Northeastern Pennsylvania — Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Pittston, Kingston, and the rest of Lackawanna and Luzerne counties — has strong, credentialed help for kids with special needs, anchored by Geisinger's nationally known Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute and Allied Services' pediatric rehabilitation. Your local districts — Scranton School District, Wilkes-Barre Area School District, Hazleton Area School District, and Abington Heights — each run a special-education department. This is NEPA's own yellow pages of the best, most relevant help — named experts and clinics where we can verify them, ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification), never by reviews or who pays. In Pennsylvania your free front door is Early Intervention (birth–3) through the county/CONNECT, preschool Early Intervention (ages 3–5) through the Intermediate Unit (NEIU 19 / Luzerne IU 18), and your school district's evaluation and IEP for ages 5+. Start there, then the best evaluators, schools, reading specialists, therapists, doctors, and advocates near you.
✓ Every provider here is vetted by credentials, never pay-to-play. How we choose →
A licensed private academic school for K–12 students with autism and emotional/behavioral challenges, with campuses serving the Scranton/Lackawanna and Luzerne areas. Programming blends academics with positive behavior support, ABA, and on-site therapies delivered by credentialed clinicians.
A nonprofit, tuition-free PA Approved Private School (birth through 8th grade) for deaf and hard-of-hearing children that also runs an Applied Studies Program for students with autism, developmental delays, and related needs. Long-standing regional institution recognized by NASET as a School of Excellence.
Friendship House provides specialized education and behavioral-health programs for children with autism and emotional/behavioral needs across NEPA, including approved-program classrooms and intensive supports — a long-established Scranton-area placement for students who need a specialized setting.
The Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit (NEIU 19) and Luzerne Intermediate Unit (IU 18) run specialized public classrooms and autism/emotional-support programs for districts across the region — the placement many districts use for a more specialized public setting.
A searchable directory for comparing Scranton/Wilkes-Barre private and special-education school options by location, grades, and program — useful if you're seeking a specialized placement.
A licensed private academic school serving K-12 students with autistic support and emotional support needs through ABA, MTSS, and trauma-informed instruction.
A tuition-free school for deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth through grade 8, a program of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf using ASL, Sign Supported English, and Spoken English.
A licensed special-education preschool and early-intervention program (birth to age 6) blending children with developmental delays and autism with typical peers, with on-site OT/PT/speech therapy.
The regional intermediate unit operating Autistic Support, Life Skills, and Physical Support classrooms plus the REAL Academy transition program for districts across the Wilkes-Barre area.
The regional intermediate unit providing direct Autistic Support and other special-education programs across 20 member districts and area charters in the Scranton region.
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 the region's largest urban district, providing IEP services, specialized programs, and supports across district schools under IDEA. Programs and staffing change year to year — confirm current offerings with the district.
A suburban/rural public district north of Scranton with an established special-education department delivering IEP-driven services and supports under IDEA. Programs change year to year — verify current placements directly with the district.
A nationally recognized health-system program offering multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluations for autism, intellectual disability, and developmental delay, plus intervention and research. Serves families across northeastern/central PA including the Scranton area.
An established multi-location psychology practice in the Scranton region providing neuropsychological testing and evaluation to determine ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and learning disabilities for children and adults. Evaluations conducted by licensed psychologists.
A local pediatric practice that performs developmental and autism screening as part of routine well-child visits and coordinates referrals for diagnostic evaluation and early intervention. A first stop for parents noticing developmental concerns.
Geisinger's Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute is a nationally recognized program providing diagnostic evaluation and treatment for autism and neurodevelopmental disorders — combining medical management, behavior analysis, and research. Its NEPA Precision Health Center is in Forty Fort, with Janet Weis Children's Hospital backing. The region's premier diagnostic home.
The Center for Pediatric Neuropsychology provides specialized neuropsychological evaluations for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, learning differences, and complex medical/psychiatric needs — rigorous, school-ready assessments. Ask about board certification (ABPP) when you call.
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 across NEPA, instead of trusting star ratings.
The Academy of Orton-Gillingham and the Academic Language Therapy Association list accredited O-G practitioners and CALTs across northeastern Pennsylvania — searchable near Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, or Hazleton. The gold-standard credentials for a private dyslexia tutor.
The International Dyslexia Association's Pennsylvania branches list structured-literacy providers and resources — a reliable way to find evidence-based (Orton-Gillingham, Wilson, Barton) dyslexia help in NEPA and to avoid unproven methods.
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.
Part of the Scottish Rite Children's Dyslexia Centers network providing free, one-on-one Orton-Gillingham-based, multisensory structured language instruction to children diagnosed with dyslexia, twice weekly after school, regardless of family income.
Allied Services Integrated Health System provides comprehensive pediatric physical, occupational, and speech therapy plus autism programs on an outpatient basis at its Scranton (475 Morgan Hwy, 570-348-1360) and Wilkes-Barre (150 Mundy St, 570-826-3900) pediatric rehab centers — the region's largest pediatric rehabilitation provider.
The Autism Collaborative Centers of Excellence provide applied behavior analysis and autism services in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area — a local autism-center option with BCBA-supervised programming.
Attain ABA provides applied behavior analysis for children with autism in the Scranton area, with Board Certified Behavior Analysts delivering individualized programming. Confirm BHCOE accreditation when you call.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across Lackawanna and Luzerne counties, ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, or Pittston find the nearest.
Geisinger's Department of Developmental Medicine physicians diagnose and help manage autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, and complex developmental conditions — a nationally recognized academic developmental-medicine team serving NEPA from Forty Fort and Janet Weis Children's Hospital.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians serving NEPA — 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 NEPA — the field's real professional standard.
The PEAL Center is Pennsylvania's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, evaluations, and the IEP process, with trained parent specialists. A respected statewide free resource before hiring a private advocate.
Pennsylvania's protection & advocacy agency offers free legal information and advocacy for special-education rights — a no-cost first stop before hiring a private advocate or attorney.
Marywood University's Speech, Language & Audiology Clinic provides low-cost diagnostic and therapy services for children with communication disorders, delivered by ASHA-certified, PA-licensed staff supervising graduate clinicians — a strong-value option for ongoing speech-language services in NEPA.
The Children's Service Center provides children's behavioral-health and developmental services in Wilkes-Barre, accepting Medicaid and offering accessible care — a long-standing nonprofit resource for NEPA families.
North Penn Legal Services provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across NEPA (Scranton and Wilkes-Barre offices) — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
For children birth to 3, Pennsylvania Early Intervention provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies — call the CONNECT Helpline (800-692-7288), the earliest no-barrier place to start in NEPA.
For children birth to 3 with a delay or disability, Pennsylvania's Early Intervention provides free evaluation and services (speech, OT, PT, developmental) — run through the Lackawanna and Luzerne County programs. The CONNECT Helpline (800-692-7288) is the no-barrier place to start.
Ages 3–5 are served by Preschool Early Intervention through the Northeastern Educational Intermediate Unit (NEIU 19, Lackawanna) or Luzerne IU 18; at school age, request a special-education evaluation in writing from your district. This is the free legal route to an IEP and services.
Pennsylvania'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.
Federally funded and free — they help Pennsylvania families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Pennsylvania'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 Scranton & Wilkes-Barre?
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 Scranton & Wilkes-Barre?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Pennsylvania — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.