The Pine Belt — Hattiesburg, Petal, Purvis, and the rest of Forrest, Lamar, and Perry counties — has unusually strong, credentialed help for kids with special needs, because it's the home of the University of Southern Mississippi: the DuBard School for Language Disorders, the USM Speech-Language-Pathology & Audiology Clinic, and the USM Center for Behavioral Health all anchor the region. Your local districts — Hattiesburg Public School District, Lamar County, Forrest County, Petal, and Forrest County AHS — each run special education. This is the Pine Belt'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, CALT, board-certification), never by reviews or who pays. In Mississippi your free front door is First Steps Early Intervention (birth–3) 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 →
Mississippi's diploma-granting, neurodiverse-affirming college-prep school for students with dyslexia, autism, ADHD, language disorders, and anxiety, organized into Dyslexia, Autism, and College Prep academies. Triple accredited by Cognia, the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools, and the Mississippi Department of Education, and a member of NAIS; accepts state ESA and Dyslexia Scholarships.
A fully MDE-accredited therapeutic day school run by Canopy Children's Solutions for students with autism and emotional disabilities whose needs aren't met in a traditional classroom. Small classes of 8–10 students, each staffed with a licensed teacher and a behavioral specialist; coursework is fully transferable back to Mississippi public schools.
The DuBard School for Language Disorders — the original, nationally respected program (founded 1962, a clinical division of USM's School of Speech and Hearing Sciences) — serves children with severe language-speech disorders and dyslexia using the DuBard Association Method, an intensive, multisensory, Orton-Gillingham-aligned approach. One of the premier specialized placements anywhere in the South, right here in Hattiesburg.
The Hattiesburg Public School District's Office of Exceptional Children runs in-district specialized programs — autism support, behavior, and resource settings — that your IEP team can place your child in (Lamar County, Forrest County, and Petal run their own as well). Insist on the right program through the IEP process.
Mississippi's Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship helps eligible students with dyslexia attend an approved dyslexia-therapy school (such as DuBard) at public expense — a powerful state option worth asking about if your child has a dyslexia diagnosis.
Long-established (1962) clinical school operated by the University of Southern Mississippi for children with severe language-speech disorders (developmental aphasia, childhood apraxia, hearing impairment) and the written-language disorder of dyslexia. Uses the proprietary, research-based DuBard Association Method delivered by certified specialists. Enrollment is provided at no cost to qualifying families. The gold-standard language-based program in the region.
Established 2008, a full-day school serving students (entering grades 2-3, three-year minimum through 6th) whose primary diagnosis is dyslexia. All instruction is delivered by licensed dyslexia therapists trained through William Carey University's IMSLEC/IDA-accredited dyslexia therapy master's program, using a structured, multisensory Orton-Gillingham-based curriculum. State-accredited special-purpose school with a clear specialization and track record.
The local public district's special-education department, providing free appropriate public education (FAPE) under IDEA across all district schools. Runs Child Find, multidisciplinary evaluations (speech-language, psychological, educational), eligibility determination, and IEP-based services for autism, learning disabilities, speech-language, and other disability categories. The no-cost, legally mandated option that serves every Hattiesburg-resident student who qualifies.
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.
A well-resourced public special-education department serving roughly 890 students ages 3–21 with 71 teachers, seven speech-language pathologists, and four full-time behavior specialists. Continuum includes a developmentally delayed preschool, resource/inclusion, self-contained, multi-disabled, transition/behavior, and homebound services. Programs change year to year—verify current offerings with the district.
Special-education services across one of the metro's largest and fastest-growing districts (Oak Grove, Purvis, Sumrall, Lumberton areas), providing IDEA-required evaluation and a continuum of placements for students with disabilities ages 3–21. Programs change year to year—confirm current services and eligibility with the district office.
The University of Southern Mississippi's Center for Behavioral Health provides comprehensive evaluation for developmental delays — including Autism Spectrum Disorder — academic difficulties, and learning disorders, delivered by supervised clinicians on the USM campus. A credentialed, often lower-cost route to a thorough diagnosis.
