Greater Orlando covers four counties — Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Lake — and far more than downtown: Winter Park, Kissimmee, Sanford, Lake Mary, Oviedo, Apopka, Winter Garden, Clermont, St. Cloud. This directory is built so a family ANYWHERE in metro Orlando can find genuinely excellent help nearby, not just options clustered downtown. It's ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham/Wilson accreditation, COPAA, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Start with the free Florida options (your county runs its own Early Intervention), 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 →
FCIS-accredited private school in Longwood for grades 1-12 serving students with ADHD, dyslexia, autism, and other learning disabilities through hands-on instruction and assistive technology.
Serving children with cognitive and developmental disabilities for over 60 years; the only special-needs school in the Diocese of Orlando, fully accredited by the Florida Catholic Conference.
Fully accredited private school (founded 1999) delivering one-student-to-one-teacher instruction for grades 1-12 with learning disabilities and learning differences.
A nonprofit special-education school (Winter Springs / Seminole County) serving students with high-functioning autism, dyslexia, Down syndrome, and other learning disabilities through a sensory-based curriculum, K through 12.
A private school built specifically for students with language-based learning disabilities — dyslexia, dysgraphia, auditory processing disorder, ADHD, sensory processing — grades 1 through 12, in Oviedo on the east side of the metro.
An accredited Florida special-education school in south Orlando (Hunters Creek) for students grades 4–12 with ADHD, dyslexia, learning differences, and autism, using small classes and individualized plans.
The Bridge at The Christ School (downtown Orlando) is a dyslexia-focused program that in 2022 became the first in Florida accredited by the Orton-Gillingham Academy — one of only about 18 schools nationwide to earn that distinction. The gold standard for structured-literacy instruction.
UCP of Central Florida runs six tuition-free charter campuses across Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties — inclusive education for children with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, speech and hearing needs and more, with physical, occupational, and speech therapy on-site, birth through 5th grade plus a middle/high transition academy. A strong option no matter which side of the metro you're on.
A tuition-free public charter (since 1998) devoted to children with autism in grades PK–5, Princeton House delivers individualized academic, language, social, and behavioral intervention at a low student-to-staff ratio.
A Central Florida school for students with dyslexia, ADHD, and learning disabilities, using the Orton-Gillingham approach as the core of its structured-literacy instruction — another credentialed option for families seeking a specialized program.
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 OCPS ESE department provides 14+ specialized programs and related services for eligible students ages 3-22, including a dedicated Autism Spectrum Disorder continuum and a district Behavioral Support Team of board-certified behavior analysts. Programs change year to year.
Tuition-free public charter schools operated by UCP of Central Florida, including a middle and high school and an 18-21 college/career transition program, known for an inclusive, therapeutic teaching model. Programs change year to year.
A free public charter school serving students with significant disabilities in the Orlando area, offering specialized academic and therapeutic supports. Programs change year to year.
Seminole County's district ESE/ESSS department provides a continuum of free specialized programs and related services for students with disabilities across the north Orlando metro. Programs change year to year.
Clinic providing comprehensive child developmental and psychological evaluations for autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and giftedness conducted by licensed psychologists.
Pediatric neurology practice offering consultation and confirmatory autism testing alongside evaluation of related developmental and neurological conditions.
Dr. Cadmus is board-certified in clinical neuropsychology with the pediatric subspecialty (ABPP) — the strongest credential in the field. Neuropsychological, psychoeducational, and neurodevelopmental evaluation of learning disorders, ADHD, autism, and giftedness in Winter Park.
A Winter Park group practice with several ABPP-boarded clinicians (Robert E. Cohen, PsyD ABPP; Bradley J. Daniels, PhD ABPP; Lindsay Shaw Cadmus, PhD ABPP). Full range of developmental, gifted, psychoeducational, psychodiagnostic, and neuropsychological evaluations for children.
Dr. Marchman conducts psychological, psychoeducational, and neurodevelopmental evaluations of children and adolescents — ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, mood, and autism spectrum disorders — at a private downtown-Orlando office.
A south-Orlando (Hunters Creek area) clinic doing comprehensive autism and ADHD evaluations using gold-standard tools (ADOS, MIGDAS-2) plus neuropsychological and psychoeducational assessment for learning disabilities.
A west-metro (Oakland, near Winter Garden) practice offering neurodevelopmental testing for autism and ADHD plus achievement and cognitive testing — a good option for families on the west side of the metro.
Nemours Children's Hospital (Lake Nona, southeast Orlando) provides pediatric neuropsychological evaluation of learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism — within a major academic children's hospital whose neuropsychologists hold or pursue ABPP board certification.
Two more major Orlando children's hospitals — AdventHealth for Children and Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children — offer developmental and neuropsychological evaluation for autism, ADHD, and learning concerns, giving families options on different sides of the metro.
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 Winter Park, Lake Mary, or anywhere in the metro), instead of trusting star ratings.
A Maitland-based learning center providing Orton-Gillingham reading intervention for students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences, in-person and online.
