Every family in Massachusetts — from Boston to the smallest town in the Berkshires — 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 Massachusetts already owes your child: free early intervention, free parent-rights experts, free legal advocacy, free vocational rehabilitation for teens, and MassHealth 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.
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Massachusetts Early Intervention (EI), run by the Department of Public Health, gives free 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 Commonwealth, often delivered in your home. There is no income test to qualify and no diagnosis required. This is the single best first call for a baby or toddler.
EI is delivered by certified local programs across Massachusetts — use the DPH Early Intervention Central Directory to find the one serving your community, or call 2-1-1. They can come to you.
Massachusetts'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.
Beyond one-to-one help, the Federation runs free workshops on the IEP process, evaluations, and transition, plus peer support that connects you with other Massachusetts parents who've navigated the same system.
Massachusetts'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.
MassAbility — the agency formerly known as the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) — provides free help for students with disabilities ages 14–21 to prepare for work, college, and independent living. It offers Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) and has assigned a VR counselor to every public high school in the Commonwealth. Ask your VR counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.
Yes — Massachusetts has a Katie Beckett/TEFRA pathway, called the Kaileigh Mulligan Program. It lets certain children under 18 with severe disabilities get MassHealth based on the child's needs alone — the parents' income and assets are NOT counted — so a family over the usual income limit can still get coverage for therapies and services. Call the MassHealth Enrollment Center at (800) 841-2900 and ask for Kaileigh Mulligan intake, or ask your hospital social worker.
Massachusetts also runs the Children's Autism Medicaid Waiver (1915(c)) and MassHealth CommonHealth, a buy-in for working families and kids with disabilities that can cover therapies regardless of income. The autism waiver has a long interest list, so the single most important move is to get on every list TODAY — and CommonHealth can provide immediate coverage while you wait.
You can ask your school district in writing for a special-education evaluation at any time. Under Massachusetts law (603 CMR 28.00), once you sign consent the district must complete the assessments within 30 school working days, and within 45 school working days hold a Team meeting, decide eligibility, and give you the proposed IEP and placement. Put the request in writing and date it — the clock starts when the district receives your consent. 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 through the Bureau of Special Education Appeals). Your PTI above explains all of it for free.
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) sets the special-education rules every district must follow (603 CMR 28.00), runs the complaint and dispute-resolution systems (the Problem Resolution System and the Bureau of Special Education Appeals), and publishes dyslexia screening guidelines (Massachusetts law requires early literacy screening). 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 Massachusetts — vital for families in western MA and the Cape. 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 Massachusetts families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts?
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 Massachusetts?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Massachusetts — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.