Hattiesburg Clinic's Behavioral & Academic Health service evaluates attention problems, learning differences, and behavioral concerns; Youth Villages (15 Professional Pkwy, 601-271-7600) provides diagnostic testing and ABA. Local diagnose-and-treat options — verify the evaluating clinician's licensure and diagnostic tools.
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 Pine Belt (UMMC's Center for Advancement of Youth in Jackson, ~1.5 hours, is the academic referral for complex cases), instead of trusting star ratings.
Beyond its school, DuBard is a national training center for the multisensory, Orton-Gillingham-aligned DuBard Association Method — making the Pine Belt one of the deepest dyslexia-expertise hubs in the country. A gold-standard reference for what evidence-based dyslexia instruction should look like.
The Academic Language Therapy Association lists Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALTs) — many trained through the DuBard model. The gold-standard, Orton-Gillingham-based credential to verify in any private dyslexia therapist in the Pine Belt.
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 full-service outpatient pediatric clinic offering occupational, speech, and physical therapy for children, with licensed clinicians including a CCC-SLP clinic director and OTR/L occupational therapists. Evening and weekend hours available.
Will's Way Behavioral provides BCBA-led applied behavior analysis for children with autism in Hattiesburg (with a Gulfport location too) — a credentialed local autism provider. Verify current BCBA supervision and ask about BHCOE accreditation.
Bright Steps Therapy offers an integrated approach combining occupational therapy, sensory integration, physical therapy, and play-based intervention for children with autism in Hattiesburg — a credentialed, multidisciplinary local clinic.
The USM Speech-Language-Pathology and Audiology Clinic has provided comprehensive assessment and treatment for more than 50 years, delivered by graduate clinicians under ASHA-certified CCC-SLP supervision — credentialed care at a lower cost, right on the USM campus.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across the Pine Belt (Full Spectrum ABA and Hopebridge also serve Mississippi), ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Hattiesburg, Petal, or Purvis find the nearest credentialed clinician.
Forrest General Hospital and Merit Health Wesley provide pediatric care in Hattiesburg — local medical starting points for developmental concerns and referrals, with Children's of Mississippi (UMMC, Jackson) as the academic referral for complex autism, ADHD, and developmental diagnoses.
The Center for Advancement of Youth at Children's of Mississippi (UMMC, Jackson, ~1.5 hours) offers the state's academic developmental-behavioral pediatrics and autism diagnostics — the referral for complex cases.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians serving the Pine Belt — 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 Pine Belt — the field's real professional standard.
EMPOWER Community Resource Center is Mississippi's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, evaluations, and the IEP process, with trained parent advocates. A respected statewide free resource before hiring a private advocate.
Mississippi'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.
The USM Speech-Language-Pathology and Audiology Clinic provides low-cost speech-language and hearing evaluation and therapy by supervised graduate clinicians on the Hattiesburg campus — a strong-value option for ongoing services.
For children birth to 3, Mississippi First Steps provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies — the earliest, no-barrier place to start in the Pine Belt (601-583-0291).
Mississippi's Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship lets eligible students with dyslexia attend an approved dyslexia-therapy school (like DuBard) at public expense — one of the strongest no-cost paths to intensive, evidence-based reading help in the Pine Belt.
EMPOWER offers free help understanding evaluations, IEPs, and your rights — a no-cost first call for any Pine Belt family navigating special education.
For children birth to 3 with a developmental delay or a condition likely to cause one, Mississippi's First Steps Early Intervention Program (State Department of Health) provides free evaluation and services (speech, OT, PT, developmental). Call the Hattiesburg office at 601-583-0291. The earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Request a special-education evaluation in writing from your district — Hattiesburg Public School District (Office of Exceptional Children, 601-582-5078), Lamar County, Forrest County, or Petal. In Mississippi the district must complete the evaluation within 60 calendar days of your written consent, then hold an eligibility/IEP meeting. This is the free legal route to an IEP under IDEA.
Mississippi'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 Mississippi families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Mississippi'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 Hattiesburg?
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 Hattiesburg?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Mississippi — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.