Acadiana — Lafayette plus the surrounding parishes of St. Martin, Vermilion, Iberia, and Acadia — has real, credentialed help for kids with special needs, anchored by Our Lady of Lourdes Children's Health and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's speech-language-hearing clinic. Your local school system — the Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS) and neighboring parish systems — runs special education and evaluations. This is Acadiana'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, Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification), never by reviews or who pays. In Louisiana your free front door is EarlySteps (early intervention, birth–3) and your parish school system'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 →
Specialized school for young children with autism using an interdisciplinary model staffed by licensed psychologists, BCBAs, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists. Pairs an educational program with intensive ABA, speech, and OT therapy.
Day school for grades 1-12 serving students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and related learning differences using structured, multisensory reading instruction. Small, nurturing classrooms focused on language-based learning disabilities.
Specialized program and school environment for students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and ADHD, delivering the Wilson Reading System through a credentialed Wilson Dyslexia Therapist (WDT) alongside comprehensive dyslexia testing.
SOAR Academy is a Lafayette therapeutic education program for children with autism spectrum disorder or developmental delay, using the Unique Learning System curriculum delivered with applied-behavior-analysis principles and multidisciplinary supports — a specialized placement your IEP team can consider.
Education Destination is a Lafayette nonprofit educational center offering a K–12 academic and social-learning program for students with learning challenges, with students able to earn a diploma — a small, specialized alternative when a traditional classroom isn't working.
Louisiana's School Choice Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities can help eligible students with disabilities access approved nonpublic schools — worth checking with the Louisiana Department of Education if you're seeking a specialized placement.
The only K-12 school in Louisiana dedicated solely to children with dyslexia and language-based learning differences. Founded 1972 by the Dyslexia Association of Greater Baton Rouge; multisensory, evidence-based structured-literacy instruction with certified staff. Fully accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and Cognia, and approved by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). Caliber comparable to The Siena School. Located ~55 miles from Lafayette in Baton Rouge; included given the scarcity of a comparable dyslexia day school in the Lafayette market.
A tuition-based therapeutic special-education school program of Aspire Behavioral Health Center for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and developmental delays. Instruction uses the Louisiana-aligned Unique Learning System delivered through Applied Behavior Analysis, with integrated speech, occupational therapy, and behavioral supports; lead instructor holds a Master's in Education (special-education concentration). Aspire's ABA program held BHCOE (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence) accreditation, which lapsed 05/30/2026 and should be reverified. The closest autism-focused, ABA-grounded specialized school in Lafayette.
A nonprofit specialty school in Lafayette (opened 2013) serving K-12 students with learning challenges and learning disabilities, leading to a diploma. Small 7:1 classroom ratio, individualized academic plus social-emotional/anxiety-focused instruction, and staffing supported by University of Louisiana at Lafayette educators. An established, locally recognized specialized school rather than a drop-in tutoring center; verify accreditation/BESE status directly during enrollment.
The public special-education department for one of Louisiana's largest districts (~30,000 students). Provides the full IDEA continuum for students with disabilities ages 3-21, including dedicated Deaf Education and Visual Impairment programs, speech-language and occupational/physical therapy, adapted PE, assistive technology, pupil-appraisal evaluations, homebound instruction, and a post-secondary transition program. The primary no-cost option with certified special-education staff and statutory IEP rights for Lafayette families.
Psychology practice providing autism screening, neuropsychological evaluations, and ADHD and learning-disability assessments for all ages, performed by a licensed psychologist and associates.
Psychology practice offering autism, ADHD, and learning-disability evaluations for all ages with in-person and virtual options, conducted by licensed psychologists.
Established Lafayette clinic focused on the assessment and treatment of attention and learning disorders, providing structured ADHD and learning-disability evaluation services.
Our Lady of Lourdes Children's Health operates Acadiana's only women's & children's hospital and a Children's Specialty Center with pediatric neurology and developmental services — the region's hospital-based home for diagnosing and managing autism and developmental conditions.
