Special Needs Schools and Preschools in Lakeland + Polk County
If you have a child with dyslexia, autism, developmental delays, intellectual disabilities, or other unique educational needs, these special education schools can help your child thrive.
Our Education Guide includes information on Polk County public schools, tutoring and test prep, colleges, scholarship programs, and more.
Our Special Needs Guide can help you find additional Special Needs Resources including sensory-friendly activities, parent groups, and local organizations.
HELPFUL TIP: Use the filter button (3 horizontal lines) to narrow down the list by city and/or category. All city filters are a general geographic area, check each listing address for a specific location. Use the map at the bottom to find Special Needs Schools + Preschools Near You.
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Growing up is tough. Growing up a step behind everyone else your age is tougher. Achievement Academy is a non-profit United Way agency and charter school. We serve children birth through age six that have developmental delays or disabilities. The Achievement Academy has 3 locations in Polk County-Lakeland, Bartow and Winter Haven.
695 East Summerlin Street, Bartow, Florida 33830
2211 28th Street Northwest, Winter Haven, Florida 33881
Crossroads Christian School is a K-12 private school in Lakeland that provides a personalized education focus for each of its students. With low student-teacher ratios and an encouraging, nurturing environment, Lakeland area kids with special education needs are finding success at Crossroads Christian School, and your child can too!
GenCare Kids is your trusted local Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care (PPEC) facility. Specializing in medically-complex conditions from birth to age 20, our state-of-the-art P-PEC facility and compassionate medical professionals are dedicated to fostering your child’s growth and development in a nurturing and enjoyable environment. We offer skilled nursing care, speech, occupational, and physical therapies, free transportation, an after school program and so much more. Serving the communities of Haines City, Lakeland, and the surrounding areas. Call us today to find out more about qualification for your special needs child!
The hallmarks of LCS are strong academics, championship athletics, award-winning fine arts, and a close-knit school-family partnership. Classes are taught from a Biblical perspective, emphasizing God’s truth as it applies to every aspect of a student’s life. The Discovery Program is offered to students age 5-14 with a specific diagnosis of autism and/or related disabilities.
The Lakeland Institute for Learning is a clinical school for ESE and ELL students whose purpose is to deliver services to students within the educational setting in order to facilitate their overall health and well being and maximize their academic growth. These students fall into two areas: special needs and those who are also English Language Learners (ESE) (as defined by law). The school is striving to deliver Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Speech Language, and tutoring services to students during their school day, within a rigorous educational environment to facilitate academic growth into postsecondary opportunities.
For the 2025-2026 school year, a local certified teacher is planning on opening a microschool in Lakeland for blind and visually impaired students in grades K-2. She has been involved in the blind community for many years as a certified Braille transcriber, and is currently gauging interest for enrollment. Please visit https://tinyurl.com/microbvi to complete an interest form and receive more information.
Sparrow Academy is a third through twelfth-grade school that approaches learning through the lens of Emotional Regulation. At Sparrow Academy, our staff is trained in trauma-informed approaches to learning. We work to understand the root of problems and develop a plan to correct the underlying cause, not just the symptoms. Our program is especially designed to meet the needs of children who have experiences abandonment, abuse, or neglect. We are also a great place for children with behavior and attention disorders, such as, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Since 2010, The Roberts Academy has successfully prepared talented students with dyslexia to achieve academic excellence through dynamic educational programs. The Roberts Academy provides a full complement of academic programs, as well as support and training for parents and teachers of students with dyslexia. Students experiencing difficulty in their current schools can attend The Roberts Academy in grades 2-8 until they have mastered the skills to accommodate their learning differences and are fully prepared to succeed in a traditional school setting. Reading tutoring is also available to the community.
The Vanguard School is an independent, co-educational, boarding and day school for students in grades 6-12 who learn differently. Vanguard strives to ensure each student aspires to higher educational opportunities and independent life. Most commonly, our students experience difficulties with: ADD/ADHD, Dyslexia, Anxiety, Autism, Tourette’s, Auditory Processing Disorder.