Greater Jacksonville spans four counties — Duval, Clay, St. Johns, and Nassau — and far more than downtown: Orange Park, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach, Middleburg, Jacksonville Beach. This directory is built so a family ANYWHERE on the First Coast can find genuinely excellent help nearby, not just options clustered downtown. It's ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham/Wilson accreditation, COPAA, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Start with the free Florida options (your county runs its own Early Intervention), then the best evaluators, schools, therapists, doctors, and advocates near you.
✓ Every provider here is vetted by credentials, never pay-to-play. How we choose →
Specialized school for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning disabilities, using evidence-based Orton-Gillingham, multisensory instruction, and assistive technology. Serves the greater Jacksonville/St. Johns area.
Private school for students with language-based learning disabilities including dyslexia, dysgraphia, auditory processing disorder, and ADHD. Orton-Gillingham serves as the foundation of its language arts curriculum.
Private nonprofit school for children with autism and developmental disabilities, providing individualized instruction grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis and the analysis of Verbal Behavior. Located in the Arlington neighborhood.
Not-for-profit full-service K–12 educational center for children with autism spectrum disorders, serving ages 3–4 through 14+ with a STEP transition program for older students.
Private nonprofit (est. 2012) serving K–12 students with autism and other neurodiverse challenges, plus transition services up to age 22.
Accredited independent school (founded 1968) for students with ADHD, autism, and learning differences, using small classes and individualized plans across two Jacksonville-area campuses.
Special-education school (Diocese of St. Augustine) fully accredited by the Florida Catholic Conference, serving K–12 students with specific learning disabilities, ADD, mild intellectual disabilities, processing deficits, and high-functioning autism; includes speech-language and behavior support.
Founded in 1980, DePaul School of Northeast Florida is a nonprofit school for students with dyslexia in grades 2–8, using a multisensory Orton-Gillingham approach — accredited by AISF and NCPSA and eligible for Florida scholarship programs. Greater Jacksonville's flagship dyslexia school.
A nonprofit fully accredited by the Florida Council of Independent Schools, North Florida School of Special Education serves students with intellectual and developmental differences ages 6–22, plus a postgraduate program for young adults 22–40.
The Morris Center (Jacksonville) provides evidence-based, multisensory instruction and an academy program for students with dyslexia and learning disorders — a research-driven option for families who need specialized literacy intervention.
FND's parent specialists can help you compare additional First Coast school options for dyslexia, autism, and learning differences at no cost — and explain Florida scholarship programs (like the Family Empowerment Scholarship for students with disabilities).
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 DCPS dedicated school for grades 1-8 specializing in dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia, using small-group multisensory instruction aligned to Florida standards. Programs change year to year; confirm current eligibility with the district.
Free public DCPS specialized school serving students ages 3-11 with autism spectrum disorder. Part of the district's ESE Choice options. Programs change year to year; confirm current eligibility and seats with the district.
Directed by two licensed psychologists (Adrienne DeSantis King, PhD; Parastoo Nabizadeh, PsyD), Beacon offers ADOS-2 autism assessment, ADHD evaluation, psychoeducational and learning-disorder testing, and gifted testing for children across Jacksonville, Clay, and St. Johns.
Founder Dr. Renee Winner, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in ADHD and learning disorders, conducts one-on-one psychoeducational, dyslexia, and ADHD testing for children and adults, and offers Orton-Gillingham dyslexia tutoring under the same roof.
Long-standing Jacksonville nonprofit offering comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, early autism evaluation (ADOS-2, EarliPoint), and educational advocacy, with on-site speech, OT, PT, and ABA for its preschool program.
Nemours Children's Specialty Care Jacksonville (affiliated with Wolfson Children's Hospital) has a psychology division with a board-certified neuropsychologist, psychometrists, and a fellowship program — comprehensive evaluation of learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism.
A Jacksonville private practice led by Allison Cato Jackson, PhD, ABPP — a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist with 15+ years evaluating children for autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and giftedness. The credential to look for in a private evaluator.
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 (in Orange Park, Ponte Vedra, or St. Augustine), instead of trusting star ratings.
Research-based, structured-literacy reading intervention (Barton Reading & Spelling, Lindamood LiPS, Visualizing & Verbalizing) for students with dyslexia, with Jacksonville and St. Augustine locations.
Dannah Fritz (who founded the practice after her own son's dyslexia diagnosis) and Tiffany VillacortaBuer are Certified Barton Tutors and Orton-Gillingham instructors using structured-literacy and Structured Word Inquiry methods. Their Jacksonville practice serves children with dyslexia and persistent reading/spelling difficulties across the First Coast.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across the First Coast — searchable by area so you can find one near Orange Park, Ponte Vedra, St. Augustine, or wherever you live. The gold-standard credential 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.
