Every family in Michigan — from Detroit to the smallest town in the U.P. — 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 Michigan 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 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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Early On is Michigan's statewide IDEA Part C system (led by MiLEAP, the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential). It 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 state, delivered in your home or community. No income test and no diagnosis required. This is the single best first call for a baby or toddler — call 1-800-EARLY-ON (1-800-327-5966).
Early On is coordinated locally by Michigan's Intermediate School Districts (ISDs) — use the 1-800-EARLY-ON referral line or website to find the program serving your county. They come to you, and any parent worried about a child's development can refer directly.
Michigan Alliance for Families is the state's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center (MAPTI) — free, one-to-one help understanding your rights, the evaluation, and the IEP/504 process, with bilingual support and parent mentors who've been through it themselves. They offer free webinars and a statewide network of local liaisons. Call before you pay any private advocate.
Citizens Alliance to Uphold Special Education (CAUSE) is a long-running Michigan nonprofit offering free information, referral, and training to parents of children with disabilities, with offices around the state. A useful second source of free, knowledgeable parent support.
Disability Rights Michigan is the state's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency. It provides free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are being denied — including help with disputes, restraint/seclusion, and discipline — and publishes "Students with Disabilities: An Advocate's Guide." A powerful no-cost resource before you hire a lawyer.
Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS), part of the Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity, provides free help for students with disabilities (Pre-Employment Transition Services, Pre-ETS, for ages 14–26) to prepare for work, college, and independent living — job-exploration counseling, work-based learning, workplace-readiness and self-advocacy training, counseling, and assistive technology. Ask your MRS counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.
Michigan's Children's Waiver Program (CWP) lets Medicaid pay for home- and community-based services for a child under 18 with a developmental disability who needs ICF/IID-level support at home — and crucially, parent income is NOT counted, so families above the usual Medicaid limit can still qualify on the child's needs alone. The Children's Serious Emotional Disturbances Waiver (SEDW) does the same for children with serious emotional disturbance. Slots are limited and demand is high, so the single most important move is to apply and get on every list TODAY — call your local Community Mental Health (CMH) agency to start.
Important to know: Michigan does NOT run a separate "Katie Beckett"/TEFRA option — instead, the Children's Waiver Program above is the route that lets a child qualify for Medicaid on disability/need without counting parent income. For children already on Medicaid or MIChild (Michigan's CHIP), the EPSDT benefit covers medically necessary speech, OT, and ABA — an immediate path to therapy while you wait on a waiver slot.
You can ask your school district in writing for a special-education evaluation at any time. In Michigan, once the district decides to evaluate it must give notice and seek your consent, and within 30 SCHOOL days of receiving your written consent it must complete the evaluation AND hold the IEP team meeting to decide eligibility and write the IEP. 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, or due process). Your PTI above explains all of it for free.
The Michigan Department of Education's Office of Special Education sets the Michigan Administrative Rules for Special Education (MARSE) that every district must follow, runs the state-complaint, mediation, and due-process systems, and publishes guidance on evaluation, eligibility, and dyslexia (Michigan law now requires early literacy and dyslexia 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 Michigan — vital for families in the U.P. and rural counties. 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 Michigan families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Michigan'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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Your state's free programs · Find help by ZIP · Explore the tools →
How do I start the special-education process in Michigan?
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 Michigan?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Michigan — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.