Every family in Maine — from Portland to the smallest town Down East or in The 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 Maine already owes your child: free early intervention, free parent-rights experts, free legal advocacy, free vocational rehabilitation for teens, and MaineCare programs that pay for therapy even when family income is too high for regular Medicaid — 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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Maine's CDS system ("Early Intervention for ME," run under the Maine Department of Education) gives free developmental evaluation and services — speech, occupational, physical, and developmental therapy — to any child from birth to their third birthday with a delay or qualifying condition, anywhere in the state. There is no income test and no diagnosis required. This is the single best first call for a baby or toddler. CDS is delivered through 9 regional sites covering all of Maine.
CDS is delivered by 9 regional sites across Maine — use the Early Intervention for ME page to find the one serving your county, or call 2-1-1 Maine. Services come to you, in your home or community.
Maine's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center gives free, one-to-one help understanding your rights, the evaluation, and the IEP/504 process. Trained parent specialists — many of whom have raised children with disabilities themselves — answer your questions by phone and email and can help you prepare for meetings. Call before you pay any private advocate.
The MPF helpline answers questions about evaluations, IEPs, placements, transition, and your rights — free, for any Maine family. They also offer trainings and a lending library of resources.
Maine'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 and seclusion, discipline, and access to services. A powerful no-cost resource before you hire a lawyer.
Kids Legal, a project of Pine Tree Legal Assistance, offers free legal help to low-income Maine families on special-education, school-discipline, and disability-rights issues — another no-cost option when a school isn't following the law.
Maine's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (within the Bureau of Rehabilitation Services) provides free help for students with disabilities — Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) begin at age 14 (9th grade) for students who are eligible or potentially eligible. Services cover career exploration, work-based learning, job training, college support, self-advocacy, and independent living. Ask your DVR counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.
Maine DOES offer the Katie Beckett option: it gives MaineCare to a child with a significant disability or complex medical needs based on the child's own needs — NOT the family's income. If your family earns too much for regular MaineCare, this is the pathway that ignores parental income and can pay for speech, OT, ABA, and other services. DHHS now publishes a step-by-step application guide. Request the Katie Beckett application from MaineCare today — don't wait.
Beyond Katie Beckett, Maine runs MaineCare home- and community-based waiver programs — Section 32 (children with IDD/autism), and Sections 21, 29, and 19 (intellectual disabilities/autism) — that can pay for therapies, respite, supports, and behavioral services. Eligibility is based on the child's needs, and the lists can be long, so the single most important move is to get on every interest/waiting list TODAY. Call DHHS / OADS or 2-1-1 Maine to start.
You can ask your school in writing for a special-education evaluation at any time. Under Maine's Unified Special Education Regulation (MUSER), once you sign consent the school must complete the evaluation within 45 school days, give you the evaluation report at least 3 days before the meeting to discuss it, and have an IEP in place no later than 30 days after your child is identified as needing special education. 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, and Maine's procedural-safeguards notice spells out every right in writing.
The Maine Department of Education's Office of Special Services sets the rules every district must follow (the Maine Unified Special Education Regulation, MUSER), runs the state complaint, mediation, and due-process systems, and publishes guidance — including on dyslexia and specific learning disabilities. Start here to know what the state requires of your school and how to file a complaint if it doesn't comply.
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 in Maine.
Several reputable practices provide autism/ADHD evaluation and speech/OT/ABA by telehealth across Maine — vital for rural families far from Portland or Bangor. 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 Maine families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Maine'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 Maine?
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 Maine?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Maine — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.