The Pee Dee region — Florence, plus Darlington, Lake City, Hartsville, Timmonsville, and the surrounding Florence and Darlington county communities — has real, credentialed help for kids with special needs, anchored by McLeod Health Children's Hospital. Your local districts — Florence 1 (the largest, based in Florence), Florence 3 (Lake City), and Darlington County — each run special education. This is the Pee Dee'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 South Carolina your free front door is BabyNet (birth–3 early intervention) 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 →
A fully Cognia- and ACSI-accredited private Christian school in Florence serving grades PK/K-12 with an 11:1 student-teacher ratio. Not a dedicated special-education school, but its small classes and accreditation make it a credible option for families seeking individualized academic support; confirm specific learning-support services directly.
An established Montessori school serving PK-6 in central Florence, using the Montessori whole-child, individually paced approach that can suit some children who learn differently. Confirm the level of accommodation available for a specific learning or developmental profile.
Florence 1 Schools — the Pee Dee's largest district — runs Programs for Exceptional Children with compliance monitors, parent liaisons, and special-education supervisors, serving students with autism, learning, and behavior needs across its schools. Florence 3 (Lake City) and Darlington County run their own programs. In this region the strongest specialized placements are most often within the public districts; insist on the right program through the IEP process.
Darlington County School District serves Darlington, Hartsville, Lamar, and Society Hill with its own special-education programs and related services. If you live in the Hartsville or Darlington area rather than the city of Florence, this is your district for evaluations and IEPs.
Family Connection of South Carolina, the state's Parent Training and Information Center, offers free help weighing options and pushing for the right program through the IEP process — serving families in all 46 counties, including Florence and Darlington, from birth through age 26.
The local public school district's special-education department provides IEP-based services, evaluations, and disability programming for eligible students living in Florence, the no-cost first stop for most families.
A nonprofit 1st–12th grade day school for students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences, one of a small number of OGA-accredited model schools nationally, about 70 miles from Florence in Columbia.
A tuition-free public charter school serving grades 2–8 with multisensory, structured Orton-Gillingham instruction for dyslexic learners, roughly 70 miles away in Columbia.
An established K–12 school (founded 1972) for students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences with all-OG-trained teachers and 4:1 classes, in Mount Pleasant near Charleston (about 120 miles, listed for families able to travel or board).
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.
The Lake City-area public district with a published Exceptional Children department covering recognized disability categories including autism, providing IEP-based services and related therapies under IDEA. Programs and staffing vary by year; verify with the district.
The county DSN board connects residents with intellectual disabilities, autism and related conditions to publicly funded supports, early intervention and service coordination across Florence County. A free public entry point for navigating disability services; offerings change with state DDSN funding.
A Florence practice led by a licensed Psycho-Educational Specialist and School Psychologist providing in-person psycho-educational, autism, ADHD and dyslexia evaluations with full-scale IQ and academic testing. Results are written to support school eligibility and IEP/504 classifications.
McLeod Health Children's Hospital in Florence is the Pee Dee's regional children's hospital, with pediatric subspecialty care and a pediatric rehabilitation program that assesses autism and developmental delays. The local academic starting point for a developmental workup and referrals; for complex autism diagnostics, families are often referred to MUSC in Charleston or Prisma Health in Columbia.
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC Children's Health) is the state's academic medical center for pediatric neuropsychology and complex autism diagnostic evaluation. The academic referral for complicated cases when a local evaluation is not enough — about two hours from Florence.
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 Pee Dee, instead of trusting star ratings.
South Carolina law requires districts to screen early-grade students for dyslexia and reading risk and provide evidence-based, structured-literacy intervention. Florence 1, Florence 3, and Darlington County 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 Florence, Darlington, and Hartsville. O-G and Wilson are the evidence-based, structured-literacy approaches for dyslexia; this is the gold-standard credential for a private tutor, instead of trusting ads. (Avoid non-evidence-based programs like vision therapy or Brain Balance.)
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 Florence ABA clinic delivering Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)-designed, RBT-implemented Applied Behavior Analysis for children with autism, plus outpatient mental health, speech therapy and social-skills groups. Part of a multi-state behavioral-health group.
A pediatric therapy clinic providing speech-language, occupational and physical therapy for children with developmental delays, autism and related challenges, founded and led by a speech-language pathologist. Confirm current Florence-area service availability when scheduling.
A long-standing Florence-based autism community agency serving Florence and five surrounding counties with information and referral, family support, advocacy, workshops, music therapy and inclusive camps — all at no cost. A trusted local hub for connecting families to credentialed providers.
McLeod Pediatric Rehabilitation, inside McLeod Outpatient Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine in Florence, provides pediatric physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy — including autism and related-diagnosis programs and feeding evaluations — from a regional hospital's credentialed CCC-SLP and OTR/L clinicians. A strong, coordinated local option.
Achieving Stars Therapy provides BCBA-led, play-based applied behavior analysis for children ages 2 to 18 in Florence and surrounding communities, with parent training built into every program and SC Medicaid plus Ryan's Law private insurance accepted. Ask about BHCOE accreditation. Surpass Behavioral Health and Full Spectrum ABA also serve Florence.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across the Pee Dee, ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Florence, Darlington, or Hartsville find the nearest credentialed clinician.
McLeod Children's Hospital provides pediatric and subspecialty care in Florence — a strong local medical starting point for developmental concerns and referrals, with MUSC in Charleston and Prisma Health in Columbia as academic referrals for complex autism, ADHD, and developmental diagnoses.
For children under 3 with developmental concerns, BabyNet provides a free multidisciplinary evaluation regardless of income — often the fastest no-cost route to understanding a young child's needs while you pursue a medical diagnosis.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians serving the Pee Dee — 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 Pee Dee — the field's real professional standard.
Family Connection of South Carolina is the state's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, evaluations, and the IEP process, with parent-to-parent support across all 46 counties. A respected statewide free resource before hiring a private advocate.
South Carolina'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.
For children birth to 3, BabyNet provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies regardless of family income — the earliest, no-barrier place to start in Florence and Darlington counties.
South Carolina Medicaid (Healthy Connections) covers medically necessary ABA, speech, occupational, and physical therapy for eligible children, and Ryan's Law requires many private insurers to cover autism treatment including ABA. Many Florence ABA providers accept both — a major low/no-cost path to services.
Family Connection of South Carolina offers free help understanding evaluations, IEPs, and your rights, plus parent-to-parent matching — a no-cost first call for any Pee Dee family navigating special education.
South Carolina's protection & advocacy agency provides free legal information and advocacy when special-education rights are denied — a no-cost resource for Florence and Darlington families before paying anyone.
For children birth to 3 with a developmental delay or qualifying condition, BabyNet — South Carolina's IDEA Part C early-intervention system — provides free evaluation and services regardless of family income: speech, occupational, and physical therapy, assistive technology, and developmental support. Anyone can refer a child, and the eligibility evaluation must be completed within 45 days of a complete referral. The earliest, no-barrier place to start in the Pee Dee.
Request a special-education evaluation in writing from your district — Florence 1 (Florence), Florence 3 (Lake City), or Darlington County. In South Carolina the district must complete the initial evaluation within 60 days of your written consent, then hold an eligibility/IEP meeting. This is the free legal route to an IEP under IDEA. Florence 1's Programs for Exceptional Children office is at 500 S. Dargan Street in Florence.
South Carolina's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency (formerly Protection & Advocacy for People with Disabilities) — 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 South Carolina families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
South Carolina'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 Florence?
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 Florence?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in South Carolina — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.