Greater Memphis covers Shelby and Tipton counties — Memphis, Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, Cordova — plus Northern Mississippi just over the line (DeSoto County: Southaven, Olive Branch). This is a true yellow pages of the best, most relevant help for a child with special needs, built so a family ANYWHERE in the metro can find genuinely excellent care nearby — named experts and therapists, not just directories. It's ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Start with the free Tennessee options (Mississippi-side families use Mississippi First Steps), 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 →
The only private independent school and training center in the Mid-South for students with intellectual disabilities (Down syndrome, rare genetic disorders, autism, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders), serving ages 4-30+. Staffed by nine licensed special education teachers plus full-time speech and occupational therapists.
State-approved, private, non-profit school (grades 6-12) for students with autism, learning and intellectual disabilities, language-processing disorders, and ADHD. Member of the Memphis Association of Independent Schools.
Private nonprofit founded in 1957 providing therapeutic education for children age 2 through transition to kindergarten with developmental disabilities including autism, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy. Staffed by licensed special education teachers and board-certified behavior analysts; BHCOE-accredited for its ABA services.
Just outside Memphis in Germantown, Bodine School serves grades 1–5 students diagnosed with dyslexia using an individualized, multisensory Orton-Gillingham approach — the average staff member has 450+ hours of post-graduate O-G training, with classes of 10 or fewer. A Southern Association of Independent Schools member.
Madonna Learning Center (Germantown) is a faith-based school and adult training center providing individualized academic and therapeutic education for students and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, starting at age 5.
TNSTEP can help you compare additional Memphis-area school options for dyslexia, autism, and learning differences at no cost — including district special-education programs and Mississippi-side options for DeSoto County families.
The only school in Tennessee and the Mid-South solely dedicated to teaching children with dyslexia and reading-related learning differences. Founded 1972. Uses an individualized, multi-sensory, research-based Orton-Gillingham approach; the average staff member has 450+ hours of post-graduate O-G training. Serves grades 1-5 (early elementary), with a goal of transitioning students back to mainstream schools within 2-3 years.
Established 1959, MOSD is one of only 42 OPTION Schools in the world advancing excellence in listening and spoken-language education for deaf and hard-of-hearing children (birth to age 6). Accredited by the Tennessee Department of Human Services, with a staff of licensed audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and educators. Combines early intervention, speech and language therapy, and advanced audiological technology so deaf children develop spoken language.
Autism-focused center providing intensive, individualized ABA therapy for children, accredited as a Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) after rigorous evaluation against BHCOE Standards of Excellence in ABA. Programs are designed and overseen by board-certified behavior analysts and delivered by trained registered behavior technicians, often serving as a full-day program for young children on the spectrum before or alongside school placement.
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 district's Department of Exceptional Children provides free special education, accommodations, interventions, and supplementary aids across academic, social, and developmental needs in school-based and community settings. Programs change year to year – confirm current offerings and placements with the district.
Tuition-free public charter network with a dedicated special education department providing IEP-driven services, accommodations, and related services at no cost. Programs change year to year – confirm current offerings with the campus.
Municipal public district serving Germantown families with free, federally mandated special education and related services under IDEA. Programs change year to year – confirm current offerings and zoning with the district.
Le Bonheur Children's Hospital Neuroscience Institute (with UTHSC) pediatric neuropsychology — including Division Chief Dr. Bearden, ABPP and Amanda DeCrow, PhD, ABPP — evaluates learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism. The metro's leading academic program.
The Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities (UTHSC) is a University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities providing interdisciplinary diagnostic evaluation for autism and developmental disabilities — a leading academic option for a formal diagnosis.
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 Germantown, Collierville, or DeSoto County), instead of trusting star ratings.
Katherine Mendez, M.A., CCC-SLP at the Memphis Speech & Hearing Center offers bilingual (Spanish/English) pediatric speech, language, and literacy/dyslexia services — plus developmental evaluations and special-education advocacy. A named standout for reading and language.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across greater Memphis — searchable by area so you can find one near Germantown, Collierville, or Southaven. 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.
BHCOE-accredited ABA therapy provider with East Memphis and Bartlett centers delivering individualized, BCBA-supervised applied behavior analysis for children with autism. Also offers diagnostic and complementary therapy services.
BHCOE-accredited applied behavior analysis provider serving Memphis with experienced BCBA/LBA clinicians delivering home-, school-, and clinic-based therapy to build social, behavioral, and adaptive skills for children with autism.
Long-standing Mid-South nonprofit (since 1962) whose pediatric therapists provide speech, occupational, physical, feeding, and behavior therapy through an inclusive preschool and clinics in Cordova and Memphis, plus home- and school-based services.
Mid-South nonprofit providing pediatric speech (CCC-SLP), occupational (OTR/L), physical, and feeding therapy along with early-intervention support and caregiver education for children with developmental delays and disabilities.
Germantown outpatient clinic providing pediatric speech-language pathology and occupational therapy by licensed, certified clinicians (CCC-SLP, OTR/L) for children with communication, sensory, and developmental needs.
A BHCOE-accredited Memphis nonprofit (since 1957), Harwood Center provides education, therapy, and ABA-based support for young children (18 months through the transition to kindergarten) with developmental disabilities or delays — accredited for clinical quality.
A BHCOE-accredited autism therapy provider with East Memphis and Bartlett centers offering ABA alongside occupational and speech therapy — covering the east and north sides of the metro.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across the metro (including Family Tree ABA in Collierville and Proud Moments), ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Cordova, Collierville, or Southaven find the nearest.
Le Bonheur Children's (with UTHSC and the Boling Center) provides developmental-behavioral pediatric diagnosis and care for autism, ADHD, developmental delay, and learning concerns by board-certified specialists — the metro's leading academic children's program.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across greater Memphis — 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 greater Memphis — the field's real professional standard.
Beyond information, TNSTEP offers free IEP review and strategy and trained parent support to help you prepare for and understand IEP meetings — a respected free alternative to hiring a private advocate first.
Memphis Area Legal Services provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across Shelby and Tipton counties — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
One of the oldest centers of its kind in the U.S. (serving Memphis since 1947), the University of Memphis Speech & Hearing Center provides low-cost speech, language, and hearing evaluation and therapy for children — delivered by graduate clinicians under licensed, ASHA-certified supervisors (including bilingual and literacy/dyslexia services).
The Autism Society of the Mid-South provides free information, referrals, and family support across the Memphis metro — connecting families to vetted local autism services alongside clinical care.
For children birth to 3, TEIS provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies (DeSoto County / Mississippi-side families use Mississippi First Steps) — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
For children birth to 3, Tennessee's Early Intervention System (TEIS) provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention services (speech, OT, PT, developmental). Mississippi-side families (DeSoto County) use Mississippi First Steps. The earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Tennessee's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency — free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are denied, statewide. A powerful free resource before you pay anyone.
Tennessee's only federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, with a West Tennessee (Memphis) office — free IEP review and strategy, training, and support, with bilingual staff. A great first call.
Federally funded and free — they help Tennessee families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Tennessee'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 Memphis?
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 Memphis?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Tennessee — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.