Every family in California — from Los Angeles to the smallest town in the Central Valley or far north — 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 California already owes your child: free early intervention through Early Start, free parent-rights experts, free legal advocacy, free vocational rehabilitation for teens, and Medi-Cal pathways that pay for therapy even when family income is too high — 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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Early Start is California's IDEA Part C program, run by the Department of Developmental Services. It 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. There is no income test to qualify and no diagnosis required. This is the single best first call for a baby or toddler.
Early Start is delivered through California's 21 community-based regional centers, which assess eligibility and arrange services, with Family Resource Centers helping families navigate the system. Use the DDS Early Start directory to find the regional center serving your county, or call the Early Start hotline. They come to you.
California's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center gives free, one-to-one help understanding your rights, the evaluation, and the IEP process — with strong Spanish-language support. Trained parent specialists who've been through it themselves. Call before you pay any private advocate.
In addition to the statewide PTI, California funds regional Family Empowerment Centers and parent organizations (such as Support for Families in the Bay Area) that offer free workshops and one-to-one guidance on evaluations, IEPs, and placements — often in your home language.
California's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency provides free, bilingual legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are being denied — including help with disputes, restraint/seclusion, and discipline. Its free SERR manual (Special Education Rights and Responsibilities) is the best plain-language guide in the state. A powerful no-cost resource before you hire a lawyer.
The California Department of Rehabilitation provides free Pre-Employment Transition Services — known as DOR Student Services — for students with disabilities ages 16–21 who have an IEP or 504 plan, to prepare for work, college, and independent living through job exploration, counseling, training, and assistive technology. Ask your DOR counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.
California does NOT have a separate "Katie Beckett" program by that name. Instead it uses institutional deeming — counting only the child's income, not the parents' — through the Home and Community-Based Alternatives (HCBA) waiver and the regional center (DDS) waiver. These can pay for therapies, nursing, respite, and services for a child with significant or complex medical needs even when family income is too high for regular Medi-Cal. The HCBA waiver has a long waiting list, so the single most important move is to apply and get on every list TODAY. Ask your regional center and DHCS about institutional deeming.
For children already on Medi-Cal, EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment) covers medically necessary speech, OT, PT, and behavioral health treatment (including ABA) — an immediate path to services while you wait on a waiver list.
You can ask your school district in writing for a special-education evaluation at any time. California districts must give you a written assessment plan within 15 days; you then have at least 15 days to sign it. Once you sign consent, the district has 60 calendar days (excluding school breaks longer than 5 days) to complete the assessment AND hold the IEP meeting. Put the request in writing and date it — the clock starts then. 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 through California's Office of Administrative Hearings). Your PTI above explains all of it for free.
The California Department of Education's Special Education Division sets the rules every district must follow, runs the complaint and due-process systems, and publishes the California Dyslexia Guidelines (California requires risk screening for reading difficulties including dyslexia). Start here to know what the state requires of your school.
Use the ZIP finder to pull the nearest evaluators, therapists, and special-education schools to your address, plus your metro's full directory — and these statewide free programs are always shown, no matter how rural your town.
Several reputable practices provide autism/ADHD evaluation and speech/OT/ABA by telehealth across California — vital for rural and Central Valley families. 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 California families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
California'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 →
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How do I start the special-education process in California?
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 California?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in California — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.