Greater Portland — Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Gresham, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Vancouver (WA) — is home to OHSU's Institute on Development & Disability, dedicated dyslexia and autism schools, and a free university speech clinic. The hard part is knowing which help is genuinely excellent and how to reach the free options first. This is Portland's own directory, ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham accreditation, COPAA, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Start with the free Oregon 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 →
Portland's private, accredited K-12+ therapeutic special-education school that is also a licensed mental health provider, serving students ages 5-21 with autism, developmental delays, trauma, and psychiatric needs. Each student is assigned a master's-level clinical case manager; named Oregon's only private special-education School of Excellence by NASET.
An independent K-5 school founded in 1947 that co-enrolls deaf and hard-of-hearing children with typically hearing peers, teaching the Listening and Spoken Language approach with cochlear implants, hearing aids, and FM systems. One of the oldest specialized schools in Oregon.
Described as the only middle school in Oregon designed specifically for students with learning differences such as dyslexia, ADHD, and executive-function challenges, with small classes and targeted academic support.
The only high school in Oregon and Southwest Washington dedicated to students with complex learning differences and disabilities — ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory/visual processing, executive-function, and nonverbal learning disorders — with small, individualized instruction.
Founded in 2005 to serve students with dyslexia, Park Academy (Tigard) teaches grades 3–8 with daily small-group structured literacy tailored to each learner — addressing language processing, attention, memory, processing speed, and executive function while aligning to Oregon grade-level standards.
Oregon's only dedicated year-round private school for children, teens, and young adults affected by autism, Victory Academy (Wilsonville) is approved by the Oregon Department of Education and accredited through Cognia — with a five-year high-school program and a post-graduation 'Compass' program.
FACT Oregon's parent specialists can help you compare additional Portland-area school options for dyslexia, autism, and learning differences at no cost — vetted, statewide guidance from Oregon's parent center.
Oregon's only dedicated year-round private school for students with autism and related learning differences, serving children through young adults. ABA-based instruction, ~3:1 student-teacher ratio, integrated therapies (speech, OT/PT, social cognition), modified/regular diploma high-school track and a post-grad transition program. Serves the seven-county Portland metro region.
Independent school for students in grades 3-8 with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. The only Oregon school with an articulated curriculum built specifically for dyslexic learners; every student receives daily small-group structured literacy (Orton-Gillingham-based) instruction. Located about ten minutes south of downtown Portland.
State-funded regional public program serving students across the Portland metro with low-incidence disabilities: autism spectrum disorder, deaf/hard of hearing, blind/low vision, deafblind, and orthopedic impairment. Provides specialized evaluation, consultation, certified staff, and direct services in partnership with local districts at no cost to families.
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.
State-contracted regional program (administered through Portland Public Schools since 1983) providing autism, deaf/hard-of-hearing, deaf-blind, orthopedic-impairment, and assistive-technology services across Clackamas, Hood River, Multnomah, and Wasco counties. Free regional support; programs change year to year.
County education service district providing direct and consultative special-education and speech-language services to local districts and ESD programs, plus a Transition Network Facilitator improving post-school outcomes. Free public service; programs change year to year.
A small tuition-free public charter school known for an individualized, place-based learning environment and small community that many families of neurodivergent students find supportive. Free public option; supports vary year to year.
A Portland practice focused specifically on psychological and diagnostic evaluations (including autism, ADHD, and learning-disorder assessment) for the Portland area and surrounding communities.
Founder Yasaman Kashani, PhD, a licensed psychologist, leads comprehensive diagnostic assessments for ADHD, autism, learning disorders (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia), and giftedness for children and young adults ages 3 to 25.
A team of licensed psychologists providing comprehensive autism and ADHD evaluations, learning assessments, and psychological testing across all ages, with relatively fast turnaround on results.
Providence's center provides pediatric neuropsychological assessment and developmental evaluation, with psychologists working alongside developmental pediatricians to diagnose autism, learning disabilities, and developmental concerns.
OHSU's Pediatric Neuropsychology Clinic — where Susanne W. Duvall, PhD, ABPP-CN and Amanda Ball, PsyD, ABPP-CN practice within the Institute on Development & Disability — provides comprehensive evaluations of learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism at Oregon's academic medical center.
OHSU's Child Development and Rehabilitation Center brings together developmental pediatrics, psychology, speech-language pathology, and neuropsychology for multidisciplinary evaluation of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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.
