Every family in Alaska — from Anchorage and Fairbanks to the smallest village off the road system — has the same powerful set of FREE statewide programs for a child with disabilities or delays. You don't need a diagnosis, a lawyer, or money to start. This page is your map to the help Alaska already owes your child: free early intervention, free parent-rights experts, free legal advocacy, free vocational rehabilitation for teens, and Medicaid programs that pay for therapy even at higher incomes — plus your special-education rights and the exact evaluation timeline the school must follow. Start with the free programs below; then, you'll find free guides and templates to build your plan.
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Alaska's EI/ILP (Department of Health, Senior & Disabilities Services) gives free developmental evaluation and services — speech, occupational, physical, and developmental therapy — to any child birth to 3 with a delay or qualifying condition, anywhere in the state, delivered in your home or community. There is no income test and no diagnosis required. This is the single best first call for a baby or toddler in Alaska.
ILP is delivered by regional grantee programs across Alaska — from Anchorage and the Mat-Su to rural and village hubs. Use the state EI/ILP directory to find the program serving your community, or call 2-1-1. Many serve remote families by travel and telehealth.
Alaska's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center gives free, one-to-one help understanding your rights, the evaluation, and the IEP/504 process — run by parents of children with disabilities who've been through it themselves. Call before you pay any private advocate.
Beyond IEP help, Stone Soup offers free trainings, care-navigation, and parent support across Alaska — including help connecting to Medicaid waivers, therapies, and other systems. A warm, knowledgeable place to start.
Alaska's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency provides free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are being denied — including help with disputes, restraint/seclusion, and discipline. A powerful no-cost resource before you hire a lawyer, serving every region of the state.
Alaska DVR provides free Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) to every student with a disability ages 14–21 — job-readiness skills, the JOBZ Club, summer work programs, transition camps that travel across the state, counseling, training, and assistive technology. Ask your DVR counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.
Alaska DOES offer a Katie Beckett pathway: the Alaska Medicaid–TEFRA program covers children under 19 with significant medical, developmental, or psychiatric needs who meet the SSI disability definition. Crucially, only the child's own income and resources count — not the parents' — so many families above the normal Medicaid limit still qualify. This can pay for therapies a family otherwise couldn't afford. Apply through Senior & Disabilities Services and don't wait.
Alaska's Home & Community-Based Services (HCBS) 1915(c) waivers — including the IDD waiver for children with autism, developmental, and intellectual disabilities (ages 0 and up) — can pay for care coordination, respite, day habilitation, specialized equipment, and more, based on the child's needs rather than family income alone. Demand outstrips slots, so the single most important move is to get on every interest/waiting list TODAY. Call Senior & Disabilities Services at (907) 269-3666 or the ADRC at (855) 565-2017.
You can ask your school district in writing for a special-education evaluation at any time. Under Alaska regulations, once you give written consent the district must complete the evaluation, determine eligibility, and develop an IEP within 45 SCHOOL days — stricter than the federal 60-calendar-day rule. Put the request in writing and date it (include your consent so the clock starts immediately). You have the right to everything in your language, to bring anyone to the meeting, and to disagree.
Under IDEA you have the right to a free, appropriate public education (FAPE), to a full evaluation at no cost, to be an equal member of the IEP team, to an Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE) if you disagree, and to dispute-resolution (mediation/due process). Your PTI (Stone Soup Group) and Alaska's P&A (Disability Law Center) explain all of it for free.
Alaska's Department of Education & Early Development sets the special-education rules every district must follow, runs the complaint and due-process systems, and publishes guidance and the parent handbook on your rights. Start here to know exactly what the state requires of your school — and how to file a complaint if it doesn't comply.
Use the ZIP finder to pull the nearest evaluators, therapists, and special-education resources to your address — and these statewide free programs are always shown, no matter how remote your community.
Telehealth is a lifeline in Alaska: reputable practices provide autism/ADHD evaluation and speech/OT/ABA by telehealth across the state, vital for families off the road system. Nationally, COPAA (advocates/attorneys), the Academy of Orton-Gillingham (dyslexia), ABPP (board-certified evaluators), BHCOE (ABA), and Bookshare (free accessible books) round out your options.
Federally funded and free — they help Alaska families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Alaska's protection & advocacy agency — free legal-rights information and help if your child's rights are being denied.
Start with the free guides — your child’s IEP and the evaluation — so you know what the school owes your child.
Use a free letter template to request an evaluation or meeting, and the IEP checkup to test every goal.
Pick a credential-vetted advocate or evaluator from the directory above — free to browse, and never pay-to-play.
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Your state's free programs · Find help by ZIP · Explore the tools →
How do I start the special-education process in Alaska?
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 Alaska?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Alaska — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.