Part of the national Scottish Rite-supported network, the Children's Dyslexia Centers provide free, intensive Orton-Gillingham (multisensory structured language) tutoring for children grades 1–12 — one of the best no-cost reading resources for families who can't afford private tutoring.
Kat Ferrufino, M.Ed., is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner with dual K-6 general-ed and K-12 special-ed certifications. Her Orlando practice, ClearPath Dyslexia, delivers structured-literacy dyslexia therapy built on Orton-Gillingham and the Wilson Reading System — gold-standard credentials, evidence-based methods.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across the Orlando metro — searchable by area so you can find one near Winter Park, Lake Mary, Kissimmee, or wherever you live. 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.
BCBA-led applied behavior analysis through the Families in Training (FIT) program for children from birth to age 22; in-home services for Orange County residents are funded at no cost by Orange County Government.
Center-based ABA therapy directed by board-certified behavior analysts, collaborating with speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, with East Orlando and Downtown locations.
Center-based ABA care delivered by licensed behavior analysts, with speech, occupational, and physical therapy and diagnostic services available in select regions.
ABA therapy delivered by board-certified behavior analysts and registered behavior technicians using evidence-based practices at the Lake Nona center.
Center providing applied behavior analysis alongside speech therapy, occupational therapy, and feeding therapy under credentialed clinicians.
A long-established Central Florida pediatric clinic providing occupational, speech-language, and physical therapy, with two Orlando locations (Dr. Phillips and Millenia) plus services in children's natural environments.
A pediatric practice founded by two speech-language pathologists, offering speech-language, occupational, feeding, and physical therapy for children in Winter Park and the surrounding Orlando area.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider with Central Florida centers in Winter Park, Orlando (Semoran), and Apopka — research-based early intervention accredited for clinical quality, with a location near most parts of the metro.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider with Central Florida centers in Winter Park, Orlando (Semoran), and Apopka — serving families in Conway, Baldwin Park, Lake Nona, Ocoee, Mount Dora, Altamonte Springs, and Winter Garden. Research-based early intervention, accredited for clinical quality rather than ad spend, with a location near most parts of the metro.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider in Kissimmee — important coverage for families in Osceola County and the south side of the metro, where downtown options are a long drive. Accredited for clinical quality.
The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory lists accredited ABA providers across the Orlando metro (including ABA Kids Connection) — searchable by zip so a family in Sanford, Clermont, or St. Cloud can find the nearest accredited center.
A therapist-owned pediatric clinic with locations in Orlando, Winter Park, and Kissimmee offering both speech-language and occupational therapy — and one of the few that delivers services in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, so your child can be evaluated and treated in their home language.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's directory lists speech-language pathologists who hold the CCC-SLP — the national mark of a fully qualified clinician, searchable anywhere in the metro.
Orlando Health's Children's Neuroscience Institute provides pediatric behavioral and developmental evaluation and care — a third major hospital option for diagnosis, anchored at the downtown Orlando Health campus.
Orlando's major children's hospitals — Nemours Children's (Lake Nona) and AdventHealth for Children — have developmental-behavioral pediatricians who diagnose and manage autism, ADHD, and developmental delay, giving families board-certified options on different sides of the metro.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across the Orlando metro — the credential to verify for a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis.
An independent special-education advocate with 20+ years as a teacher and 15+ advocating across Florida — COPAA SEAT 2.0 trained, Wrightslaw-trained, and a qualified IDEA/504/ADA expert witness. Represents families in IEP meetings, 504s, and due process.
A team of trained, experienced special-education advocates (all parents of children with disabilities) offering strategy sessions, IEP review and analysis, and direct attendance at IEP/504/eligibility meetings for Florida families.
An Orlando special-education law firm (Nathan Soowal, Chelsea A. Bilello) handling IEP/504 reviews, meeting representation, eligibility appeals, due process hearings, mediation, state complaints, and discipline/placement disputes.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving the Orlando metro — the field's real professional standard.
A Winter Park special-education law practice handling IEP and 504 disputes, evaluations, and FAPE issues for Central Florida families — legal representation when a school district isn't meeting its obligations.
Community Legal Services of Mid-Florida provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across the Orlando region (Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake and beyond) — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
The University of Central Florida's Communication Disorders Clinic offers low-cost evaluation and therapy for children — speech and language plus specialized reading programs targeting phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, and written expression — delivered by graduate clinicians under ASHA-certified supervisors.
FND offers free workshops and one-on-one parent support across Central Florida — a rich free resource for families learning their rights, alongside clinical services.
For children birth to 3 in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, or Lake County, Early Steps provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies through your local regional office — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
For children birth to 3, Florida's Early Steps provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention services at no cost. It's run locally by county region — Central Florida Early Steps serves Orange, Seminole and Osceola; Lake County families use their regional office. Wherever you live in metro Orlando, this is the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Florida's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency — free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are denied, anywhere in the state. A powerful free resource before you pay anyone.
Florida's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings, serving families across Central Florida and the whole state. A great first call.
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 Orlando?
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 Orlando?
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.