The Twin Cities — Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Edina, St. Louis Park, Plymouth — are home to Groves Academy, Children's Minnesota, the University of Minnesota, and PACER Center, one of the nation's leading parent centers. The hard part is knowing which help is genuinely excellent and how to reach the free options first. This is the Twin Cities' own directory, ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham accreditation, COPAA, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Start with the free Minnesota options, 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 →
Long-established (60+ year) inclusive preschool, children's mental-health clinic and pediatric therapy clinic under one roof, with day-treatment programs for children with autism and mental-health diagnoses. State-licensed mental-health and therapy services on its Minnetonka and Minneapolis campuses.
A fully MNSAA-accredited K–12 school (NASET 'School of Excellence') delivering highly personalized education integrated with therapy support for students with autism spectrum disorder and related learning differences.
Part of Fraser, Minnesota's largest autism and early-childhood services provider; an inclusive preschool/childcare program (licensed by MN DHS, NECPA-accredited, 4-Star Parent Aware) with built-in autism and developmental supports.
Minnesota's flagship school for learning differences, Groves Academy (St. Louis Park) teaches grades 1–12 with dyslexia, ADHD, and learning disabilities using evidence-based, multisensory, structured-literacy methods and a 5:1 student-teacher ratio. Groves Learning Organization also trains teachers and tutors statewide.
A tuition-free public charter school (grades 7–12 plus an 18–22 transition program) designed for students on the autism spectrum and with related learning differences — special-education and therapeutic staff collaborate on each student's plan.
A directory of accredited Minnesota independent schools — a verified way to compare additional programs for dyslexia, autism, and learning differences across the Twin Cities beyond Groves and Lionsgate.
Minnesota's flagship K-12 day school for students with dyslexia, ADHD, executive-function and other language-based learning differences. 50+ years operating, evidence-based multisensory (Orton-Gillingham-rooted) instruction, small classes, specialist-certified faculty. In the league of The Siena School. Also runs the Groves Learning Center for diagnostics, tutoring and speech-language therapy.
Established (2008) tuition-free public charter for grades 7-12, inclusively designed for students on the autism spectrum. Individualized academics with embedded transition, social-skills and life-skills programming and certified special-education staff. Multiple Twin Cities campuses serving the Minneapolis metro.
Tuition-free public charter built specifically to serve students with disabilities in grades K-6, including language-based learning disabilities and twice-exceptional learners. Very small classes (roughly 1:4 educator/student ratio), 11-month calendar, individualized programming and embedded related services.
Long-running nonprofit providing autism day treatment and early-childhood special education across its Minnetonka and Minneapolis campuses. Relationship-based, play-centered, clinically supervised programming integrating education with mental-health and developmental therapies.
The Twin Cities metro's public special-education cooperative serving member districts (including Minneapolis-area students) with specialized day-school programs for students with significant disabilities, autism, and emotional/behavioral needs. State-licensed special-education staff and therapeutic supports across the North (New Hope) and South (Richfield) Education Centers.
Nationally recognized nonprofit dyslexia institute providing structured, 1:1 Academy-accredited Orton-Gillingham instruction (in-person and online) plus diagnostic evaluation, for students with dyslexia and reading disabilities. Serves the Minneapolis metro from its Twin Cities (Woodbury) satellite alongside the Rochester flagship.
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.
Tuition-free public charter school in Minneapolis with small class sizes, an 11-month calendar and individualized academic programming for students with disabilities. Programs change year to year.
Public intermediate district serving K-12 and transition-age students (18-22) across 12 west-metro member districts, with federal Setting IV programs and itinerant services for autism, EBD, DCD, low-incidence and sensory disabilities. Programs change year to year.
Minneapolis Public Schools' special-education department provides free evaluations and a continuum of IEP services, including specialized autism and low-incidence programs, across district schools. Programs and placements change year to year.
Neuropsychology team at Gillette Children's specializing in children and teens with complex medical and developmental conditions, using neuropsychological testing plus family, provider and school input. Established specialty children's hospital.
Private pediatric neuropsychology practice providing comprehensive assessment for children from elementary through high school, including autism and learning concerns. Led by a psychologist licensed by the Minnesota Board of Psychology since 1998.
A specialized pediatric neuropsychology practice with offices in St. Paul and Wayzata; comprehensive evaluations of ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, autism, mood, and gifted/2E for ages 4 through adult. Highly specialized neuropsychological training.
Pediatric neuropsychologists (APA-accredited doctoral training plus post-doctoral fellowships) providing comprehensive neuropsychological, autism, and FASD evaluations, including independent educational evaluations (IEEs).
A Twin Cities testing practice with 20+ years of combined experience doing psychoeducational and learning evaluations, ADHD assessment, autism (ASD) evaluation, and specific learning disorder (SLD) testing for children and adults.
A Twin Cities neuropsychology center serving ages 1 to young adulthood with comprehensive neuropsychological and psychological assessment of autism, ADHD, and learning disorders, plus intervention.
A focused testing practice (Richard Douglass, Licensed Psychologist) offering neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluation for ADHD and learning disorders in children, teens, and adults ages 6+.
