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Special-Education Advocacy · Howard County · Maryland

Special-education & IEP help for Howard County families

If your child in Howard County has autism, dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, a speech delay, or complex needs — and Howard County Public Schools isn't giving them what they need — you don't have to figure it out alone. We're a special-education advocacy service built by a DMV parent who has lived it. The first call is always free.

★ Free to start · Built by a parent · Se habla español

How special education works in Howard County

HCPSS is a high-performing division — but high-performing districts can be the hardest places to convince that your child needs more. The good news: federal law (IDEA) gives your child the same powerful rights everywhere, and here's the path to using them in Howard County Public Schools (HCPSS).

  1. Request an evaluation in writing. Your district must evaluate your child for free when you ask in writing ("Child Find"). We'll write that letter for you.
  2. Get the eligibility decision. The school decides if your child qualifies for an IEP (or a 504 plan). A strong outside evaluation makes this far more likely to go your way.
  3. Build the IEP. This is where most families lose ground — the services, goals, hours, and placement are all negotiable. We read the draft, find what's missing, and prepare you.
  4. Get the right placement funded. If your district can't meet your child's needs, it may have to fund a specialized private school — worth $40,000–$100,000+ a year. Winning that is exactly what we do.

Free help for Howard County families

Before you pay anyone — including us — know your free options. We'll always tell you honestly when free help is all you need.

Your free & low-cost paths in Maryland

  • Howard County Public Schools must evaluate your child for free. Request it in writing — by law they have to respond.
  • The Parents' Place of Maryland — your free, federally funded parent center for Maryland: ppmd.org · (410) 768-9100
  • Maryland Infants & Toddlers Program — a free developmental evaluation for children under 3. Don't wait if your little one is behind.
  • Sliding-scale university clinics — real evaluations at a fraction of private cost (UMD, GMU, GW). See our condition pages for direct numbers.

The best schools & specialists near Howard County

We track the region's most respected evaluators and specialized schools — ranked by quality, never by who pays. Families near Howard County often look at Ivymount (Rockville, nearby), The Harbour School (Annapolis), and Kennedy Krieger (Baltimore), among others. Start with your child's specific need:

Autism → Dyslexia → ADHD → Anxiety & emotional → Speech & language → Twice-exceptional → Complex needs → Find a school (free matcher) →

Not sure where to start?

Use our free, guided "What's going on with my child?" tool — it turns what you're noticing into a clear one-page summary you can hand your Howard County school or doctor.

Talk to someone who gets it — free

Tell us what's happening with your child in Howard County. No pressure, no cost — and we'll tell you honestly whether you even need us.

Get your free first call →