Every family in Missouri — from St. Louis and Kansas City to the smallest Ozarks town — 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 Missouri 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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First Steps is Missouri's IDEA Part C early-intervention system, run by the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE). It gives developmental evaluation and services — speech, occupational, physical, and developmental therapy — to any child birth to 3 with a qualifying delay or condition, delivered in your home. No diagnosis is required; many services are free, with fees on a sliding scale based on income. This is the single best first call for a baby or toddler.
To start, call the statewide First Steps referral line or ask your pediatrician to refer. A local System Point of Entry (SPOE) coordinates your child's evaluation and services for your region — they come to you, no matter how rural your town.
MPACT is Missouri's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. It gives free, one-to-one help understanding your rights, the evaluation, and the IEP/504 process — staffed by trained parent mentors who have been through it themselves, with Spanish-language support. Call before you pay any private advocate; this is the same kind of expertise, at no cost.
Beyond the helpline, MPACT runs free workshops across Missouri and can match you with a parent mentor who helps you prepare for and understand IEP meetings. Ask them to walk through your child's evaluation report with you.
MO P&A is Missouri's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency. It provides free legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education or disability rights are being denied — including help with disputes, restraint/seclusion, and discipline. A powerful no-cost resource before you ever hire a lawyer.
Missouri Vocational Rehabilitation (within DESE) provides free help for students with disabilities to prepare for work, college, and independent living — including Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS): job-exploration counseling, work-based learning, postsecondary counseling, workplace-readiness training, and self-advocacy. Pre-ETS can start as early as age 14 if the IEP team agrees. Ask your VR counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.
Missouri does NOT have a standalone Katie Beckett/TEFRA state-plan option — instead it uses Medicaid waivers to get the same result. The MOCDD Waiver (administered by the DMH Division of Developmental Disabilities) waives the rule that counts parental income, so a child with significant disabilities can qualify for MO HealthNet (Medicaid) and waiver services no matter what the family earns. The waiver pays for therapies, respite, and supports. Slots are limited and lists can be long, so the single most important move is to apply and get on every list TODAY — contact your Regional Office.
MO HealthNet for Kids covers checkups and medically necessary speech, OT, and ABA for children who qualify on income — an immediate path to services while you wait on a waiver. To start any waiver, contact the DMH Division of Developmental Disabilities Regional Office to request an eligibility determination and intake.
You can ask your school district in writing for a special-education evaluation at any time. Once you sign consent, Missouri districts must complete the evaluation and hold the eligibility-determination meeting within 60 calendar days. If your child is found eligible, the IEP team must meet to write the IEP within 30 calendar days of that determination. 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, a state complaint, or a due-process hearing). Your PTI (MPACT) above explains all of it for free.
The Department of Elementary & Secondary Education's Office of Special Education sets the rules every Missouri district must follow, runs the state-complaint, mediation, and due-process systems, and publishes Missouri's guidance on dyslexia (Missouri law requires dyslexia screening and support in public schools). Start here to know exactly 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 (St. Louis and Kansas City have dedicated pages) — 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 Missouri — vital for rural families. 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 Missouri families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Missouri'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 Missouri?
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 Missouri?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Missouri — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.