Greater Tucson covers Pima County — Tucson, Oro Valley, Marana, Vail, Sahuarita, Green Valley. This is a true yellow pages of the best, most relevant help for a child with special needs, built so a family ANYWHERE in the metro can find genuinely excellent care nearby — named experts and therapists, not just directories. It's ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Start with the free Arizona options, 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 →
WASC-accredited K-12 school in Tucson serving students with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities and sensory processing disorders, with a maximum 8:1 student-to-staff ratio. Specialized autism-focused private school.
Fully accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges. K-12 (through age 22) program offering individualized education exclusively for students with autism.
Pathways School is a nonprofit K–12 day school in Tucson for students with specific learning disabilities — dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia — building each student's literacy program around their individual learning profile, attention needs, and language skills.
Raising Special Kids can help you compare additional Tucson-area school options for dyslexia, autism, and learning differences at no cost — including district special-education programs and Arizona's ESA (Empowerment Scholarship Account) options for students with disabilities.
The Autism Society of Southern Arizona helps Tucson families find vetted autism schools, programs, and providers — free local navigation when you need an autism-focused educational setting.
Fully accredited K-12+ autism-only private day school approved by the Arizona Department of Education to deliver special education services across all levels of the spectrum. Grounded in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and PBIS with certified staff.
Tuition-free, autism-focused public charter network with an elementary campus (K-3) and an upper-school campus (grades 6-12) in Tucson. ABA-informed instruction, related services, and a college/career-readiness CTE track for students on the spectrum.
Cognia-accredited K-12 (ages 5-22) therapeutic special-education day school operated by Specialized Education Services, Inc. Three structured pathways (Spark, Spring, Bloom) serve students with academic/behavioral needs, emotional or mild cognitive disabilities, and moderate-to-severe cognitive disabilities or autism, with counseling, OT, sensory rooms, and social work.
Accredited K-12 school using a one-to-one and small-group (6-8) model led by special-education-certified teachers, serving exceptional learners with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and medical fragility. Accepts district placements and ESA funding.
Cognia-accredited and Wilson-accredited language-based day school for average-to-gifted students with dyslexia and related learning differences (Wilson/structured-literacy, RULER, AP Capstone). Located in the Phoenix metro — included as the strongest credentialed dyslexia/language-based option within reach of families willing to travel/relocate, given Tucson's sparse stand-alone dyslexia schools.
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.
Arizona's first tuition-free public charter school focused on the educational needs of children with autism, using ABA-informed, structured instruction. Programs vary year to year.
Tucson Unified School District's special-education department serves hundreds of students with autism; Sewell and Wright elementary schools and Tucson High are noted for particularly strong exceptional-education programs with self-contained options. Programs change year to year.
Neuropsychology practice with licensed psychologists offering comprehensive evaluations for children and adolescents with suspected neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder and learning disorders.
Banner - University Medicine pediatric behavioral health, affiliated with the University of Arizona, offering developmental-behavioral pediatric and psychological evaluation including autism diagnosis.
Tucson neuropsychologist providing comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations specializing in autism spectrum and ADHD testing for children and adults.
Led by Patricia Beldotti, PsyD, Tucson Neuropsychology Associates is the longest-running Tucson practice specializing in evaluating children and adults for neurodevelopmental disorders — comprehensive assessment of autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities.
The University of Arizona's ABLE Clinic (SALT Center) — with psychologists Dr. Laura Kerry-Henkel and Dr. Deborah Mercier-Burmeister — uses gold-standard measures to evaluate autism and administers neuropsychological evaluations of cognitive functioning, learning disabilities, and ADHD.
The American Board of Professional Psychology's directory lists clinicians who passed board certification in clinical neuropsychology (Tucson's ABPP-certified evaluators include the Tucson Neuropsychology Institute) — the credential to verify in any private evaluator, instead of trusting star ratings.
The Orton-Gillingham Institute provides structured-literacy, Orton-Gillingham dyslexia tutoring for Tucson-area students — direct, multisensory reading intervention from trained practitioners.
The Academy's directory lists accredited Orton-Gillingham practitioners across greater Tucson — searchable by area so you can find one near Oro Valley, Marana, or Sahuarita. 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.
Multidisciplinary autism center providing BCBA-supervised ABA therapy alongside occupational therapy, speech-language therapy, feeding therapy, and diagnostic evaluations.
Tucson ABA center providing personalized, Board Certified Behavior Analyst-supervised treatment for children with autism.
ABA therapy and autism treatment centers staffed by Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), with East and West Tucson locations.
Tucson wellness center offering pediatric occupational therapy for children from birth to age 12, alongside integrated behavioral health services.
Tucson clinic providing speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy plus feeding and nutrition services, with feeding/swallowing expertise for young children.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider with 20+ years of experience, serving Tucson in learning centers, homes, the community, and in partnership with schools — research-based applied behavior analysis, accredited for clinical quality rather than ad spend.
A BHCOE-accredited ABA provider serving the Tucson, Vail, and Sahuarita region — important coverage for families on the south and east sides of the metro where downtown options are a long drive. Accredited for clinical quality.
A BHCOE-accredited Tucson ABA provider delivering evidence-based, leading-edge treatment for children affected by autism and related disorders — accredited for clinical quality.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across the metro (including Action Behavior Centers in North Tucson and Hopebridge), ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Oro Valley, Marana, or Green Valley find the nearest.
Banner – University Medical Center Tucson and the University of Arizona's Developmental Pediatrics (Children's Multispecialty Services) provide expert diagnosis and management of autism, ADHD, and developmental concerns for ages 2–18 by board-certified developmental pediatricians.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across greater Tucson — 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 greater Tucson — the field's real professional standard.
Beyond information, Raising Special Kids' trained parent staff help you prepare for and understand IEP meetings at no cost — a respected free alternative to hiring a private advocate first.
Southern Arizona Legal Aid provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across Pima County — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
The University of Arizona's Speech, Language & Hearing Clinic evaluates and treats hundreds of children each year at low cost — speech, language, and hearing services delivered by graduate student clinicians under licensed, ASHA-certified speech-language pathologists. A communication lifeline for Tucson and Southern Arizona.
The Autism Society of Southern Arizona provides free information, referrals, and family support across the Tucson metro — connecting families to vetted local autism services alongside clinical care.
For children birth to 3, AzEIP provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies across Pima County — the earliest, no-barrier place to start.
For children birth to 3, the Arizona Early Intervention Program provides free developmental evaluation and early-intervention services (speech, OT, PT, developmental) — statewide, including all of Pima County. The earliest, no-barrier place to start if you have any concern about your baby or toddler.
Arizona's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency, with a Tucson office — free legal information and advocacy to help you know your rights and advocate for your child when special-education rights are denied. A powerful free resource before you pay anyone.
Arizona's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings, with parent-to-parent support statewide. A great first call.
Federally funded and free — they help Arizona families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Arizona'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 →
No sign-up, nothing saved — use as much as you want.
✉️ Get a ready-to-send letter →
Your state's free programs · Find help by ZIP · Explore the tools →
How do I start the special-education process in Tucson?
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 Tucson?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Arizona — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.