San Jose and Silicon Valley have Stanford and Lucile Packard — board-certified pediatric neuropsychology — plus the South Bay's only integrated Orton-Gillingham school and SJSU's training clinics. The hard part is finding the genuinely excellent help near you. This is San Jose's own credential-vetted directory of the best evaluators, schools, therapists, and doctors, plus free and low-cost options.
✓ Every provider here is vetted by credentials, never pay-to-play. How we choose →
Long-established (since 1969) nonprofit nonpublic school certified by the California Department of Education, serving students with autism ages 5-22 from 30+ Bay Area districts. Multidisciplinary staff including credentialed special-education teachers and therapists.
Specialized school for students with autism on a 6-acre South Blossom Hill campus in San Jose, using evidence-based, research-backed practices and individualized programming.
School operated by the Children's Health Council for grades 2-8 students with dyslexia, ADHD and other learning differences, pairing individualized academics with social-emotional support.
A nonprofit nonpublic school certified by the California Department of Education and WASC-accredited, serving students ages 6–22 with moderate-to-severe autism, including nonverbal students and those with complex communication and behavioral needs.
A nonprofit operating specialized nonpublic schools in San Jose and Palo Alto for ages 5–22 — the South Bay's most complex special-education learners — blending special education, mental health, behavior analysis, speech, and vocational services.
A San Jose special-education program for elementary and high-school students with high-functioning autism and emotional or behavioral challenges, offering individualized academics and behavioral support.
The South Bay's only integrated Orton-Gillingham program (San Jose) for children with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia — staff are Orton-Gillingham Academy certified, with a 4:1 ratio and time alongside general-education peers.
A Bay Area private school (Newark) dedicated to students with dyslexia and language-learning differences, using a structured multisensory (Slingerland / Orton-Gillingham) approach. Confirm grade levels and current openings.
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.
Free public Special Education Local Plan Area coordinating a continuum of programs (birth to 22) across county districts; selected by the California Department of Education as a statewide Resource Lead for High Quality IEPs. Programs change year to year, so confirm current offerings.
Free public district special-education services with a board-adopted Local Plan for Special Education providing a continuum of supports across district schools. Programs change year to year, so confirm current offerings.
Free public special-education department for the largest district in the city, offering IEP-driven services and specialized programs across its schools. Programs change year to year, so confirm current offerings.
Stanford Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry clinic providing evaluation, treatment and consultation for youth ages 2-18 with developmental disabilities and co-occurring psychiatric concerns.
State-funded regional center serving Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties; provides free developmental evaluations and case management for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities including autism.
A Bay Area clinic serving San Jose families with comprehensive psychoeducational and neuropsychological assessments for children, supporting IEP and 504 eligibility findings.
Dr. Chi Huang (CA PSY #28402) provides pediatric neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluations, ADHD and autism assessment, and testing for gifted/twice-exceptional children across Santa Clara County. By appointment.
A 70-year-old Bay Area nonprofit whose neuropsychologists, psychologists, and educational therapists evaluate ADHD, learning differences (including dyslexia), anxiety, and autism, with a dedicated San Jose South Bay location.
Stanford Health Care's Neuropsychology Clinic — most of its neuropsychologists are board-certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology — provides comprehensive evaluations of memory, attention, language, and learning for children and teens.
The American Board of Professional Psychology's directory lists clinicians who passed board certification in clinical neuropsychology — the real credential to look for in a private evaluator near you.
Orton-Gillingham structured-literacy reading specialists serving San Jose, Campbell, and Los Gatos with in-home and online instruction for children with dyslexia and decoding difficulties. By appointment.
Private South Bay reading tutoring using the multisensory, research-based Barton Reading & Spelling System (Orton-Gillingham based) for students with language-based learning disabilities such as dyslexia. By appointment.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners — the gold-standard credential for a private dyslexia tutor near you in the South Bay.
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.
Center-based ABA in San Jose plus statewide speech-language and occupational therapy, with care delivered by board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) and licensed therapists.
Established multi-state ABA provider with a Santa Clara County / San Jose location offering individualized, BCBA-supervised applied behavior analysis for children with autism.
San Jose ABA center staffed by board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) and registered behavior technicians (RBTs) delivering individualized autism therapy.
An ACQ-accredited center offering clinic-based ABA, speech-language (CCC-SLP), and occupational therapy for children, with a school-readiness focus, serving the San Jose / Campbell area.
A San Jose pediatric clinic providing occupational, physical, speech, and feeding therapy for children, with OTR/L occupational therapists and CCC-SLP speech-language pathologists.
A long-established Bay Area provider of pediatric speech-language, occupational, and behavior (ABA) therapy serving the San Jose / South Bay region. Confirm the nearest clinic location.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider serving San Jose families — listed in the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory, the real quality bar for choosing ABA.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider serving San Jose families — listed in the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory, the real quality bar for choosing ABA.
For more options, the BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across San Jose (such as Behavior Frontiers and The Reilly Behavioral Group) — the field's real quality standard.
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.
Santa Clara County's public medical center offers comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation and ongoing management of children with suspected autism, developmental delays, intellectual disability, and learning problems — a key option for families on Medi-Cal.
Kaiser Permanente San Jose Medical Center's Psychiatry Autism/Spectrum Disorder Center provides diagnostic evaluation and care for children on the spectrum (Kaiser members).
Stanford Medicine Children's Health's developmental-behavioral pediatricians — board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in DBP — provide comprehensive assessments for milestones, behavior, autism, and complex ADHD.
Leigh Monichon and Taylor Kohn are independent special-education advocates serving Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties, with direct district and IEP-meeting experience. By appointment.
A San Jose law firm focused on special-education law — IEP disputes, FAPE, placement, mediation, and due-process hearings — serving families across the Bay Area.
A California special-education attorney serving San Jose families in IEP disputes over FAPE and least-restrictive placement, with pro bono due-process representation for qualifying parents.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving the San Jose / Silicon Valley area — the field's real professional standard.
The Law Foundation of Silicon Valley provides free legal help to children with disabilities and their families — including special-education and school-access matters — for income-eligible San Jose families.
San Jose State University's training clinic (KACCD) provides low-cost speech, language, and hearing evaluation and therapy for children, delivered by supervised student clinicians.
For children birth to 3, California's Early Start program provides developmental evaluations and therapies at free or sliding-scale cost — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Federally funded and free — they help California families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
California'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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Your state's free programs · Find help by ZIP · Explore the tools →
How do I start the special-education process in San Jose?
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 San Jose?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in California — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.