Seattle has Seattle Children's Hospital and the University of Washington, a renowned dyslexia school, and a free university speech clinic — the hard part is knowing which help is genuinely excellent and how to reach the free options first. This is Seattle's own directory, ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham accreditation, COPAA, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Start with the free Washington options, 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 →
Year-round therapeutic day school for elementary through high school students with significant behavioral and emotional challenges, serving as a district placement option. Operated under Overlake Medical Center & Clinics in Bellevue.
Specialty private school founded in 1982 serving deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth through 8th grade using Signing Exact English and oral communication; 98% of students graduate high school at or near grade level.
Year-round therapeutic and educational program for autistic children, with very small class sizes, individualized instruction, and specialized extracurricular programming.
Small, nationally/regionally (AESD-WA) accredited nonsectarian nonprofit private school serving both neurotypical and neurodiverse students with personalized, low-ratio instruction.
A Seattle K–12 independent school (member of the Northwest Association of Independent Schools) built for neurodivergent students, blending neurotypical and neurodiverse learners in an inclusive, individualized program.
A Renton therapeutic day school (Washington State Board of Education-approved, OSPI-approved Nonpublic Agency) for ages 5–17 with autism, emotional-behavioral, sensory, and learning challenges, plus an on-site OT/speech/mental-health clinic.
A Seattle independent school (since 1983) for grades 1–8 with dyslexia and language-based learning differences — a multisensory Slingerland Approach (a classroom-based form of Orton-Gillingham), PNAIS-accredited.
A Seattle school (since 1980) helping struggling elementary and middle-school learners catch up — many students have dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, or ADHD — with a results-focused, individualized model.
For more options (such as the Children's Institute for Learning Differences), Project Spectrum lists Washington schools serving students with autism and learning disabilities — a vetted way to find a specialized placement near you.
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 state's largest district provides free special-education services ages 3-21, including distinct specialized programs for students who are deaf/hard-of-hearing and students with autism. (Programs and placements change year to year — confirm current offerings with the district.)
Eastside district widely regarded for its special-education and inclusion programming, providing free IEP-based services and specialized classrooms across elementary, middle, and high schools. (Programs change year to year — verify current placements.)
Bothell/Woodinville-area district offering free special-education services PK-12, including specialized and self-contained programs for autism and developmental disabilities. (Programs change year to year — confirm with the district.)
Kirkland/Redmond/Sammamish district providing free special-education services with a range of regional specialized programs for autism, behavioral, and intensive-support needs. (Programs change year to year — verify current offerings.)
Eastside district consistently rated among the region's strongest, providing free IEP-based services and specialized program options across its schools. (Programs change year to year — confirm current placements with the district.)
Bellevue-based practice specializing in pediatric neuropsychological evaluations for autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and developmental concerns, performed by a licensed neuropsychologist.
Bellevue clinic offering neuropsychological assessment, child/adolescent mental-health services, and behavioral assessment by licensed clinicians.
A doctoral-level psychology group whose psychologists completed postdoctoral fellowships in child clinical psychology — comprehensive evaluations for autism, ADHD, learning disabilities/dyslexia, intellectual disability, and IQ.
An association of independently practicing licensed psychologists (Yumi Hiraga, PhD; Angela Hungelmann, PhD — pediatric-neuropsych trained at Seattle Children's) doing comprehensive learning, gifted, dyslexia/dysgraphia/dyscalculia, and ADHD assessments.
Dr. Sandy Trinh, PhD, a licensed psychologist and nationally certified school psychologist, provides developmental, psychoeducational, and neuropsychological evaluations for autism, ADHD, learning difficulties, and anxiety.
Deirdre Stone, PsyD, a Washington-licensed psychologist in West Seattle, provides neuropsychological, psychological, and psychoeducational evaluations and ADHD/learning-disorder assessment from preschool through college.
A private-pay neuropsychological testing practice (no referral needed) serving Seattle and Bellevue, with comprehensive autism, ADHD, and gifted/IQ assessment for children and teens.
Seattle Children's neuropsychology department has many board-certified clinicians — director Kristina Patrick, PhD, ABPP, BCBA, plus Sharon Ashman, PhD, ABPP; Gabrielle Alvarez, PsyD, ABPP; Ashley Roy, PhD, ABPP — for comprehensive evaluations of learning, attention, and autism.
