Every family in Delaware — from Wilmington to the smallest town in Sussex County — 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 Delaware 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.
✓ Every provider here is vetted by credentials, never pay-to-play. How we choose →
Delaware's Birth to Three Early Intervention Program — delivered through Child Development Watch (part of the state's Division of Public Health) — 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, in your home. There is no income test and no diagnosis required. This is the single best first call for a baby or toddler.
Child Development Watch runs through regional offices — one for New Castle County and one for Kent and Sussex Counties. Call to make a referral (you can refer your own child) and a service coordinator will guide the free evaluation. They come to you.
Delaware'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 who've been through it themselves. Call before you pay any private advocate.
PIC offers free workshops, plain-language guides, and one-on-one coaching to help you prepare for and understand your child's IEP meetings across every Delaware district and charter school.
Delaware'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.
The Delaware Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (Department of Labor) provides free help for students with disabilities — starting at age 14 (or 8th grade) through age 22 — to prepare for work, college, and independent living through Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS): career exploration, work-based learning, workplace readiness, and self-advocacy. Ask your DVR counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.
Delaware's DDDS Lifespan Waiver is the state's Medicaid home- and community-based waiver for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities — it can pay for therapies, respite, and community supports, and eligibility is based on the child's disability and needs, not just family income. Capacity is limited, so the single most important move is to apply and get your child on every list TODAY. Contact the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services to start.
Delaware does NOT have a separate Katie Beckett/TEFRA state-plan option — instead, children qualify through standard Medicaid/CHIP or the DDDS Lifespan Waiver above. For children already on Medicaid, EPSDT covers medically necessary speech, OT, and ABA — an immediate path to services. Ask the Division of Medicaid & Medical Assistance about every pathway your child may qualify for, and don't assume you earn too much: the waiver looks at the child's needs.
You can ask your Delaware school district in writing for an initial special-education evaluation at any time. Once you give written consent, Delaware requires the evaluation to be completed and an eligibility decision made within 45 school days or 90 calendar days, whichever is less. 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 (PIC) above explains all of it for free.
The Delaware Department of Education's Exceptional Children Resources office sets the rules every district and charter must follow, runs the complaint and due-process systems, and publishes guidance on evaluations, IEPs, and literacy/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 area'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 Delaware — vital for families in Kent and Sussex Counties. 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 Delaware families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Delaware'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.
No sign-up, nothing saved — use as much as you want.
✉️ Get a ready-to-send letter →
Your state's free programs · Find help by ZIP · Explore the tools →
How do I start the special-education process in Delaware?
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 Delaware?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Delaware — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.