Every family in the District of Columbia — in every ward, from Anacostia to Tenleytown — has the same powerful set of FREE 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 DC already owes your child: free early intervention, free parent-rights experts, free legal advocacy, free vocational rehabilitation for teens, and Medicaid programs (including the Katie Beckett pathway) that pay for therapy even at higher incomes — plus your special-education rights and the exact evaluation timeline your 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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Strong Start, run by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), is DC's IDEA Part C program — free developmental evaluation and services (speech, occupational, physical, and developmental therapy) for any DC child birth to 3 with a delay or qualifying condition. There is no income test and no diagnosis required, and Strong Start is the single point of entry for infants and toddlers. This is the best first call for a baby or toddler.
You can refer your own child — no doctor's note needed. Contact Strong Start through OSSE (or call 2-1-1) to schedule a free evaluation; services are delivered in your home and community across all eight wards.
AJE is DC's federally designated Parent Training and Information Center — free, one-to-one help understanding your rights, the evaluation, and the IEP process, with bilingual support and parent-to-parent groups. Trained specialists who have navigated the DC special-education system themselves. Call before you pay any private advocate.
Beyond one-on-one help, AJE runs free workshops and monthly support groups so you can learn the IEP process alongside other DC parents and build a support network — vital when you're walking into your first meeting.
Disability Rights DC, housed at University Legal Services, is the District's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency — free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are being denied, including disputes, restraint/seclusion, discipline, and abuse/neglect. A powerful no-cost resource before you hire a lawyer.
The DC Department on Disability Services — Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) provides free help for students with disabilities (often starting around age 14) to prepare for work, college, and independent living — Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), counseling, training, job placement, and assistive technology. Ask your RSA counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.
The District DOES offer a Katie Beckett pathway. Under TEFRA/Katie Beckett (DC Department of Health Care Finance), only the child's income and resources count — not the parents' — so a child with significant medical or developmental needs who needs an institutional level of care can get Medicaid (and the therapies it pays for) even when the family earns too much for regular Medicaid. Apply as early as you can; DC determines eligibility within 60 calendar days of a complete packet.
DC also runs Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers — the Individual and Family Supports (IDD) waiver through DDS and the Elderly & Persons with Physical Disabilities (EPD) waiver — that can pay for therapies, respite, and in-home supports for a child with significant disabilities. Slots are limited and intake can take time, so the single most important move is to apply and get on every list TODAY. Call DDS or 2-1-1 to start.
You can ask your school (LEA) in writing for a special-education evaluation at any time. Under DC law, once you give written consent the LEA must complete the evaluation and the IEP team must make an eligibility determination within 60 calendar days. The LEA must also make reasonable efforts to obtain your consent within 30 days of your referral. 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). Your PTI above explains all of it for free.
The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is DC's state education agency — it sets the special-education rules every public and charter LEA must follow, runs the complaint and due-process systems, and publishes guidance including the Special Education Process Handbook and dyslexia/literacy resources. Start here to know what the District requires of your school.
Use the ZIP finder to pull the nearest evaluators, therapists, and special-education schools to your address, plus your area's full directory — and these district-wide free programs are always shown, no matter where in DC you live.
Several reputable practices provide autism/ADHD evaluation and speech/OT/ABA by telehealth across the DMV — useful when local waitlists are long. 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 District of Columbia families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
District of Columbia'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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How do I start the special-education process in Washington, DC?
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 Washington, DC?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Washington, DC — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.