Operating since 1960, Language Skills Therapy delivers individualized, multisensory Orton-Gillingham instruction for K–12 students and adults with dyslexia; its training program is led by Elizabeth Johnson, a Fellow of the Orton-Gillingham Academy.
One-to-one structured literacy and dyslexia intervention for PreK–12 students from owner Leah Wannell, MA, a state-licensed English Language Arts teacher and reading interventionist with 15+ years of experience and extensive Orton-Gillingham training.
Barton Reading & Spelling System tutoring — an Orton-Gillingham-based program — delivered one-to-one by Barton-certified tutors and experienced former special educators for students with dyslexia, in-person and remote.
Westside Dyslexia Solutions (West Hills, Portland) provides individual, in-person Orton-Gillingham reading, spelling, and handwriting tutoring from an instructor certified at the Associate level by the Orton-Gillingham Academy — a verified, credentialed Portland dyslexia specialist.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across greater Portland — 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.
Long-established ABA provider serving the Portland community for over 35 years, delivering evidence-based, BCBA-supervised autism therapy in a center with sensory-friendly spaces.
Large, established ABA organization with multiple Portland-metro locations and a clinical team of doctoral-level clinicians and hundreds of board-certified behavior analysts providing evidence-based autism therapy.
Established ABA provider delivering individualized, contemporary applied behavior analysis tailored to each child or young adult across the greater Portland area.
Children's hospital therapy program staffed by credentialed speech-language pathologists (MS, CCC-SLP) and occupational therapists (OTD, OTR/L, including board-certified pediatric specialists) serving pediatric patients.
Pediatric speech-language and occupational therapy with comprehensive 60-minute evaluations covering speech, language, apraxia, oral-motor, feeding, AAC, sensory, fine-motor, and executive-function skills.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider serving Portland — research-based applied behavior analysis for autistic children, accredited for clinical quality rather than chosen by ad spend.
A BHCOE-accredited provider delivering ABA in-home and in-community for children with autism and developmental delays — including services in the family's native language, accredited for clinical quality.
The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory lists accredited ABA providers across greater Portland (including Early Autism Services and Play Connections in Beaverton) — the real quality bar for autism therapy.
Whole Circle Pediatric Therapy (Portland) pairs occupational and speech therapists with 25+ years of combined experience — neurodiversity-affirming care including Gestalt Language Processing, AAC, and responsive feeding. A named CCC-SLP + OTR/L standout under one roof.
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 greater Portland.
Legacy's developmental pediatricians routinely evaluate children with developmental delays, social-communication challenges, and suspected autism spectrum disorder at Randall Children's Hospital.
OHSU Doernbecher's developmental pediatricians and Autism Clinic provide expert evaluation and diagnosis of autism, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, and neurodevelopmental disorders — seeing more children with autism characteristics than any other provider in Oregon and SW Washington.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians in greater Portland — the credential to verify for a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis.
Diane Wiscarson, a Lewis & Clark-trained attorney licensed in Oregon and Washington, focuses exclusively on special-education law — IEP and FAPE cases — representing students with disabilities at the local, state, and federal levels.
Special-education advocate and former school psychologist who helps families understand their rights and navigate IEPs, 504 plans, dyslexia, and autism — including calm, strengths-based support inside school meetings.
Michelle M. Keys (J.D., M.S.Ed.) brings 20+ years as a special-education consultant — IEP coaching and meeting attendance, record and FBA reviews, compensatory-education analysis, and expert testimony for families in OR, WA, and CA.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving greater Portland — the field's real professional standard.
A Portland special-education law practice with an attorney-and-advocate team handling IEP, FAPE, and disability-rights cases — legal representation when a school district isn't meeting its obligations.
Legal Aid Services of Oregon provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across the Portland region — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
Portland State University's Oregon Scottish Rite Clinic offers free, donation-based speech and language evaluation and therapy — including programs for young children — delivered by graduate clinicians under licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists, in person and via telepractice.
FACT Oregon offers free in-person and virtual trainings, one-on-one support, and resource navigation for Oregon families — a rich free resource for learning your rights alongside clinical services.
For children birth to 5, Oregon's EI/ECSE program provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Oregon's EI/ECSE program provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention services (speech, OT, PT, developmental) for children birth to 5 — earlier and broader than most states. The earliest, no-barrier place to start if you have any concern about your child.
Oregon'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.
Oregon's sole federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings, with resources vetted alongside Disability Rights Oregon. A great first call.
Federally funded and free — they help Oregon families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Oregon'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 Portland?
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 Portland?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Oregon — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.