Tupelo and Lee County — the hub of Northeast Mississippi — has real, credentialed help for kids with special needs, anchored by North Mississippi Medical Center, Children's of Mississippi's Tupelo clinic (the UMMC pediatric network), and the Autism Center of North Mississippi, with the Center for the Advancement of Youth (CAY) at UMMC in Jackson as the academic referral. Your two local districts — Tupelo Public School District and Lee County School District — each run special education. This is Northeast Mississippi'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, CALT/Orton-Gillingham, COPAA, CCC-SLP, OTR-L, board-certification), never by reviews or who pays. In Mississippi your free front door is First Steps (the state's birth–3 early-intervention system, run by the Department of Health) and your school district's evaluation and IEP for ages 3+. Start there, then the best evaluators, schools, reading specialists, therapists, doctors, and advocates near you.
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Tupelo Public School District's Department of Special Education serves roughly 1,100 identified students across 13 sites with specialized programs and related services within an inclusion model. In Northeast Mississippi the strongest specialized placements are most often within the public districts; insist on the right program through the IEP process.
Lee County School District runs its own special-education department for the communities outside the city of Tupelo. Families just beyond city limits should request evaluation and IEP services here — the same IDEA rights apply, including the 60-day evaluation timeline.
The Mississippi Parent Training and Information Center, a project of the Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, offers free help weighing options and pushing for the right program through the IEP process — for children birth to 26. Invaluable before you accept a placement you're unsure about.
The city's public district provides IEP-driven special education, speech/OT/PT and related services across 13 sites, serving roughly 1,100 identified students with disabilities.
The surrounding county district runs special education, evaluation, and related services for students living outside Tupelo city limits across Lee County.
A Tupelo-based autism center delivering one-on-one Applied Behavior Analysis (12–25 hrs/week) led by Board Certified Behavior Analysts, plus a mock-classroom program and school support services for young children on the spectrum.
An ABA provider serving autistic children and young adults in Tupelo with center- and school-based applied behavior analysis programming.
On-campus Pre-K–12 Christian school for children at the Tupelo Children's Mansion that builds individualized plans and coordinates speech, OT, and PT with community therapists for students with special needs.
A Pre-K–12 private Christian school in Tupelo that collaborates with the public district and therapists to provide IEPs, interventions, and related services for students with disabilities or other special needs.
An MSU center about 25 miles from Tupelo offering dyslexia and reading services, evaluations, and assistive-technology support for children with disabilities.
A central-Mississippi private school whose Dyslexia Center delivers an Orton-Gillingham-based, multisensory two-year program for high-potential students whose primary diagnosis is dyslexia.
A USM clinical school for children ages 3–13 with severe language-speech disorders and dyslexia, taught tuition-free by certified speech-language pathologists and academic language therapists via the multisensory DuBard Association Method.
Diagnostic and psychological testing practice led by Dr. Joshua C. Fulwiler, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist (Ole Miss doctorate, pediatric-psychology residency, postdoctoral fellowship at the Tulane Center for Autism and Related Disorders). Provides comprehensive ASD, neurocognitive, and developmental evaluations for ages 18 months and up.
The Autism Center of North Mississippi in Tupelo provides consultation and developmental assessment for autism, where a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) observes your child's communication, behavior, and skills — the closest dedicated local autism evaluation resource, with diagnosis confirmed by a developmental pediatrician, psychologist, or neurologist.
The Center for the Advancement of Youth at the University of Mississippi Medical Center is the state's academic home for comprehensive autism, ADHD, and developmental evaluation — the referral for complex cases. About three hours from Tupelo, but the most authoritative diagnostic team in Mississippi.
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 serving Tupelo and Northeast Mississippi, instead of trusting star ratings.
Mississippi law requires districts to screen students for dyslexia and provide intervention, and the state's Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship — the nation's only voucher created just for students with dyslexia — funds enrollment at MDE-approved therapy schools (e.g., The 3D School in Petal, DuBard at USM). Tupelo and Lee County must screen and serve K–3 readers free; request dyslexia screening in writing before paying for private tutoring.
