Every family in Illinois — from Chicago to the smallest town downstate — 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 Illinois 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 based on the child's needs, not your income — 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.
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The Illinois Early Intervention (EI) program, run by the Department of Human Services Bureau of Early Intervention, gives developmental evaluation and services — speech, occupational, physical, and developmental therapy — to any child birth to 3 with a delay or qualifying condition, anywhere in the state, usually delivered in your home. No diagnosis is required to be evaluated, and many services are free (some carry an income-based family fee, but cost never blocks needed services). This is the single best first call for a baby or toddler.
Illinois EI is delivered through Child & Family Connections (CFC) offices across the state — use the IDHS Office Locator to find the one serving your county, or call 1-800-843-6154 (Voice/TTY). Your CFC service coordinator sets up the free evaluation and comes to you.
Illinois's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center gives free, one-to-one help understanding your rights, the evaluation, and the IEP/504 process — workshops, document review, and trained parent specialists who've been through it themselves. Call before you pay any private advocate.
Equip for Equality runs a free Special Education Helpline that answers questions about evaluations, IEPs, placements, and your rights — by phone, with Spanish-language support. A fast way to get a clear answer before a meeting.
Equip for Equality is Illinois's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency. It provides free, bilingual legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are being denied — including help with disputes, restraint/seclusion, abuse, and discipline. A powerful no-cost resource before you hire a lawyer.
The Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) provides free help for students with disabilities (Pre-Employment Transition Services, or Pre-ETS, for ages 14–21) to prepare for work, college, and independent living — counseling, training, work-based learning, and assistive technology. Ask your DRS counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.
Illinois does not run a standalone Katie Beckett/TEFRA state-plan option — instead it uses Medicaid waivers that count only the child's income (not the parents'), so families above the regular Medicaid limit can still qualify. The Children's Support Waiver and Children's Residential Waiver serve kids with intellectual/developmental disabilities or autism; the Medically Fragile, Technology Dependent (MFTD) Waiver serves medically complex kids. The lists are long, so the single most important move is to get on every list TODAY. Call the DD helpline 1-888-DD-PLANS (1-888-337-5267) to add your child's name.
For children already on All Kids (Illinois Medicaid/CHIP), the program covers checkups and connects them to medically necessary speech, OT, and behavioral therapy — an immediate path to services while you wait on a waiver list.
You can ask your school district in writing for a special-education evaluation at any time. In Illinois the district has 14 school days to decide whether to evaluate; once you sign consent, it must complete the evaluation, determine eligibility, and hold the IEP meeting within 60 school days. 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/state complaint/due process). Your PTI above explains all of it for free.
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Special Education department sets the rules every district must follow, runs the state-complaint, mediation, and due-process systems, and publishes the Illinois Dyslexia Handbook and screening guidance. 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 Illinois — vital for rural families downstate. 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 Illinois families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Illinois'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 Illinois?
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 Illinois?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Illinois — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.