Lexington and the Bluegrass — Nicholasville, Georgetown, Richmond, Versailles, Winchester — have strong, credentialed help for kids with special needs, anchored by UK HealthCare's Kentucky Children's Hospital and a free Scottish Rite dyslexia center. This is Lexington'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, CALT/Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Kentucky has no Regional Center system; your free front door is First Steps (Kentucky Early Intervention) 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 →
A "school within a school" (grades 1–8) for students with dyslexia, dysgraphia and other language-based learning differences, using science-of-reading structured literacy. Housed within The Lexington School, an accredited independent school.
Independent K–12 school founded in 2003 for students who learn differently (dyslexia, ADHD, language-based LD, processing/sensory disorders, autism), with small classes, individualized plans and modified Orton-Gillingham reading intervention by reading specialists.
Nonprofit center providing Orton-Gillingham multisensory structured-language tutoring, evaluation and resources for dyslexia. Its tutors complete a formal O-G course with supervised practicum hours.
Small therapeutic K–12 day school (about a 7:1 ratio) integrating Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) for students with ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, specific learning disabilities and early-childhood/foster-adoption trauma.
KY-SPIN can help your family understand Lexington-area special-education placement options and your rights in choosing the right setting, at no cost — a free, knowledgeable starting point when you're weighing schools and programs.
A searchable directory for comparing Lexington-area private and special-education school options by location, grades, and program — useful if you're seeking a specialized private placement.
The Lexington-area public district's special-education department, staffed by state-certified special educators, operating disability-specific Intensive Learning Programs (ILPs) for students with autism and related intensive needs at sites such as Diamond, Fiske, and Hastings elementaries, plus full continuum IEP services. The free, IDEA-mandated public option serving every Lexington ZIP.
Long-running specialized school (founded 1893) on a 900+ acre campus serving children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through individualized academic, vocational, and life-skills programming with certified, dedicated staff. Roughly 25-30 miles from Lexington near Frankfort; included as a high-credential specialized option within range for students with IDD.
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 Lexington/Fayette County district's special education department runs Child Find, IEP services and a dedicated autism resource program (fcps.net/autism). Free and federally mandated; specific placements and programs vary by year and student need.
Special education services for the Nicholasville/Jessamine County portion of the Lexington metro, including school psychologists and OT/PT/speech therapists supporting IEPs. Free; programs vary year to year.
Serves roughly 500 students with IEPs in the Versailles/Woodford County part of the metro, with school psychologists and occupational, physical and speech therapists on staff. Free; programs vary year to year.
Exceptional Child Services / special education for the Georgetown/Scott County part of the Lexington metro, providing IEP-based instruction and related services. Free; specific programs change year to year.
Practice led by Dr. Olivia Williams (PhD, LPA) providing comprehensive psychological and psychoeducational testing for ADHD, learning disabilities and autism.
Dr. Jessica M. Newland, Psy.D., offers neurodiversity-affirming psychological assessment including autism, ADHD, learning differences and cognitive/intellectual testing.
Autism diagnostic evaluations led by a doctoral-level psychologist (Dr. Jazmin Burns, PsyD), covering developmental history and assessment of communication, social interaction and behavior. Two Lexington locations.
Kentucky Children's Hospital (UK HealthCare) is the Bluegrass's academic children's medical center, providing developmental and behavioral evaluation for autism, ADHD, and developmental concerns — the region's leading hospital-based diagnostic route.
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 Lexington area, instead of trusting star ratings.
Part of the Scottish Rite-supported national network, the Children's Dyslexia Center provides free or minimal-cost, one-on-one Orton-Gillingham (multisensory structured language) tutoring for children with dyslexia — IMSLEC-accredited at every training level. One of the best no-cost reading resources for Kentucky families.
The Academy of Orton-Gillingham and the Academic Language Therapy Association list accredited O-G practitioners and CALTs across the Bluegrass — searchable near Lexington, Nicholasville, or Georgetown. 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.
Long-standing nonprofit providing pediatric occupational, physical and speech-language therapy—including for autism, speech/language delay and feeding/swallowing—with an aquatic therapy center and a Kentucky Children's Hospital developmental-pediatrics partnership.
Nonprofit founded in 1960 whose speech-language pathologists all hold master's degrees and the ASHA Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC), offering speech/language therapy plus listening-and-spoken-language and early-learning programs.
Pediatric therapy clinic offering speech, occupational, physical and ABA therapy under credentialed clinicians, with an individualized treatment-plan model.
Center-based ABA therapy for children with autism, using evidence-based ABA under a licensed Board Certified Behavior Analyst clinical director to build communication, independence and life skills.
Jessica Hundley, M.S., CCC-SLP, CLC, owns Kentucky Therapy Solutions in Lexington — a named, nationally certified speech-language pathologist (and certified lactation counselor) providing speech, feeding, and myofunctional therapy, a personal alternative to the larger systems.
Kraska & Associates has provided pediatric occupational and speech therapy in Lexington for over 20 years — an established, multidisciplinary local clinic for children's developmental and sensory needs.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across the Bluegrass (including Associates in Pediatric Therapy, which offers ABA + speech + OT), ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Nicholasville, Georgetown, or Richmond find the nearest.
Kentucky Children's Hospital (UK HealthCare) provides developmental and behavioral pediatric evaluation and care for autism, ADHD, and developmental conditions — the Bluegrass's academic medical home. Ask your pediatrician for a referral.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across the Lexington 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 Lexington area — the field's real professional standard.
KY-SPIN's trained parent specialists help Kentucky families prepare for and understand IEP meetings at no cost — a respected, statewide free alternative to hiring a private advocate first.
Kentucky'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 Kentucky's Speech-Language Pathology Clinic (135 E. Maxwell St) provides low-cost speech and language evaluation and therapy by ASHA-certified, licensed clinicians and supervised graduate students — one of the Bluegrass's best-value options.
For children birth to 3, First Steps provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention services — the earliest, no-barrier place to start in Kentucky.
Legal Aid of the Bluegrass provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across the Lexington area — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
KY-SPIN offers free workshops and one-on-one parent support across Kentucky — a rich free resource for families learning their rights and navigating the system.
First Steps (the Kentucky Early Intervention System) is Kentucky's statewide IDEA Part C program for children birth to 3 with a developmental delay or established risk condition — free developmental evaluation and early-intervention services. The earliest, no-barrier place to start.
KY-SPIN is Kentucky's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center (since 1988) — free training, information, and support to help you understand your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings, for children birth to 26. A great first call.
Kentucky'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 Kentucky families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Kentucky'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 Lexington?
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 Lexington?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Kentucky — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.