Greater Providence covers most of Rhode Island — Providence, Cranston, Warwick, Pawtucket, East Providence, Woonsocket, Cumberland, Coventry — and because Rhode Island is small, many of the best programs serve the whole state. This directory is built so a family ANYWHERE in Rhode Island can find genuinely excellent help nearby, ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham/Wilson accreditation, COPAA, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Start with the free Rhode Island options (Early Intervention is free statewide), 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 →
A 35-year, nationally recognized program for bright students (grades 1-8) with dyslexia, ADHD, and executive-function challenges, using structured, multisensory literacy instruction with class sizes of 4-10. Operates within The Wheeler School, an accredited independent day school.
Founded in 1998 as Rhode Island's first school built specifically for children with autism, run by the long-established J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center. Curriculum is grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and covers communication, academics, self-care, and social skills.
A private special-education school serving students with significant and complex cognitive, physical, and medical needs, operated by Meeting Street, a long-standing Providence nonprofit founded in 1946. Provides integrated therapeutic and educational services year-round.
Provides integrated special education plus behavioral and therapeutic services in a community-based setting, serving students whose needs exceed what public schools can meet. Operated by Spurwink|RI, a behavioral-health nonprofit serving the region since 1982.
An East Side Providence day school within the Groden Network, an autism-services organization founded by Drs. June and Gerald Groden and operating since 1976. Provides individualized, evidence-based instruction and behavioral support for students with autism and related disorders.
Private, hospital-funded therapeutic day programs for children and adolescents whose psychiatric and behavioral needs cannot be met in public school, operated by Bradley Hospital, the nation's first psychiatric hospital for children (founded 1931) and a Brown University teaching affiliate.
A Rhode Island Department of Education-approved private school providing a comprehensive K-12 special-education program across the full range of eligibilities, including autism spectrum disorder, emotional disabilities, and learning disabilities.
The Wolf School (East Providence) educates K–8 children who are complex learners with multiple learning differences — dyslexia, ADHD, autism spectrum, sensory and language-processing challenges. Its Immersion Model places an occupational therapist and speech-language pathologist in the classroom, with 9–11 students per class. Dual-approved by RIDE as an independent school and special-education program.
RIPIN can help you compare additional Rhode Island school options for dyslexia, autism, and learning differences at no cost — including district special-education programs and RIDE-approved private special-education schools statewide.
The Rhode Island Department of Education maintains the official list of approved private special-education schools and programs — a verified way to find additional options near you, including programs Rhode Island families also access just over the line in Massachusetts.
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 special-education department for Rhode Island's largest district, providing IEP programming and a continuum of placements including autism, multi-disability, and life-skills programs across district schools. Free to residents; specific program availability varies by year and building.
One of Rhode Island's largest districts, with a long-standing continuum of in-district special-education programs spanning autism supports, language-based and resource programs, and self-contained classrooms. Free to residents; offerings vary year to year and by school.
A large suburban district with established in-district programs including autism, life-skills, and language-based supports, plus related services in speech, OT, and PT. Free to residents; specific placements and program locations change year to year.
A small, high-performing district with a solid special-education track record, offering inclusion-focused programming, resource support, and related services. Free to residents; program specifics and capacity vary year to year.
A consistently high-achieving district with a well-regarded continuum of special-education services, including inclusion supports, structured literacy, and related therapies. Free to residents; available programs and staffing change from year to year.
A private practice of licensed clinical neuropsychologists providing comprehensive neuropsychological testing for children and adults, including autism, ADHD, and learning-disability evaluations used to inform IEP and 504 planning.
The Pediatric Neuropsychology Program at Bradley and Hasbro Children's Hospitals (Brown University Health / Warren Alpert Medical School) provides comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation of learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism — board-certified care at Brown's teaching hospitals. Bradley is the nation's first children's psychiatric hospital.
Hasbro Children's Neurodevelopment Center evaluates children with language, learning, and motor delays — autism spectrum disorders, developmental delay, Down syndrome, intellectual and learning disabilities — a leading academic option for a formal diagnosis in Rhode Island.
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 Warwick, Cranston, or Woonsocket), instead of trusting star ratings.
Open since 2001 and partially funded by the Scottish Rite Masons, the Children's Dyslexia Center of Rhode Island (Cranston) provides free, research-validated Orton-Gillingham tutoring for children with dyslexia — tutoring is offered at no charge to the student and family, one of the state's best no-cost reading resources.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across Rhode Island — searchable by area so you can find one near Providence, Warwick, or Woonsocket. 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.
A dedicated dyslexia center whose teachers each hold 10+ years of experience in Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, and other multisensory, research-based methods. Provides one-on-one structured-literacy intervention for students with dyslexia and language-based learning differences.
A multidisciplinary autism therapy provider offering BCBA-supervised ABA therapy plus licensed speech and occupational therapy, with Rhode Island centers in Pawtucket and Warwick. Integrated, insurance-based care for children with autism.
A BHCOE-accredited autism provider with Warwick and Cranston centers, serving Providence, Johnston, North Providence, West Warwick, Coventry and beyond — comprehensive ABA plus speech and occupational therapy and diagnostic services, accredited for clinical quality rather than ad spend.
The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory lists accredited ABA providers across Rhode Island (including Autism Care Partners in Cranston, Warwick, and Pawtucket) — searchable by zip so a family in Woonsocket, East Providence, or Coventry finds the nearest accredited center.
Courtney Langello, MS, CCC-SLP, a board-certified speech-language pathologist (and parent of children with exceptional needs), founded Prestige Therapy, offering speech and occupational therapy to children ages 2+ across four Rhode Island locations — East Providence, Warwick, Barrington, and Lincoln — so families statewide have one near them.
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 Rhode Island.
The American Occupational Therapy Association helps you find licensed occupational therapists (OTR/L) for sensory, fine-motor, and daily-living support — a credential to verify alongside speech and ABA care.
Brown University Health's Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (Hasbro Children's) provides expert diagnosis and management of autism, ADHD, and developmental concerns by board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians — Rhode Island's leading academic program.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians in Rhode Island — 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 Rhode Island — the field's real professional standard.
Beyond information, RIPIN's trained advocates help you prepare for and understand IEP meetings and education-rights disputes at no cost — a respected free alternative to hiring a private advocate first.
Rhode Island Legal Services provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across the state — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
The University of Rhode Island's Speech and Hearing Centers (Kingston campus and Pawtucket) offer low-cost speech-language and hearing evaluation and therapy for children — individual or group, delivered by graduate clinicians under ASHA-certified supervisors. The Pawtucket location keeps it accessible to the Providence metro.
The Autism Project is a respected Rhode Island nonprofit offering free and low-cost family support, parent training, social-skills groups, and resource navigation for families affected by autism statewide — a warm community resource alongside clinical care.
For children birth to 3, Rhode Island Early Intervention provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies statewide at no cost to families — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
For children birth to 3 with a developmental delay or qualifying condition, Rhode Island's Early Intervention provides special instruction; speech, OT, and PT; and psychological and family services — all without cost to the family, delivered statewide through local agencies (such as Family Service of RI). The earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Rhode Island'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.
Rhode Island's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help with your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings, plus advocacy support for families of children with disabilities statewide. A great first call.
Federally funded and free — they help Rhode Island families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Rhode Island'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 Providence?
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 Providence?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Rhode Island — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.