Green Bay and Brown County — De Pere, Howard, Ashwaubenon, Bellevue, Suamico, and the Fox Valley reach — have strong, credentialed help for kids with special needs. This is Green Bay's 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, Wilson/Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Wisconsin has no Regional Center system; your free front door is the county-run Birth to 3 Program (Brown County) for birth–3 and your school district's evaluation 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 →
Long-standing Green Bay nonprofit serving children with cerebral palsy, autism, and other disabilities, combining an inclusive learning environment with on-site occupational, physical, and speech therapy and an aquatic therapy center. Therapy delivered by licensed/credentialed clinicians.
Syble Hopp School is Brown County's public specialized school serving students (ages 3–21) with intellectual and developmental disabilities — small classes, life-skills and vocational programming, and integrated therapies. A long-established placement option for students who need a fully specialized setting.
A searchable directory for comparing Green Bay-area private and special-education school options by location, grades, and program — useful if you're seeking a specialized private placement.
The local public district runs specialized in-district programming including Autism Focus and Behavior Focus classrooms, speech/language, intellectual-disability, vision and deaf/hard-of-hearing services for eligible students under IEPs.
A long-established Brown County public school serving students ages 3–21 with intellectual and other developmental disabilities from De Pere, West De Pere, Ashwaubenon, Howard-Suamico, Pulaski, Denmark and Wrightstown districts.
The regional Cooperative Educational Service Agency serving Green Bay-area districts provides specialized special-education programming, consultation and student services that local schools draw on for harder-to-serve needs.
A private therapeutic day school (about 30 miles south) for children and young adults with developmental/neurological disabilities and behavioral or emotional needs who have struggled in traditional school settings.
Provides dyslexia screening and one-on-one Orton-Gillingham, Structured Literacy reading and spelling intervention for Fox Cities-area students delivered by trained, licensed specialists.
A LEARN Behavioral center offering center-based and in-home applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy, early intervention and school-readiness programming for young autistic children.
A Wisconsin-based autism specialty provider offering diagnostic evaluation and intensive, individualized ABA therapy for young children at its Appleton clinic serving the broader Fox Valley/Green Bay region.
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 metro's largest district operates a full continuum of autism and special-education programming, from cross-categorical support to self-contained classrooms for students with significant communication and sensory needs, staffed by licensed special educators. Programs change year to year.
Well-regarded suburban district north of Green Bay providing IEP-driven special-education and related services (speech, OT, PT, school psychology) in cooperation with CESA and area partners. Programs change year to year.
Suburban district serving the southwest metro with licensed special-education staff delivering IEP services across its schools, plus access to the county Syble Hopp program for students with more significant needs. Programs change year to year.
De Pere district providing in-district IEP special-education and related services, and a member of the Brown County board that operates the Syble Hopp specialized school for students with significant disabilities. Programs change year to year.
University-of-Wisconsin-affiliated interdisciplinary diagnostic clinic with developmental-behavioral pediatricians, psychologists, SLPs, and OTs for complex autism and developmental evaluations. Statewide referral center for families in the Green Bay region.
Children's Wisconsin's Center for Child Development is the state's leading interdisciplinary developmental team — developmental-behavioral pediatricians, pediatric psychologists, SLPs, OTs, and PTs who complete autism diagnostic evaluations and support families through transitions. The flagship is in Milwaukee/Wauwatosa, but it's the region's premier diagnostic referral for complex cases and Children's Wisconsin maintains a Northeast Wisconsin presence.
Caravel Autism Health provides comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for autism right in the Green Bay area (Howard/Green Bay centers) — a local option for getting a formal diagnosis without traveling out of the region, followed by treatment if 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 the Green Bay area, instead of trusting star ratings.
On the Mark Dyslexia Clinic (716 S. Madison St., Green Bay) is a Northeastern-Wisconsin nonprofit promoting the literacy of dyslexic K–12 students through a structured-literacy program delivered by trained tutors — founded in the Wilson Reading System tradition. A rare local, mission-driven dyslexia center.
The Academy of Orton-Gillingham and the Academic Language Therapy Association list accredited O-G practitioners and CALTs across Northeast Wisconsin — searchable near Green Bay, De Pere, or Appleton. 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.
Health-system pediatric therapy team providing speech-language (CCC-SLP), occupational (OTR/L), and physical therapy, partnered with HSHS St. Vincent Children's Hospital. Treats developmental, neurological, and feeding/communication needs.
Brown County's first BCBA-owned center for comprehensive ABA therapy, serving children ages 2-18 with autism to build communication, social, and independence skills. Locally owned and operated by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Structured-literacy dyslexia center whose tutors are all Certified Wilson Dyslexia Practitioners or Therapists, each having completed a 1-year supervised practicum approved by the International Dyslexia Association. Wilson Reading System intervention.
WEAP is one of Wisconsin's most established ABA providers, with Green Bay and De Pere learning centers offering diagnostic evaluations and personalized applied behavior analysis for children with autism. The WEAP organization carries BHCOE accreditation — the real quality marker for ABA.
New Leaf Speech and Voice provides speech, language, stuttering, social-skills, reading, and voice therapy to children and adults across Northeastern Wisconsin (Green Bay metro and Shawano) with ASHA-certified (CCC-SLP) clinicians — a focused private speech-language option.
Aurora BayCare offers a full range of pediatric therapy for infants, children, and teens in Green Bay — physical, occupational, and speech therapy plus audiology, with licensed and nationally certified clinicians under a coordinated hospital system.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across Brown County, ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in De Pere, Howard, or Ashwaubenon find the nearest.
HSHS St. Vincent Children's Hospital, with partner Prevea Health, is Green Bay's dedicated children's hospital — Prevea Pediatrics provides specialized pediatric care across Green Bay, De Pere, and Howard, the local medical home for developmental concerns and referrals.
Children's Wisconsin's Center for Child Development team of developmental-behavioral pediatricians and pediatric psychologists diagnoses and helps manage autism, ADHD, and complex developmental conditions — the state's premier academic developmental-medicine team and the referral for the toughest cases.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across the Green Bay area — 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 Green Bay area — the field's real professional standard.
WI FACETS's trained parent specialists help Wisconsin families prepare for and understand IEP meetings at no cost — a respected, statewide free alternative to hiring a private advocate first.
Wisconsin'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.
As a mission-driven nonprofit, On the Mark Dyslexia Clinic provides structured-literacy reading intervention for dyslexic K–12 students in Green Bay at a far lower cost than private tutoring — one of the area's best-value dyslexia resources.
The Aging & Disability Resource Center of Brown County offers free, unbiased information and connection to local disability services, benefits, and supports — a no-cost local hub when you're not sure where to turn.
Legal Action of Wisconsin provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across the Green Bay area — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
For children birth to 3, Brown County's Birth to 3 Program provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies — the earliest, no-barrier place to start in the Green Bay area.
For children birth to 3, Wisconsin's Birth to 3 Program provides free developmental evaluation and early-intervention services (speech, OT, PT, developmental) — run county by county. In the Green Bay area, contact Brown County Birth to 3. The earliest, no-barrier place to start.
WI FACETS is Wisconsin's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings, with trained parent support. A great first call.
Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Wisconsin'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 Green Bay?
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 Green Bay?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Wisconsin — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.