacy. A great first call.
Federally funded and free — they help Iowa families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Iowa'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 Des Moines?
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 Des Moines?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Iowa — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.