Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma — Broken Arrow, Owasso, Jenks, Bixby, Sand Springs — have genuinely good, credentialed help for kids with special needs, but it's scattered. This is Tulsa's own yellow pages of the best, most relevant help — named experts and therapists where we can verify them, not just directories. It's ranked by real credentials (ABPP, BHCOE, CALT/Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification) — never by reviews or who pays. Oklahoma has no Regional Center system, so your free front door is your school district's evaluation (ages 3+) and SoonerStart for birth–3 — 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 →
Accredited private academy and learning center using the evidence-based Lindamood-Bell sensory-cognitive programs for students with dyslexia, ADHD, and language-based learning differences. Tulsa center offers intensive in-person and live-online instruction.
Town & Country School is northeastern Oklahoma's only accredited, non-public, full-day program built specifically for students (grades 2–12) with learning disabilities, ADHD, and autism spectrum disorders — individualized attention, small classes, and a flexible curriculum. They offer a free special-education consultation.
For the youngest children (birth to six), the Little Light House provides tuition-free specialized education and therapy for kids with disabilities — a nationally admired Tulsa nonprofit and an exceptional no-cost option for early years.
A searchable directory for comparing additional Tulsa-area private and special-education school options by location, grades, and program — useful alongside the named schools above.
Oklahoma's only accredited, full-day non-public school built specifically for students in grades 2-12 with learning disabilities, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Individualized, strengths-based instruction with speech and counseling services and a 13th-year transition program. The flagship private special-education day school for the Tulsa area and one of the largest Lindsey Nicole Henry scholarship providers in the state.
Christian nonprofit developmental center serving children birth to age six with all disabilities (visual/physical impairments, developmental delays, autism, and complex needs). Transdisciplinary team of special educators plus physical, occupational, speech, and vision therapists in a developmental-classroom model. A 50-year Tulsa institution, internationally recognized, with all services provided tuition-free.
Established center-based autism services provider with two Tulsa locations, delivering 1:1 and group ABA therapy led by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and Registered Behavior Technicians. Standardized therapy rooms, peer social-skills programming, and early-intervention focus. BHCOE-accredited organization (Behavioral Health Center of Excellence), the recognized quality standard for ABA providers.
The public district's Exceptional Student Services department provides the full continuum of IDEA special-education services across Tulsa: evaluation, IEP development, specialized academic instruction, behavioral and social-emotional supports, inclusive placements, and the Tulsa Transition Academy for post-secondary transition. The default free, federally mandated SPED entry point for Tulsa-resident families.
Long-established (founded 1961) independent day school built exclusively for neurodivergent learners and students with learning differences including dyslexia, serving lower through upper school with a 13:1 ratio, research-based structured methods, and on-site reading and speech therapy. Cognia-accredited and ICAA member; serves nine Oklahoma counties and is the state's largest Lindsey Nicole Henry scholarship provider. ~100 miles from Tulsa (Oklahoma City) — included as a top-tier regional option for families needing a dedicated dyslexia/LD school.
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 district's special education division serves students with autism, learning disabilities, and other needs across all schools, with dedicated developmental screening for three-year-olds and autism-specific supports. Free and federally mandated under IDEA. (Programs and placements change year to year—confirm current offerings with the district.)
Long-established suburban district serving roughly 1,500 students with disabilities, providing a free appropriate public education under IDEA and Section 504 with a well-regarded continuum of special education services. (Programs change year to year—verify current placements.)
One of Oklahoma's largest districts, offering a full range of IDEA special education and related services, autism supports, and transition programming across its schools. Free public option for the eastern Tulsa metro. (Programs change year to year—confirm details.)
OSU's Behavioral Medicine clinic provides neuropsychological and psychiatric care to Tulsa and northeastern Oklahoma, offering comprehensive testing for children and adults including autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.
One of the few dedicated developmental pediatrics programs in the Tulsa area, with developmental-behavioral pediatricians specializing in autism evaluation and diagnosis for children with developmental concerns.
Specializes in psychological assessment and therapy for children and adolescents ages 2–18, with licensed psychologists conducting comprehensive autism spectrum disorder evaluations.
