The Research Triangle is really three cities and their suburbs — Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, plus Cary, Apex, Morrisville, Wake Forest, Carrboro, and Clayton — across Wake, Durham, Orange, and Johnston counties. This directory is built so a family ANYWHERE in the Triangle can find genuinely excellent help nearby, whether you're near Duke in Durham, UNC in Chapel Hill, or out in Wake Forest or Clayton. 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 North Carolina options (your county runs its own Early Intervention), then the best evaluators, schools, therapists, doctors, and advocates near you. Then, if you want it, an expert reads your child's records and builds your plan.
We don't rank by star ratings — they're noisy and easy to game. Every group below earns its place by credentials: board certification, school accreditation, professional licensure, and standing in the field's real professional bodies. The honest bar, not the loudest reviews.
For children birth to 3, North Carolina's Infant-Toddler Program provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention services through your local CDSA — so a family in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, or Clayton reaches an office near them. The earliest, no-barrier place to start.
North Carolina's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency — free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are denied, statewide. A powerful free resource before you pay anyone.
North Carolina's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings for children birth to age 26. A great first call from anywhere in the Triangle.
Duke's Pediatric Neuropsychology Clinic — where Peter Duquette, PhD, ABPP-CN (ages 2–25; autism, ADHD, learning disabilities) and Jill Stuart, PhD, ABPP practice — provides comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation within a top academic medical center in Durham.
A global leader in autism care for 50+ years, UNC's TEACCH Autism Program (Chapel Hill/Carrboro) provides diagnostic evaluations for children, teens, and adults suspected of autism, plus family consultation and support — one of the most respected autism programs in the world.
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 Cary, Apex, or Wake Forest), instead of trusting star ratings.
The Triangle's leading program for bright students with dyslexia, ADHD, and learning differences, Hill Learning Center (Durham) offers an innovative half-day K–12 model — students attend from 70+ Triangle public and private schools. SACS-accredited, NAIS member, NC-approved alternative school, and a NASET School of Excellence.
For 35+ years, The Fletcher Academy (Raleigh) has taught grades 2–12 students with ADHD, processing and memory issues, and learning disabilities including dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia — dual-accredited by SACS/SAIS, with individualized, hands-on instruction.
The Mariposa School (Cary) is a nonprofit created specifically for children with autism and related learning differences — year-round, intensive, evidence-based instruction that has drawn international attention, serving the west side of the Triangle.
ECAC's parent specialists can help you compare additional Triangle school options for dyslexia, autism, and learning differences at no cost — and explain North Carolina's ESA+ scholarship for students with disabilities.
Monica DiPilato is an Orton-Gillingham-trained reading specialist and Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP) through the Academic Language Therapy Association, with Associate- and Certified-level coursework from the Key Learning Center. Based in Raleigh since 2001, she provides structured-literacy tutoring for children with dyslexia across the Triangle.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across the Triangle — searchable by area so you can find one near Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, or Cary. 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 BHCOE-accredited ABA provider with clinics in Raleigh and Garner, serving families throughout the Triangle — Durham, Cary, Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, Clayton, Fuquay-Varina, Knightdale and more. Board-certified, state-licensed BCBAs; accredited for clinical quality rather than ad spend.
A BHCOE-accredited Raleigh provider offering ABA alongside pediatric physical, occupational, and speech therapy under one roof — coordinated, multidisciplinary care for autistic children.
The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory lists accredited ABA providers across the Triangle (including Priorities ABA and Cortica in Cary, and Autism Behavioral Institute in Raleigh) — searchable by zip so a family in Apex, Chapel Hill, or Clayton finds the nearest accredited center.
One of only a handful of dedicated pediatric sensory-integration therapy clinics in the U.S., Developmental Therapy Associates has served the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Cary) since 1982 with ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists and licensed occupational therapists — a depth of experience that's rare, not a name that bought its place.
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 Triangle.
Two top academic programs anchor the Triangle: Duke Children's Evaluation Center (Durham) and UNC's developmental-behavioral pediatrics (Chapel Hill) diagnose and manage autism, ADHD, and developmental delay with board-certified specialists — options on both sides of the Triangle.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across the Triangle — 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 the Triangle — the field's real professional standard.
A Raleigh special-education law practice that assists parents at every stage of the IEP process — from referral and evaluation through dispute resolution and litigation — when a district isn't meeting its obligations.
Legal Aid of North Carolina's Right to Education Project provides free legal help to income-eligible families on special education, suspensions, enrollment, and disability discrimination — a no-cost route to real legal representation.
UNC Chapel Hill's Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences and Hearing & Communication Center provide low-cost speech, language, and hearing evaluation and therapy for children — delivered by graduate clinicians under licensed, ASHA-certified faculty supervision.
The Autism Society of North Carolina provides free information, referrals, and family support across the Triangle — autism resource specialists who help you find vetted local services, alongside clinical care.
For children birth to 3 in Wake, Durham, Orange, or Johnston County, the NC Infant-Toddler Program provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies through your local CDSA — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Federally funded and free — they help North Carolina families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
North Carolina's protection & advocacy agency — free legal-rights information and help if your child's rights are being denied.
A short message — your child, your Raleigh district, and what you're facing. We set up a secure way to share the IEP.
We review the records against your rights and match your child to the right Raleigh providers from the vetted directory above.
A clear written plan, plus a vetted Raleigh advocate, found and recommended for you, for the in-person help.
Free first reply with honest next steps. No pressure, no surprises — just an expert in your corner.
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