Family Solutions Counseling runs an Autism Center in Lafayette providing diagnostic autism evaluation alongside ABA therapy — a local option for both the diagnosis and the treatment under one organization. Verify the evaluating clinician's licensure and credentials.
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 Acadiana (LSU Health and academic centers in Baton Rouge/New Orleans are the referral for complex cases), instead of trusting star ratings.
The Academic Language Therapy Association lists Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALTs) — clinicians with deep, supervised training in structured-literacy (Orton-Gillingham-based) dyslexia intervention. CALT is a gold-standard credential to look for in an Acadiana dyslexia therapist, instead of trusting ads.
The Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners and Educators lists accredited O-G practitioners — searchable across Acadiana. Another evidence-based, structured-literacy 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.
Center-based, play-based ABA therapy for children from 18 months through school age with BCBA-designed programs and 1:1 care. Accepts most insurance.
Established Lafayette pediatric clinic providing speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, and feeding therapy with ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists and licensed occupational therapists on staff.
Pediatric occupational, speech, and physical therapy center in Lafayette providing licensed therapy services for children with developmental and learning needs.
Pediatric clinic providing speech-language, literacy, and occupational therapy services to children in Lafayette, with a focus on sensory and communication needs.
Provides pediatric speech-language therapy and occupational therapy with personalized, in-home and clinic-based care from licensed therapists. Accepts insurance.
Aspire Behavioral Health Center is Acadiana's only Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE)-accredited ABA program — the quality credential to verify in any ABA provider. BCBA-led applied behavior analysis for children with autism, just north of Lafayette in Carencro.
The Therapy Center of Acadiana has provided ABA therapy in greater Lafayette since 2011 — an established local applied-behavior-analysis provider for children with autism. Verify current BCBA supervision and credentials.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Speech, Language & Hearing Center provides speech-language evaluation and therapy delivered by graduate clinicians under ASHA-certified CCC-SLP supervision — a credentialed, lower-cost local option for ongoing speech services.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across Acadiana, ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Lafayette, New Iberia, or Abbeville find the nearest credentialed clinician.
Our Lady of Lourdes Children's Health offers pediatric neurology and developmental services in Lafayette — the local medical home for evaluating and managing autism, ADHD, and developmental conditions, with LSU Health and New Orleans/Baton Rouge academic centers as the referral for complex cases.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians serving the Lafayette 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 Acadiana — the field's real professional standard.
Families Helping Families of Acadiana is the region's Parent Training and Information Center — free information & referral, peer-to-peer support, and education/training to help you understand your rights, evaluations, and the IEP process. A respected free resource before hiring a private advocate.
Louisiana'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 University of Louisiana at Lafayette's Speech, Language & Hearing Center (Burke-Hawthorne Hall) provides low-cost speech-language and hearing evaluation and therapy delivered by supervised graduate clinicians — a strong-value option for ongoing services in Acadiana.
Families Helping Families of Acadiana offers free information & referral, peer support, and trainings for families of children with disabilities across the region — a no-cost first call to navigate every system on this page.
For children birth to 3, EarlySteps provides free developmental evaluation and early-intervention therapies in your child's natural environment — the earliest, no-barrier place to start in Acadiana.
Easterseals Louisiana provides disability services and family supports (and is a longtime EarlySteps partner) across the state — a helpful, accessible nonprofit hub for families in Acadiana navigating services.
For children birth to 3 with a developmental delay or a qualifying medical condition, EarlySteps — Louisiana's Part C early-intervention system — provides free evaluation and services (speech, OT, PT, developmental) delivered in your child's natural environment. Contact the Acadiana-region System Point of Entry (SPOE) to start. The earliest, no-barrier place to begin.
At age 3, request a special-education evaluation in writing from your parish system — Lafayette Parish School System (LPSS), or the St. Martin, Vermilion, Iberia, or Acadia parish systems. The district must evaluate and, if eligible, write an IEP under IDEA. This is the free legal route to services.
Louisiana'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 Louisiana families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Louisiana'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 Lafayette?
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 Lafayette?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Louisiana — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.