Clinicians trained in autism spectrum disorder assessment who complete neuropsychological and developmental evaluations measuring cognitive functioning, social skills, and academic performance for children with suspected developmental delays.
Oklahoma Children's Hospital OU Health runs the Child Study Center and a Neuropsychology & Assessment Program evaluating children 0–18 for autism, dyslexia, ADHD, communication disorders, and other neurodevelopmental conditions — expert clinicians serving Tulsa as well as Oklahoma City.
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 Tulsa, Broken Arrow, or Owasso, instead of trusting star ratings.
Payne Education Center is Oklahoma's structured-literacy authority, training and listing Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALTs) — the therapist-level, Orton-Gillingham-based dyslexia credential. Use their directory to find a CALT serving Tulsa; CALT is the gold standard to verify in any dyslexia tutor.
ALTA's Oklahoma chapter lists roughly 130 Certified Academic Language Therapists across the state — a credential-verified way to find a qualified dyslexia therapist in the Tulsa area rather than relying on 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.
Pediatric clinic and school-based provider with ASHA-certified (CCC-SLP) speech-language pathologists and occupational and physical therapists, treating speech-sound, fluency, language, and feeding disorders from birth through the teen years.
Center-based ABA therapy for children with autism, with Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) supervising individualized treatment delivered by registered behavior technicians.
Provides personalized ABA therapy, early intervention, and autism services for children with ASD, with BCBA-led programming. ACES is a long-established, nationally operating autism services organization.
Eliana Provenzano-Lewis owns Monarch Speech and Language Institute in Tulsa — a nationally certified (CCC-SLP) and Oklahoma-licensed, bilingual English/Spanish speech-language pathologist, so a Spanish-speaking family can be evaluated and treated in their home language.
A locally owned pediatric clinic since 2009, the Sunshine Center provides speech, occupational, and ABA therapy together — convenient interdisciplinary care for Tulsa-area children, including Broken Arrow and the south metro.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across the Tulsa metro, ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Owasso, Jenks, or Bixby find the nearest.
OU Health's developmental and behavioral pediatrics team — part of Oklahoma Children's Hospital, with clinicians serving Tulsa — evaluates and helps manage autism, ADHD, and other developmental and behavioral conditions. A physician referral is typically needed.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians across the Tulsa area — 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 the Tulsa area — the field's real professional standard.
The Oklahoma Parents Center's trained specialists help you prepare for IEP meetings and navigate dispute resolution at no cost — a respected, statewide free alternative to hiring a private advocate first.
Oklahoma's protection & advocacy agency offers free legal information and advocacy for special-education rights from its Tulsa office — a no-cost first stop before hiring a private advocate or attorney.
The Mary K. Chapman Center at the University of Tulsa provides low-cost speech, language, and hearing evaluation and therapy delivered by supervised graduate clinicians — one of the metro's best-value options for assessment and ongoing therapy.
For children birth to six, the Little Light House delivers specialized education and therapy completely tuition-free — an exceptional no-cost resource for Tulsa-area families in the critical early years.
Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma provides free civil legal help to income-eligible families across the Tulsa area — a no-cost route to legal assistance, including some education and benefits matters.
For children birth to 3, SoonerStart provides free developmental evaluations and early-intervention therapies — the earliest, no-barrier place to start in Oklahoma.
SoonerStart is Oklahoma's free early-intervention program for infants and toddlers (birth to 36 months) with developmental delays — free developmental evaluation and in-home or community services. The earliest, no-barrier place to start before age 3.
Oklahoma's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency (Tulsa office on E. 71st St) — free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are denied. A powerful free resource before you pay anyone.
Oklahoma's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center provides free help understanding your rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, early intervention, and dispute resolution under IDEA — a great, knowledgeable first call.
A Tulsa institution: the Little Light House is a Christian nonprofit developmental center providing specialized education and therapy for children birth to six with disabilities — completely tuition-free, including a newer classroom devoted to early autism intervention.
Federally funded and free — they help Oklahoma families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Oklahoma'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 Tulsa?
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 Tulsa?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Oklahoma — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.