Babies Can't Wait is an early help program for babies and toddlers under age 3 who have developmental delays or disabilities. It is run through the Fulton County Board of Health and is offered at the Oak Hill clinic on Metropolitan Parkway. A service coordinator looks at what the child needs and makes a plan, and the plan includes getting ready for school at age 3.
H. Slater Elementary is a public elementary school in Atlanta Public Schools. Families can register children, get school meals, and use counselors and school nurses. The school's website also points families to YMCA Head Start early learning at Slater.
Children's Medical Services is a statewide program run through the Fulton County Board of Health. It helps children and young adults from birth to age 21 who have special health care needs. The program offers affordable primary and specialty medical care and links families to community resources.
Surpass Behavioral Health gives ABA therapy to children and teens with autism, up to age 21. Therapy can happen in a clinic, at home, or at school, and parents learn the skills too. Its Georgia clinics are listed in Martinez and Warner Robins.
Georgia Pathways is a state website and set of programs for deaf and hard of hearing children and their families. It includes Georgia PINES, which gives free home visits to families of babies and toddlers with hearing or vision loss, and Georgia Mobile Audiology, which gives free hearing tests for children.
J. Perkerson Elementary is an Atlanta Public Schools elementary school. It offers classroom learning, counseling, nurse and health services, after-school tutoring, and free meals for all students. Families can register at their zoned school.
This is the state office in Georgia that oversees special education for students with disabilities. It is now called the Division for Special Education Services and Supports. It gives families and schools guidance on student rights, offers a parent mentor program, and has an IDEA Ombudsman. It also handles mediation and formal complaints when a family and a school district disagree about a child's education.
The Center for the Visually Impaired is a nonprofit in Midtown Atlanta that helps people of all ages who have vision loss. It offers low vision eye exams, classes to learn daily living skills, white cane travel and technology, programs for kids, and support groups. Fees are on a sliding scale, and most insurance is accepted.
Atlanta Speech School is a school and learning center for children with language, hearing, and reading needs. It runs three preschools and Wardlaw School for children with dyslexia. Its Learning Hub offers speech therapy, occupational therapy, and tutoring, and its Rollins Center offers free online courses for adults who help children learn to read.
William J. Scott Elementary is an Atlanta Public Schools elementary school and a Title I school. It offers school nurses, counselors, school psychologists, extra help for students who are behind, and a family liaison who helps parents get involved. Families can also use the school for after-school academic support and enrollment help.
Frederick Wilson Benteen Elementary is a public Title I school in Southeast Atlanta, run by Atlanta Public Schools. Families can use it to register a child, book a school tour, and get help from school nurses, school psychologists, and learning-support teams.
Easterseals North Georgia is a nonprofit that helps babies and young children, with and without disabilities, and their families. It runs childcare and early learning centers, early intervention, autism services and mental health care for young children. It also offers family support and money help for children with special needs.
The Urban Indigo Foundation is an Atlanta nonprofit that offers wellness and play programs for families and children with special needs. Children who are neurodivergent, neurotypical, or differently abled learn and play together without judgment. The group also offers inclusive playdates, swim and bike programs, and help for parents with school plans like IEPs and 504s.
Lekotek of Georgia helps children with disabilities and their families learn and have fun through play. It offers play sessions where families borrow toys, computer clubs, a summer camp, music classes, and groups for siblings and parents. The main office is in Tucker, and there are also Cobb and Southside sites.
The Elaine Clark Center in Chamblee serves children and young adults with disabilities and developmental delays, from 6 weeks old to age 30. It offers inclusive child care, early intervention, after-school and camp programs, a school, and a young adult life-skills program. Therapists chosen by families can work with children on site, and scholarships are available.
College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center is a public early learning school in the City Schools of Decatur. It teaches babies and toddlers (birth to 3) in a tuition program and runs Georgia Pre-K classes for 4-year-olds. Pre-K children can also join an after-school program and break camps.
Bolton Academy is an Atlanta Public Schools elementary school at 2268 Adams Drive. It serves kindergarten through 5th grade and has two Pre-K classrooms for four-year-olds. Every student gets free breakfast and lunch at school.
Parent to Parent of Georgia helps families of children and young people with disabilities or special health care needs, from birth to age 26. It matches parents with other parents, runs support groups and free trainings, and helps families find services. All of its services are free.
Atlanta Area School for the Deaf is a free state day school in Clarkston for deaf and hard of hearing students ages 3 to 22. Staff and teachers use American Sign Language and English all day. A student's local school system refers them, and the school also offers therapy and other student services, sports, clubs, and career classes.
Metro East GLRS is a regional center of the Georgia Learning Resources System. It serves DeKalb, Decatur City, Fulton, Rockdale, Gwinnett and Buford City schools. It offers training and information for educators and parents of students with disabilities, a materials loan library, and a center with classroom-making equipment.
