Collier County — Naples, Marco Island, Golden Gate, Immokalee, and the surrounding SW Florida coast — has solid, credentialed help for kids with special needs, with NCH Healthcare and Lee Health/Golisano Children's nearby. The whole county is served by one district — Collier County Public Schools — which runs Exceptional Student Education (ESE) and FDLRS Child Find. Immokalee and parts of the county have large Spanish-speaking and farmworker communities, so we flag bilingual providers wherever we can confirm them. This is Collier County'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, Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification), never by reviews or who pays. In Florida your free front door is Early Steps (early intervention, birth–3) and, for ages 3+, your district's FDLRS Child Find and ESE evaluation leading to an IEP — after written consent the evaluation is generally completed within 60 days. 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 →
Year-round school for students ages 2-22 with autism and developmental disabilities, founded by a nationally Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Programming is delivered by BCBAs, certified teachers and ABA specialists.
Specialized school for students with autism, approved by the Collier County Public School Board in October 2024 and now open in Naples. Tuition-free public charter with an autism-focused environment.
Educational Pathways Academy is a Naples private school built for students with language-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia (with an Estero campus too) — using evidence-based structured literacy and the Orton-Gillingham approach, multisensory instruction, and assistive technology. A specialized SW Florida placement.
Florida's Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (administered by Step Up For Students) gives families of eligible children with disabilities funds for private-school tuition, therapies, and curriculum — a powerful option when the district placement isn't the right fit.
A searchable directory for comparing Naples-area private and special-education school options by location, grades, and program — useful if you're seeking a specialized placement.
Private school exclusively for grades 1-12 students with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities, using Orton-Gillingham multisensory instruction with certified staff and small classes.
The Estero campus of EPA serving grades 3-12 students with dyslexia, ADHD and language-based learning disabilities through Orton-Gillingham instruction, within ~25 miles of Naples.
Combined school and clinical program in Naples using applied behavior analysis for children with autism, Down syndrome and developmental delays, with BCBA-directed individualized programming.
The district SPED system serving 6,000+ students with disabilities, with IEP-driven placements including Intensive Behavior Intervention and autism programs across Naples and Marco Island schools.
Nonprofit accredited grades 1-12 school for students with autism, learning disabilities and processing/language disorders, with embedded speech, OT and counseling, ~35 miles from Naples.
Family-operated since 1968, this triple-accredited college-prep school serves grades 4-12 students with ADHD, autism and learning differences in small classes, within ~45 miles of Naples.
Behavioral healthcare practice providing neurodevelopmental and neuropsychological testing for autism, ADHD and learning disorders, serving Naples, Bonita Springs and the broader Southwest Florida region.
Naples Behavioral Pediatric Therapy provides child therapy and psychoeducational evaluations in Naples — assessment for autism, learning disabilities, and developmental/behavioral concerns by licensed psychologists. A local diagnostic option for the formal evaluation that anchors a strong IEP.
Lee Health's developmental-behavioral pediatrics (Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida, serving Naples) provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation for autism and developmental disabilities — the region's premier academic diagnostic home, about 45 minutes north.
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 Collier County, instead of trusting star ratings.
Beyond its day school, Educational Pathways Academy's educators are skilled in structured literacy and the Orton-Gillingham approach — a gold-standard, evidence-based dyslexia resource in Naples.
The Academy of Orton-Gillingham and the Academic Language Therapy Association list accredited O-G practitioners and CALTs across Collier County — searchable near Naples, Marco Island, or Golden Gate. 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.
Multidisciplinary pediatric practice founded by a CCC-SLP speech-language pathologist and a PhD, offering speech therapy, occupational therapy, ABA and mental health services across Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero and Fort Myers.
Pediatric occupational therapy clinic founded by an owner credentialed as BCBA, OTR/L and OTD, with therapists trained in sensory integration for children with sensory and developmental needs.
Center-based ABA provider where Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and registered behavior technicians (RBTs) deliver evidence-based ABA, complemented by speech and occupational therapy.
Private pediatric occupational therapy and feeding practice operating since 2017, led by an NBCOT-registered occupational therapist serving children with sensory processing and developmental diagnoses.
Wellpath Behavior and Psychological Services provides applied behavior analysis for children with autism in Naples and is accredited by the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) — the real quality marker for ABA, with BCBA-led, individualized programming.
North Naples Therapy & Enrichment Services provides pediatric speech-language and occupational therapy in Naples — at their office and at children's schools, preschools, or daycares — with licensed and nationally certified (CCC-SLP, OTR/L) clinicians.
Seaside Therapy is a Naples pediatric speech, occupational, and physical therapy center with licensed and nationally certified clinicians — a coordinated, multidisciplinary local option for communication, motor, and developmental needs.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across Collier County (including Behavior Analysts of Naples and Florida Autism Center), ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Marco Island, Golden Gate, or Immokalee find the nearest.
Lee Health's developmental-behavioral pediatricians (Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida) diagnose and help manage autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, and complex developmental conditions — the region's premier developmental-medicine team serving Naples.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians serving Collier County — 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 Collier County — the field's real professional standard.
Family Network on Disabilities is a Florida Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, evaluations, and the IEP process, with trained parent specialists. A respected statewide free resource before hiring a private advocate.
Florida'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 Autism Collier Resource Center provides free autism navigation, resource lists (autism-friendly pediatricians, dentists, specialists), Medicaid-waiver guidance, support groups, and referrals across Collier County — a warm, no-cost first point of connection.
Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida provides bilingual, sliding-scale pediatric and behavioral health care — with deep roots in Immokalee's farmworker community — an accessible option for families regardless of ability to pay.
Legal Aid Service of Collier County provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across the county — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
For children birth to 3, Early Steps Southwest Florida provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies across Collier County — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
For children birth to 3 with a delay or disability, Florida's Early Steps program — the Southwest Florida program (239-433-6700) covering Collier, Lee, Hendry, and Glades counties — provides free evaluation and early-intervention services (speech, OT, PT, developmental). The earliest, no-barrier place to start.
At age 3, contact Collier County Public Schools' Exceptional Student Education (ESE) office or FDLRS Child Find to request an evaluation — this one district covers Naples, Marco Island, Golden Gate, and Immokalee. After written consent, Florida generally completes the evaluation within 60 days, and you have the right to the process in Spanish. This is the free legal route to an IEP.
Florida'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 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.
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How do I start the special-education process in Naples & Marco Island?
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 Naples & Marco Island?
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.