The University of Minnesota's pediatric psychology and Clinical Behavioral Neuroscience program (M Health Fairview) provides comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations of learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism within an academic medical center.
Children's Minnesota conducts neuropsychological evaluations of children with medical, developmental, and learning concerns — assessing memory, attention, language, and academic skills to inform school and treatment plans.
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, instead of trusting star ratings.
A nationally recognized dyslexia nonprofit (since 1951) providing 1:1 Orton-Gillingham testing and tutoring; its east-metro Woodbury office (opened 2023) serves Twin Cities families in person and online.
A 25+ year Minnesota organization that trains educators in structured literacy and Orton-Gillingham; it connects families to OGMN-trained dyslexia tutors matched to their situation.
Beyond its day school, Groves Learning Organization (St. Louis Park) offers structured-literacy tutoring and dyslexia assessment from Minnesota's leading literacy and learning-disability experts — a credentialed alternative to ad-driven tutoring chains.
Robin Rovick is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) — one of only about four ALTA-certified therapists in Minnesota — who completed all four levels of Orton-Gillingham of Minnesota coursework with supervised practicum and is a Wilson Reading System certified teacher. A named, top-credentialed Twin Cities dyslexia specialist offering 1:1 instruction.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across the Twin Cities — the gold-standard credential for a private dyslexia tutor, verified by training rather than advertising.
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.
Established speech-language clinic evaluating and treating clients of all ages, including autism spectrum disorders, across four Twin Cities locations. Staffed by ASHA-certified (CCC-SLP) speech-language pathologists.
Pediatric occupational, physical and speech-language therapy clinic serving the Twin Cities, owned and operated by an OTR/L with SIPT and RDI certification. Specialized sensory and developmental therapy.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider with center-based and in-home autism treatment across the Twin Cities (Edina, Plymouth, Coon Rapids, Maple Grove, Eagan, Woodbury) — accredited for clinical quality rather than ad spend.
A pediatric therapy group offering speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and physical therapy (in-clinic and telehealth) with extensive autism training, across multiple Twin Cities locations.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider with centers across the Twin Cities (Edina, Plymouth, Woodbury, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Fridley, Rogers) — research-based applied behavior analysis for autistic children, accredited for clinical quality rather than chosen by ad spend.
The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory lists accredited ABA providers across the Twin Cities metro — the real quality bar for autism therapy, instead of whoever advertises most.
Founded in 2001 by two pediatric speech-language pathologists, Kidspeak Ltd. provides speech, language, feeding, and occupational therapy — including OT from Adrienne Ero-Phillips, MAOT, OTR/L (autism, sensory, and motor) — in homes, daycares, and schools across the 10-county Twin Cities metro and via teletherapy. A named CCC-SLP + OTR/L standout that reaches families anywhere in the metro.
ASHA ProFind lists speech-language pathologists who hold the CCC-SLP and AOTA lists licensed occupational therapists (OTR/L) — national credentials to verify, searchable anywhere in the Twin Cities.
A one-stop U of M clinic and research institute for pediatric neurobehavioral conditions; its Autism & Neurodevelopment Clinic brings together developmental-behavioral pediatrics, psychology, neuropsychology, psychiatry, and behavior analysis for diagnosis and assessment (ages 1–18).
The University of Minnesota / M Health Fairview developmental-behavioral pediatrics service handles thousands of visits a year, diagnosing and supporting children and adolescents with learning, behavioral, and emotional difficulties including autism and ADHD.
Children's Minnesota's Developmental Pediatrics program (Minneapolis) takes a holistic approach to autism, ADHD, and developmental conditions — board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians who design treatment and education-planning support with families.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians in the Twin Cities — the credential to verify for a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis.
A Minnesota firm (attorneys Amy J. Goetz and Brien D. Drake) dedicated to student rights and special education — due process hearings, state complaints, mediation, and negotiations for families.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving the Twin Cities — the field's real professional standard.
Beyond information, PACER's trained parent advocates can help you prepare for and understand IEP meetings at no cost — a nationally respected free alternative to hiring a private advocate first.
A Minneapolis law practice focused on the rights of individuals with disabilities and their families — special-education, IEP, and disability matters when you need legal representation.
The University of Minnesota's Julia M. Davis Center provides low-cost speech, language, and hearing evaluation and therapy for preschoolers through adolescents — delivered by graduate clinicians under ASHA-certified supervisors.
PACER's free workshops and its Simon Technology Center help Twin Cities families learn their rights and try assistive technology at no cost — a rich free resource alongside clinical services.
For infants and young children, Help Me Grow provides free developmental screening and early-intervention therapies — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Help Me Grow connects Minnesota families to free developmental screening and early-intervention services (speech, OT, PT, developmental) for infants and young children. The earliest, no-barrier place to start if you have any concern about your baby or toddler.
Minnesota's federally mandated protection & advocacy program (part of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid) — free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are denied. A powerful free resource before you pay anyone.
Minnesota's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, based in Bloomington and renowned nationwide — free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, workshops, and meetings. A great first call.
Federally funded and free — they help Minnesota families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Minnesota'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 Minneapolis?
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 Minneapolis?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Minnesota — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.