ATL Inclusive: A Special Needs Resource Guide
Finding help for a child with special needs or learning differences can be challenging. Here are resources to help you along the journey.
Table of Contents
Therapy Services
Able Kids serves children ages 2-6 who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and need 35+ hours/week of applied behavioral therapy (ABA) services. Each child learns 1:1 with a registered behavioral technician in a preschool-like environment, receiving specialized therapy based on their needs.
Achievements ABA provides top-quality ABA therapy in home, schools and day cares. Therapy is adapted to meet the individual needs for your child and can be provided at home, at school or in the community. Trained therapists teach skills that are helpful and useful in your child’s everyday life.
Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research
Offering in-person and virtual treatment to children and teens who stutter, at no cost to the family, improving communication, self-compassion and confidence. Students and professionals are equipped with knowledge and skills in the nature and treatment of stuttering, lessening its influence on overall quality of life.
Georgia Association for Play Therapy
Through Play Therapy, children learn to communicate with others, express feelings, modify behavior, develop problem solving skills and learn a variety of ways of relating to others. Learn about the benefits of play therapy and find a Registered Play Therapist on our website.
The compassionate, skilled ABA professionals at Georgia Behavior work alongside you to harnesses your child’s challenges and gifts, teaching them the skills they need to grow into a confident, successful adult. Teaching is done through play in your child’s natural surroundings, giving them essential skills for a lifetime of joy and independence.
Education and Schools
Alexsander Academy encourages, uplifts, educates and fosters independence for students in grades 1-12 who face learning and social/emotional challenges. With small classrooms, flexible teachers and personalized curriculum, teachers can meet children where they are and help them grow into more independent students.
APS Department of Special Education believes that students with disabilities will receive a quality education, leading them to meaningful academic, social, emotional and behavioral outcomes. APS partners with parents to ensure all children with disabilities receive appropriate, specialized services and supports.
School, Disrupted. Solution? The Clinic at Atlanta Speech School. Clinic specialists collaborate with parents and teachers to determine a student’s needs and areas of strength, from preschool through high school, so every child has the chance to be confident and academically successful in their current learning environment.
College prep academics for special needs students with Asperger’s, ADD, ADHD and other learning differences. Fully accredited with small classes. Cumberland Academy is an exceptional school for exceptional students. Grades 4-12.
The Frazer Center’s Child Development Program serves children from birth to 5 years. Children with and without disabilities learn side by side through the play-based Creative Curriculum®. Inclusion Specialists coordinate a team of support, with parents, teachers and therapists working together to foster each child’s development.
Fulton County Schools’ Services for Exceptional Children
Offers free diagnostic evaluations for children ages three and older with a suspected disability, including developmental, speech and language delays, autism, hearing, vision and orthopedic impairments.
At The Howard School, they understand every child with a language-based learning difference is unique, and provide a tailored educational experience that embraces those differences. A dedicated team of educators, speech language pathologists, literacy, and math specialists are committed to nurturing the strengths of each student while addressing their specific challenges.
Katherine Hamm Center at Atlanta Speech School
The Hamm Center partners with families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing to develop strong foundations for communication, literacy and confidence using Listening and Spoken Language. Hamm students learn alongside peers with typical hearing, where relationships grow and conversation abounds.
The Mill Springs community is dedicated to the academic, physical, and social growth of students who have not realized their full potential in traditional classroom settings. A stimulating and challenging learning environment maximizes individual potential and ensures that students of all levels are well-equipped for success.
Porter Academy’s believes that each and every child has the potential to have a bright, successful future. Rather than creating a one size fits all education model, the faculty focuses on creating a program that is tailored to each student’s specific academic, developmental and social-emotional needs. Pre-K-8th grade.
Threshold Community is a unique therapeutic and educational program for participants from adolescence to adulthood that strengthens autonomy, emotional regulation, social communication, and the ability to build relationships. Tuition-based, summer programs and hourly services are available.
Medical and Pediatric Specialists
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta – Marcus Autism Center
Marcus Autism Center is dedicated to helping children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We provide comprehensive evaluations, diagnostic services, behavioral therapy and research programs to families living with ASD.
Georgia Center for Autism and Developmental Pediatrics
Developmental issues impact the entire family, not just the individual child. GCADP develops a comprehensive plan to help the child and family thrive. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Mark Moncino and learn how GCADP can help.
Dr. Reet Sidhu is a developmental specialist with over 25 years of experience evaluating children and adults for autism, ADHD and a wide range of neurodevelopmental concerns. Dr. Sidhu and her team believe in collaborating closely with schools, therapists, and parents in getting children on the path to achieving their fullest potential.
Pediatric ENT of Atlanta (PENTA)
PENTA is the largest Pediatric ENT and Audiology provider in the Atlanta area.Staffed by pediatric specialists at 9 locations, making seeking care convenient and straightforward. PENTA handles routine to complex ENT concerns, hearing tests, hearing aids, and cochlear implantation. Request an appointment today.
The Rubin Center for Autism and Developmental Pediatrics
The Rubin Center demystifies the confusion about the autism spectrum and empowers families and their children to lead successful lives. Physical, developmental, and social characteristics are integrated into a diagnostic understanding to create a systematic plan that paves a hopeful path forward for the child and family.
Camps and Respite Care
This theme-based social skills and sensory enriched summer camp is aimed at the non-verbal population. The approach bridges sensory challenges with emotional development and provides the base for a one-of-a-kind camp where children can develop social skills while receiving evidence based sensory stimulation.
Social Skills Today provides respite opportunities for families of individuals with developmental disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorders and other social, communication, sensory, and behavioral needs through Summer Camp Programs, School Year Mini School break camps and Social Skills Groups, and Overnight Camps.
Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education & Research
Campers who stutter increase communication, self-confidence and leadership skills at “Camp Dream. Speak. Live.
Sage School Summer Camp
At Camp Ignite, rising 1st-5th graders with dyslexia are empowered to flex their creative minds while reviewing core skills needed for success.
The Schenck School Summer Adventures
Discover new friendships, engage in hands-on learning, and create lasting memories. Rising 1st-8th grade.
Summer Explorations at Swift School
Rising K-6th grade students engage in programming focused on reading, writing, and language arts while filling their summer with enrichment and fun.
Family Resources and Advocacy
Easterseals North Georgia Children Services
Providing proven and effective services to ensure that children with disabilities or special needs have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play.
Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities
The mission of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities is to advance social change, public policy, and innovative practices that increase opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families to thrive where they live, learn, work, play and worship in Georgia’s communities.
Find schools specializing in dyslexia and language-based learning challenges on Atlanta Parent’s list of Top Dyslexia Schools and Programs.
Find schools and resources for children with autism on Atlanta Parent’s 2024 Best Schools and Services for Children with Autism in Atlanta.
