The Wasatch Front around Salt Lake City covers far more than downtown — West Valley City, Sandy, West Jordan, Murray, Draper, Taylorsville, plus Davis County (Layton, Bountiful), Weber County (Ogden), and into Utah County (Lehi, Orem). This directory is built so a family ANYWHERE along the Wasatch Front 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 Utah options (Baby Watch serves your area through a local program), 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 →
School-within-a-school (grades 3-8) for students with language-based learning differences (dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia) at an NWAIS-accredited, NAIS-member independent school. Teachers are trained in Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Lindamood-Bell, and Multisensory Math.
Private school serving students with specific learning disabilities, with staff highly trained in the Orton-Gillingham approach, Multisensory Math, and the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM). Focus is building effective learners and confident self-advocates.
The Reid School (Salt Lake City) teaches students with dyslexia and learning disabilities using a structured, research-based reading and language method — a long-established specialized option for the Wasatch Front.
The Carmen B. Pingree Autism Center of Learning (Salt Lake City) provides comprehensive education and treatment for children with autism from preschool through secondary — CARF-accredited, with parent training and sibling support. One of Utah's premier autism schools.
A tuition-free public charter focused on students on the autism spectrum, Spectrum Academy has campuses in North Salt Lake, Pleasant Grove, and the south valley (Sandy/West Jordan area) plus St. George and Orem — so families on different sides of the Wasatch Front have a nearby option, with licensed teachers, therapists, and behavior specialists.
The Utah Parent Center's consultants can help you compare additional Wasatch Front school options for dyslexia, autism, and learning differences at no cost — vetted, statewide guidance from Utah's parent center.
A dedicated 'school-within-a-school' for students in roughly grades 2-7 with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences, housed within the accredited McGillis School (NAIS/NWAIS). Teachers are trained in Orton-Gillingham practices including the Wilson Reading System, Lindamood-Bell, and Multisensory Math, with small classes and individualized literacy instruction. This is the closest Salt Lake analog to schools like The Siena School. Member of the national Association of LD Schools.
A nationally recognized, long-established autism school and treatment center serving children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Programs are built on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and integrate academic instruction with individualized behavioral, speech, and occupational therapy. Each child has a personalized plan developed by a multidisciplinary team including BCBAs and licensed therapists; small class sizes and structured, data-driven teaching. CARF-accredited (operated by Valley Behavioral Health).
Utah's premier tuition-free public charter school designed specifically for students with autism and other neurodiversities, serving the Salt Lake area from its North Salt Lake campus. Offers small class sizes, individualized instruction, and a dedicated social-skills curriculum; teachers hold dual certification and training in social-cognitive deficits. Accredited by Cognia. Multiple campuses across the Wasatch Front.
A public, center-based special-education school dedicated to students ages 5-22 with significant and multiple disabilities. Every classroom is led by certified special-education teachers and supported by a multidisciplinary team of speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists, music therapists, nurses, and behavioral specialists. Purpose-built facilities include therapy pool, multi-sensory rooms, therapy treatment rooms, and an on-site health clinic. Serves ~300 students.
Utah's official statewide school system for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind, blind, or low vision, with a Salt Lake City campus (Jean Massieu School of the Deaf and Utah School for the Blind). State-funded with certified, specialized staff and a legislative mandate to maintain accreditation. Provides direct instruction plus statewide outreach and early-intervention services from birth through age 22.
A public center-based special-education school in Granite School District serving students K-8 with significant disabilities. Low student-to-teacher ratio (about 7:1, well below the state average) with certified special-education teachers and Essential Elements classrooms providing direct instruction in functional academics, communication, life skills, social skills, and independence. Part of one of Utah's largest district SPED programs.
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.
Granite School District specialty public school serving students ages 5-21 with moderate to severe disabilities, with functional academics, communication, life-skills, and integrated therapies. Programs change year to year - confirm current placement and eligibility with the district.
Jordan School District center-based public school for students ages 5-22 with significant multiple disabilities, offering speech, OT, PT, adaptive PE, and multi-sensory facilities. Programs change year to year - confirm current placement and eligibility with the district.
One of Utah's largest districts, running K-12 special education including Essential Elements classrooms for functional academics, behavior, communication, and life skills across neighborhood and specialty sites. Programs and placements change year to year - verify with the district.