A board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist in private practice in the Seattle area — thorough evaluations of learning disabilities, ADHD, and developmental concerns with direct, personal attention.
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, instead of trusting star ratings.
A Seattle dyslexia tutor delivering an Orton-Gillingham-based multisensory structured-literacy intervention — systematic, cumulative, explicit, and diagnostic — for students with dyslexia, in person or online.
Seattle dyslexia tutoring whose tutors are trained in structured-literacy approaches grounded in Orton-Gillingham principles, adapted to each student's profile.
The University of Washington Psychology department's LEARN Clinic provides comprehensive learning evaluations — intellectual, academic, language, and visual-perceptual testing — for learning concerns and dyslexia.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across Seattle — the gold-standard credential for a private dyslexia tutor, verified by training rather than advertising (Hamlin Robinson teaches the related Slingerland Approach).
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.
Clinic that integrates a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, a speech-language pathologist (CCC-SLP), and an occupational therapist (OTR/L) to build a coordinated treatment plan for each child.
Bellevue clinic providing pediatric speech-language pathology and occupational therapy to help children build skills for home, school, and play.
A provider serving the Seattle area offering ABA alongside speech-language, occupational, and feeding therapy for autistic children — a coordinated, communication-focused team.
An Eastlake pediatric clinic founded by Shelley O'Donnell, MS, OTR/L (published on sensory processing in autism) providing occupational, speech-language, feeding, and AAC therapy for children and teens.
A Seattle outpatient pediatric OT clinic (five OTR/L therapists, founder Heidi J. Hynes, OTR/L, 30+ years) addressing sensory processing, autism, ADHD, emotion regulation, feeding, and motor/handwriting skills.
Swedish Medical Center's pediatric therapy program offers speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy — including feeding and sensory-integration — for children from newborn to 18.
A BHCOE-accredited provider serving the Seattle area (including Bellevue and Woodinville) offering ABA alongside speech-language and occupational therapy — a coordinated, research-based team.
Seattle Children's Autism Center offers an ABA Early Intervention Program with behavior therapists and a speech-language pathologist — comprehensive autism services provided regardless of a family's ability to pay.
The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory lists accredited ABA providers across the Seattle area — the real quality bar for choosing ABA, instead of guessing from ads or stars.
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.
The University of Washington Autism Center provides diagnostic autism evaluations for infants, children, and adolescents, with individualized written summaries, feedback meetings, and resource recommendations.
Seattle Children's Autism Center provides comprehensive autism screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment under one roof regardless of a family's ability to pay — with board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians (UW faculty).
University of Washington developmental-behavioral pediatricians (including Dr. Sam Zinner) evaluate and treat autism, ADHD, and developmental concerns — academic expertise via the UW Autism Center and Seattle Children's.
A Kirkland nonprofit pairing family navigation with legal services regardless of ability to pay — a free legal clinic, 1:1 attorney/legal-assistant coaching, IEP 'Blueprints' workshops, and a special-education law library.
A Seattle law firm representing parents of children with special needs for over 30 years, handling special education, guardianships, and special-needs trusts to resolve disputes with school districts.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving Seattle — the field's real professional standard.
A Washington nonprofit offering free, culturally and linguistically relevant case management, parent support, and IEP/special-education advocacy for multicultural families of children with disabilities.
Washington's largest publicly funded legal-aid program provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
The University of Washington's clinic provides speech-language pathology services free of charge (children 20 months+), plus sliding-scale audiology and a low-cost hearing-aid program — supervised, ASHA-certified, university-quality care.
A major Seattle-area nonprofit providing neurodevelopmental evaluation, early intervention, and therapies (speech, OT, PT, behavior) — much of it free through ESIT, with sliding-scale options beyond.
For children birth to 3, Washington's ESIT provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
For children birth to 3, Washington's ESIT provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention services (speech, OT, PT, developmental). The earliest, no-barrier place to start if you have any concern about your baby or toddler.
Washington'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.
Washington's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Federally funded and free — they help Washington families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Washington'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 Seattle?
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 Seattle?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Washington — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.