Multidisciplinary pediatric practice offering ABA, speech-language therapy (CCC-SLP), and occupational therapy for children ages 12 months to 22 years, grounded in clinical psychology and rehabilitative medicine.
Outpatient pediatric therapy from a long-established Jacksonville rehabilitation system, offering licensed occupational, speech-language, and physical therapy. Multiple area clinics including Mandarin.
Center-based and in-home ABA therapy delivered by qualified BCBAs/LBAs with individualized treatment plans for children with autism.
Autism treatment center providing individualized ABA treatment plans developed and supervised by Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs).
Pediatric provider connecting families with board-certified psychologists, BCBAs, and speech-language pathologists for autism diagnosis, ABA, and speech therapy.
BHCOE-accredited ABA provider with two Jacksonville learning centers (Southpoint and Bartram Park) delivering research-based early intervention for autistic children.
BHCOE-accredited ABA provider (Council of Autism Service Providers member) with an Orange Park clinic — important coverage for Clay County and the southwest side of the metro.
Multidisciplinary pediatric practice offering speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy plus ABA, counseling, and social-skills groups, with a Jacksonville location for ABA services.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider with a Jacksonville location — research-based early intervention for autistic children, accredited for clinical quality rather than chosen by ad spend.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider (Council of Autism Service Providers member) with an Orange Park location — important coverage for Clay County and the southwest side of the metro, where downtown options are a long drive.
The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory lists accredited ABA providers across the First Coast — searchable by zip so a family in St. Augustine, Fernandina, or Middleburg can find the nearest accredited center.
A therapist-owned private practice in Jacksonville offering pediatric speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, and early-intervention services for children from birth to 18 — feeding, speech/language, and sensory/OT concerns under one roof, by clinicians rather than a corporate chain.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's directory lists speech-language pathologists who hold the CCC-SLP — the national mark of a fully qualified clinician, searchable anywhere in the metro.
Baptist Health pediatric neuropsychologist providing diagnostic evaluation of learning, attention, and developmental concerns within the Jacksonville hospital system.
UF Health Jacksonville's Neurodevelopmental Pediatrics brings together physicians, psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and educational coordinators to diagnose and manage autism, ADHD, and developmental concerns — paired with the free UF CARD program for ongoing support.
Wolfson Children's Hospital (Baptist Health) and Nemours provide developmental-behavioral pediatric diagnosis and care for autism, ADHD, and developmental delay — board-certified options on the north/east side of the metro.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across the Jacksonville metro — the credential to verify for a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis.
Jacksonville 501(c)(3) that has helped 800+ students since 2015 with IEP and 504 advocacy; Duval County families may qualify for free or reduced-cost services through Kids Hope Alliance / City of Jacksonville grant funding.
Florida special-education law firm whose attorney Nina Kannatt represents families across the northeast (Duval, St. Johns, Flagler, Nassau, Clay); team includes COPAA members handling IEP/504 disputes and due process.
COPAA-trained advanced special-education advocate with 1,000+ Florida IEP meetings, helping families across Jacksonville with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and other needs through the IEP/504 process.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving the Jacksonville metro — the field's real professional standard.
A Jacksonville special-needs and special-education law practice serving Duval, Clay, Nassau, and Baker counties (including Orange Park and Yulee) — legal representation for IEP and 504 disputes when a district isn't meeting its obligations.
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across Duval, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns counties — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
UF Health's Center for Autism and Related Disabilities provides FREE direct assistance to Northeast Florida families — referrals, parent workshops, case coordination, service planning, and community support for autism and related disabilities. A standout no-cost resource alongside clinical care.
The University of Florida's faculty- and student-run Screen Team provides free speech, language, and hearing screenings for children in early-intervention programs, daycares, and schools across northeast Florida — a no-cost first step if you're not sure whether to pursue a full evaluation.
For children birth to 3 in Duval, Clay, St. Johns, or Nassau County, Early Steps provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies through your local office — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
For children birth to 3, Florida's Early Steps provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention services at no cost, run locally by region. Whether you're in Jacksonville, Orange Park, St. Augustine, or Fernandina, your county's Early Steps office is the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Florida's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency — free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are denied, anywhere in the state. A powerful free resource before you pay anyone.
Florida's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings, serving First Coast families and the whole state. A great first call.
Federally funded and free — they help Florida families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Florida's protection & advocacy agency — free legal-rights information and help if your child's rights are being denied.
When you’re ready, an expert can review your child’s IEP and build your plan. See how it works →
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How do I start the special-education process in Jacksonville?
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 Jacksonville?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Florida — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.