District special-education department serving the south Salt Lake metro with a continuum of services from neighborhood-school supports to center-based programs. Programs and placements change year to year - verify current offerings with the district.
Pediatric neuropsychological evaluation practice assessing cognitive, behavioral, psychological, and social functioning to clarify learning, developmental, and attention profiles.
Specialty practice (Kristina J. Cottle Feldman, PhD, licensed psychologist) focused on autism evaluations, neurodiversity consultation, and therapy, with 15+ years working with neurodivergent clients and families.
University of Utah Health and Primary Children's Hospital provide neuropsychological and psycho-educational testing for learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism — access assessment through their ARCS (Assessment, Referral, and Consultation) service. The Wasatch Front's leading academic pediatric program.
A Salt Lake City private practice led by Sam Goldstein, PhD — a board-certified, nationally known pediatric neuropsychologist — offering comprehensive evaluation for autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities. The credential to look for in a private evaluator.
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 Davis, Weber, or Utah County), instead of trusting star ratings.
Kathy Tenney, M.Ed., is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) and Qualified Instructor (QI) — the level that trains other therapists — credentialed through Texas Scottish Rite. Her Salt Lake City (Avenues) practice, Dyslexia Therapy Utah, delivers structured-literacy dyslexia therapy using Take Flight and other Orton-Gillingham-based programs.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across the Wasatch Front — searchable by area so you can find one near Sandy, Layton, Ogden, 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.
Established multi-state ABA provider offering center- and home-based therapy with BCBA-designed treatment plans, plus an on-site autism diagnosis clinic.
Clinic founded by Katherine Wallisch, M.S., CCC-SLP serving Salt Lake City and Park City, offering autism diagnostics, speech-language therapy, AAC evaluations and device trials, executive-function programs, and integrated occupational therapy.
Hospital outpatient rehabilitation offering pediatric occupational, physical, and speech-language therapy by licensed clinicians, addressing daily-living skills, communication, language, and feeding/swallowing.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider serving the Salt Lake area — research-based applied behavior analysis (verbal behavior, natural-environment teaching, and more) for autistic children, accredited for clinical quality rather than chosen by ad spend.
The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory lists accredited ABA providers across the Wasatch Front — searchable by zip so a family in West Valley, Draper, Layton, or Provo can find the nearest accredited center instead of the one that advertises most.
A pediatric clinic in Murray (Salt Lake County) providing family-centered, play-based speech-language pathology and occupational therapy — also serving charter, private, and community early-childhood programs across the valley.
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 along the Wasatch Front.
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.
University of Utah Health and Primary Children's Hospital provide developmental-behavioral pediatric diagnosis and care — including the Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinic — for autism, ADHD, and developmental concerns, by board-certified specialists serving the whole Wasatch Front.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across the Salt Lake metro — 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 Salt Lake metro — the field's real professional standard.
Beyond information, the Utah Parent Center's IEP Coaches help you prepare for — and when possible attend — IEP meetings at no cost. A respected free alternative to hiring a private advocate first, available anywhere in Utah.
Utah 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 Utah's Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic provides low-cost speech-language evaluation and therapy for children of all ages — including those with autism, Down syndrome, and developmental disabilities — delivered by graduate clinicians under licensed, ASHA-certified supervisors.
The Autism Council of Utah is a free statewide network connecting families to vetted autism resources, services, and referrals across the Wasatch Front — a no-cost way to find what's near you alongside clinical care.
For children birth to 3, Utah's Baby Watch provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies through a local program near you — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
For children birth to 3, Utah's Baby Watch provides free developmental evaluation and early-intervention services (speech, OT, PT, developmental) through a network of local programs — so a family in Ogden, Sandy, or Lehi reaches a program near them. The earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Utah's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency — free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are denied, available statewide at no charge. A powerful free resource before you pay anyone.
Utah's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center (since 1984) — free training, information, and IEP Coaches who help you prepare for and even attend IEP meetings, staffed largely by parents of children with disabilities. A great first call from anywhere in Utah.
Federally funded and free — they help Utah families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Utah's protection & advocacy agency — free legal-rights information and help if your child's rights are being denied.
When you’re ready, an expert can review your child’s IEP and build your plan. See how it works →
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How do I start the special-education process in Salt Lake City?
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 Salt Lake City?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Utah — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.