Greater St. Louis — St. Louis, Clayton, Chesterfield, Town & Country, St. Charles, plus the Metro East — is home to Cardinal Glennon and St. Louis Children's, nationally recognized learning-disability schools like Churchill and Miriam, and a university speech clinic. The hard part is knowing which help is genuinely excellent and how to reach the free options first. This is St. Louis's own directory, ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham/Wilson accreditation, COPAA, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Start with the free Missouri 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 →
Nonprofit therapeutic day school exclusively for students ages 4-21 with autism spectrum disorders, approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Integrates speech, OT, music therapy, and ABA-informed instruction in very small classes.
Nationally recognized independent school teaching children who are deaf or hard of hearing to listen and talk, from birth through elementary school. Founded in 1914 and affiliated with Washington University School of Medicine.
Independent, not-for-profit program providing listening and spoken language education for children who are deaf or hard of hearing from birth through early elementary years, plus family support.
An independent therapeutic middle and high school (grades 6–12) for adolescents with emotional, behavioral, and learning challenges including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and trauma, with a small student-to-staff ratio and integrated clinical support.
A St. Louis special-education provider that partners with area schools to deliver individualized programming and related services for students with mild-to-moderate disabilities including specific learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, and speech/language disorders.
St. Louis's leading school for bright students with dyslexia and learning disabilities, Churchill (Town & Country) is certified by the International Dyslexia Association as a Wilson Accredited Partner — research-based reading, writing, and spelling for grades 1–10, with the goal of transitioning students back to a traditional school.
A premier St. Louis hub for children with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, and sensory or speech/language needs — small-group instruction and specialized curriculum from elementary through the high-school program that opened in 2016.
A fully accredited St. Louis school serving students with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, developmental delays, and other learning disabilities — individualized programs for learners who need a specialized environment.
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 specialized public education provider, serving roughly 23,000 students with disabilities across St. Louis County partner districts. Two-time Missouri Quality Award winner; provides IEP services, special schools, and embedded therapy. Programs change year to year, so verify current offerings.
One of six state-designated Missouri Autism Centers, within Washington University School of Medicine's Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluations by psychiatrists, psychologists, and neurologists.
Washington University-affiliated children's hospital offering developmental assessment and diagnostic therapy services delivered by licensed, certified clinicians across multiple St. Louis locations.
Sara E. Wright, PhD, a licensed Missouri psychologist, provides neuropsychological and psychoeducational evaluations for preschoolers through young adults, specializing in ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and learning disorders. (Practice also includes board-certified Dr. John D. Wright, PhD, ABPP.)
A St. Louis neuropsychology practice providing comprehensive evaluation for children and adults with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, learning disabilities, and genetic/developmental conditions, producing reports usable for school planning.
Offers neuropsychological assessment for children, adolescents, and adults, evaluating learning disabilities, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and developmental and neurological conditions.
Cardinal Glennon Children's (SLUCare) pediatric neuropsychology assesses children and teens whose conditions may affect thinking and learning — evaluating learning disability, ADHD, intellectual disability, and autism, with a comprehensive report completed within about a month.
Summer Lane, PhD, ABPP is a board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist who assesses cognitive, behavioral, and emotional concerns in children and adolescents — trained on the ADOS-2, the gold standard for autism assessment. 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, instead of trusting star ratings.
Provides one-on-one Barton Reading & Spelling System (Orton-Gillingham-based) tutoring for struggling readers, plus special-education advocacy, serving the St. Louis metro from Fenton and St. Peters.
A 30+ year St. Louis nonprofit serving families navigating learning disabilities, ADHD, language disorders, and autism, offering cognitive/educational testing, one-on-one tutoring, parent coaching, and educational advocacy.
Lisa Cannon-Bearden is a Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT), Certified Structured Literacy Dyslexia Specialist (C-SLDS), and ALTA member trained through the Luke Waites Child Development Center's Orton-Gillingham therapeutic-reading program. She provides dyslexia intervention at Speech Language Learning Systems in Chesterfield (greater St. Louis), a practice serving local families for 25+ years.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across greater St. Louis — the gold-standard credential for a private dyslexia tutor, verified by training rather than advertising.
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.
Missouri's largest provider of autism services, delivering Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)-supervised ABA therapy with RBT-led 1:1 instruction across St. Louis. Accepts Medicaid and many commercial plans.
A BHCOE highest-level-accredited ABA provider with multiple St. Louis-area centers, delivering play-based, center-based applied behavior analysis early intervention for young autistic children.
A St. Louis-area pediatric clinic providing speech, feeding, myofunctional, occupational, and physical therapy for children and teens, with locations in Kirkwood and St. Peters.
Owned by Marissa Riley, M.S., CCC-SLP, a certified St. Louis speech-language pathologist providing private pediatric speech and language therapy in school, in-home, and teletherapy settings.
A BHCOE top-level-accredited ABA provider with St. Louis-area centers (Chesterfield, Webster Groves, O'Fallon, Maryland Heights, Arnold) — play-based, center-based early intervention for young autistic children, accredited for clinical quality.
A BHCOE-accredited St. Louis provider offering home- and clinic-based applied behavior analysis (and counseling) for children with autism — accredited for clinical quality rather than chosen by ad spend.
The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence directory lists accredited ABA providers across greater St. Louis (including Regal Behavior Solutions) — the real quality bar for autism therapy.
Kate Robertson, M.A., CCC-SLP, founded The Speech Spot in Kirkwood (St. Louis area) in 2014, building a team that delivers both speech-language and occupational therapy for young children — pediatric, ASHA-certified, and family-centered.
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.
Washington University's developmental-behavioral pediatricians at St. Louis Children's Hospital provide expert diagnosis and management of autism, ADHD, developmental delay, and learning disorders — academic, board-certified care that informs your child's school plan.
Cardinal Glennon's developmental pediatrics team diagnoses and treats autism, ADHD, and developmental concerns — a second strong academic option for a formal evaluation in St. Louis.
An independent St. Louis disability advocate with nearly 20 years' experience and a former board chair of Missouri Protection & Advocacy, helping families with IEP/504 advocacy and disability navigation.
A Missouri/Illinois law practice focused exclusively on education law and student disability rights, handling IEP disputes, 504 Plan enforcement, evaluations, and accommodations for families across the St. Louis region.
A St. Louis education-law practice that helps families understand the special-education process, evaluate a district's conduct, and pursue legal action when needed in IEP and disability-rights matters.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates' directory lists active, vetted special-education advocates and attorneys serving greater St. Louis — the field's real professional standard.
Beyond information, MPACT's trained parent mentors can help you prepare for and understand IEP meetings at no cost — a respected free alternative to hiring a private advocate first.
Legal Services of Eastern Missouri provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across the St. Louis region — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
SLU's Speech-Language and Hearing Clinic (McGannon Hall) provides low-cost evaluation and therapy, including its Early Childhood Language/Literacy Center for young children ages 2.5–5 with communication needs — delivered by graduate clinicians under ASHA-certified supervisors.
MPACT offers free workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and resource navigation for Missouri families — a rich free resource for learning your rights alongside clinical services.
For children birth to 3, Missouri First Steps provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
For children birth to 3 with developmental delays or qualifying conditions, Missouri First Steps 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.
Missouri's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency — free advocacy and legal services that protect the rights of children with disabilities, including in special education. A powerful free resource before you pay anyone.
Missouri's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free special-education and advocacy training, one-on-one parent mentoring, and help navigating Early Intervention and the IEP/504 process. A great first call.
Federally funded and free — they help Missouri families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Missouri'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 St. Louis?
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 St. Louis?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Missouri — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.