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Special-Education Advocacy · Washington, DC · Washington, DC

Special-education & IEP help for Washington, DC families

If your child in DC has autism, dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, a speech delay, or complex needs — and DC 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 DC

In DC, special education is split across DCPS and many independent charter LEAs, with OSSE overseeing — a confusing maze for parents to navigate alone. The good news: federal law (IDEA) gives your child the same powerful rights everywhere, and here's the path to using them in DC Public Schools (DCPS) and the public charter LEAs, overseen by OSSE.

  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 DC 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 Washington, DC

  • DC Public Schools must evaluate your child for free. Request it in writing — by law they have to respond.
  • Advocates for Justice & Education (AJE) — your free, federally funded parent center for Washington, DC: aje-dc.org · (202) 678-8060
  • DC Strong Start (Early Intervention 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 DC

We track the region's most respected evaluators and specialized schools — ranked by quality, never by who pays. Families near DC often look at The Lab School of Washington, The River School, St. Coletta of Greater Washington, and Kingsbury Day School, among others. Start with your child's specific need:

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 DC school or doctor.

Talk to someone who gets it — free

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

Get your free first call →