LIFECORE Health Group's Tupelo clinic offers dyslexia therapy alongside speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy and early intervention — a local nonprofit option for structured-literacy reading help. Ask whether your therapist holds CALT or Orton-Gillingham credentials.
The Academic Language Therapy Association lists Certified Academic Language Therapists (CALT) — Mississippi's gold-standard, university-trained dyslexia credential (William Carey, Mississippi College, and USM all train CALTs). Verify CALT or Orton-Gillingham accreditation in any private dyslexia tutor, instead of trusting ads.
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.
Longstanding (founded 1961) nonprofit outpatient center providing speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, audiology, early intervention, and a dedicated dyslexia program to North Mississippi children. Services are provided at no charge to the client or their insurance.
Applied Behavior Analysis provider for children and young adults with autism spectrum disorder and related diagnoses, owned and run by board-certified behavior analysts (BCBA) and doctoral-level BCBA-Ds. Serves the Tupelo area.
Encompass Therapy Center serves children ages 18 months to 18 with autism, providing applied behavior analysis under a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), plus speech-language therapy (CCC-SLP) and occupational therapy (OT) under one roof — a credentialed local one-stop for ABA, speech, and OT. Ask about BHCOE accreditation.
North Mississippi Medical Center's Children's Therapy program provides hospital-based pediatric speech-language (CCC-SLP), occupational (OTR/L), and physical therapy in Tupelo — a strong, credentialed local option backed by the region's flagship hospital.
The Autism Center of North Mississippi provides BCBA-led applied behavior analysis for children with autism in Tupelo — a dedicated local autism provider. No referral is required unless your insurance requests one. Ask about BHCOE accreditation.
The BHCOE directory lists accredited ABA providers across Northeast Mississippi, ASHA ProFind lists CCC-SLP speech therapists, and AOTA lists OTR/L occupational therapists — searchable by zip so families in Tupelo, Saltillo, or Verona find the nearest credentialed clinician.
The Children's of Mississippi clinic at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo connects local families to the UMMC pediatric network — a strong local medical starting point for developmental concerns and referrals, with the Center for the Advancement of Youth in Jackson as the academic referral for complex autism, ADHD, and developmental diagnoses.
The Center for the Advancement of Youth at UMMC brings together developmental-behavioral pediatrics, psychology, and psychiatry — Mississippi's most authoritative team for a formal autism or ADHD diagnosis. The academic referral for Tupelo families with complex cases.
The American Academy of Pediatrics' directory helps you find board-certified developmental-behavioral pediatricians serving Northeast Mississippi — 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 Mississippi — the field's real professional standard.
MSPTI is Mississippi's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center — free help understanding your rights, evaluations, and the IEP process for children birth to 26. A respected statewide free resource before hiring a private advocate.
Mississippi'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.
For children birth to 3, First Steps provides free developmental evaluations and multidisciplinary early-intervention therapies in your home and community — the earliest, no-barrier place to start in Lee County.
Mississippi's Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship covers up to the full state and local per-student funding amount toward an MDE-approved dyslexia therapy school — a major low-cost path for an eligible child with dyslexia. Not capped, so every eligible applicant can receive it.
LIFECORE Health Group, the regional community mental-health center, offers pediatric speech, occupational, physical, and dyslexia therapy plus early intervention in Tupelo — accepting Medicaid and serving families regardless of ability to pay. A key low-cost local option.
MSPTI offers free help understanding evaluations, IEPs, and your rights for children birth to 26 — a no-cost first call for any Tupelo or Lee County family navigating special education.
For children birth to 3 with a developmental delay or a diagnosed condition, First Steps — Mississippi's Part C early-intervention system, run by the Department of Health — provides a free evaluation and family-centered services: speech, occupational, and physical therapy, special instruction, and service coordination, delivered in your home and community across Lee County. The earliest, no-barrier place to start.
Request a special-education evaluation in writing from your district — Tupelo Public School District or Lee County School District. In Mississippi the district must complete the evaluation within 60 calendar days of your written consent, then hold an eligibility/IEP meeting. This is the free legal route to an IEP under IDEA.
Mississippi'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 Mississippi families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Mississippi'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 Tupelo?
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 Tupelo?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Mississippi — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.