Special-education help for Colorado families.

Early Intervention Colorado — run by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC) — gives free developmental evaluation and services such as 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.

Early Intervention is delivered through local Community Centered Boards (CCBs) and providers across Colorado — use the Early Intervention Colorado site to find the one serving your county, or call 2-1-1. They come to you, at no cost.

Colorado's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center gives free, one-to-one help understanding your rights, the evaluation, and the IEP/504 process — with Spanish-language support. Trained parent specialists, many of whom have raised kids with disabilities themselves, walk you through meetings and paperwork. Call before you pay any private advocate.

Beyond one-to-one help, PEAK offers free workshops, plain-language guides (including a Getting Started With Special Education guide), and deep expertise in inclusive education — useful whether you're brand new or preparing for a tough IEP meeting.

Colorado'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 evaluations, disputes, restraint/seclusion, and discipline. A powerful no-cost resource before you hire a lawyer; Spanish-language help is available.

The Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) provides free help for students with disabilities — Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) begin as early as age 15 — to prepare for work, college, and independent living through job exploration, work-based learning, counseling, training, and assistive technology. Ask your DVR counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.

Colorado does not use a separate "Katie Beckett"/TEFRA application — instead it offers Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers that waive parental income, so eligibility is based on the child's needs, not family income. The Children's Extensive Support (CES) waiver serves children with significant developmental disabilities, and the new Children with Complex Health Needs (CwCHN) waiver serves medically fragile kids. They can pay for therapies, respite, equipment, and more. Capacity is limited and lists move slowly, so the single most important move is to apply and get on every list TODAY. Call your county Medicaid office, your CCB, or 2-1-1 to start.

For children already on Health First Colorado (Medicaid) or CHP+, the EPSDT benefit covers well-child checkups and medically necessary speech, OT, PT, and behavioral therapy — an immediate path to services while you wait on a waiver list.

You can ask your school district (the Administrative Unit) in writing for a special-education evaluation at any time. Once you sign consent, Colorado districts must complete the evaluation and hold the eligibility meeting within 60 calendar days — and that clock does NOT pause for summer or other school breaks. If your child qualifies, the initial IEP must be in place within 90 calendar days of your consent. Put the request in writing and date it. 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, state complaint, or due process). The Colorado Department of Education publishes the Procedural Safeguards Notice, and your PTI above explains all of it for free.

The Colorado Department of Education's Exceptional Student Services Unit (ESSU) sets the rules every Administrative Unit must follow, runs the state-complaint and due-process systems, and publishes guidance including the Colorado Dyslexia Handbook (Colorado supports universal early-literacy screening and structured literacy). 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 Colorado — vital for families on the Plains and the Western Slope. 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.