Every family in Nebraska — from Omaha and Lincoln to the smallest town in the Panhandle or Sandhills — 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 Nebraska already owes your child: free early intervention from birth, 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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Nebraska's Early Development Network is the state's IDEA Part C program, co-run by the Department of Education and DHHS. It gives free developmental evaluation and services — speech, occupational, physical, and developmental therapy — to any child birth to age 3 with a delay or qualifying condition, anywhere in the state, with services built around your family. There is no income test and no diagnosis required. This is the single best first call for a baby or toddler.
EDN is delivered through local Services Coordinators in every region of Nebraska. Anyone — a parent, doctor, or you yourself — can make a referral, and a coordinator in your county will reach out to start the free evaluation. Use the EDN referral page or call 2-1-1.
Nebraska'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 and trained parent specialists who've been through it themselves. Their workshops cover everything from early childhood to transition. Call before you pay any private advocate.
Nebraska'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, and discipline/removal from school. A powerful no-cost resource before you ever hire a lawyer.
Nebraska VR (part of the Department of Education) provides free help for students with disabilities — Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) often start in grade 9 — to prepare for work, college, and independent living through career exploration, work-based learning, self-advocacy instruction, counseling, and assistive technology. Ask your VR counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.
Nebraska DOES offer a TEFRA / Katie Beckett pathway — and as of July 2024 it expanded to cover children with all institutional levels of care, including intellectual and developmental disabilities, not just children needing nursing care. Eligibility is based on the CHILD's income, not the family's, so it can pay for therapy and services even at higher incomes. To apply, contact your local DHHS office, apply for Medicaid, and request that the DHHS Pediatric Nurse Consultant assess your child for the Katie Beckett program.
Nebraska's Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers — the Aged & Disabled (A&D) waiver and the Developmental Disabilities (DD) waivers — can pay for therapies, respite, and supports for a child with significant disabilities, with eligibility based on the child's needs, not just family income. The DD waivers in particular have waiting lists, so the single most important move is to get your child's name on every interest/waiting list TODAY. Call your local DHHS office to start.
You can ask your school district in writing for a special-education evaluation (a Multidisciplinary Team / MDT evaluation) at any time. Once you sign consent, Nebraska schools must complete the evaluation within 45 school days — and the federal 60-calendar-day floor still applies and cannot be paused for school breaks. 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). Nebraska publishes a Parents' Rights (Procedural Safeguards) notice, and your PTI above explains all of it for free.
The Nebraska Department of Education's Office of Special Education sets the rules every district must follow and runs the dispute-resolution systems — state complaint, IEP facilitation, mediation, and due process — when you and your school disagree. It also publishes Nebraska's Dyslexia Guide for screening and structured-literacy support. 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 area's full directory — and these statewide free programs are always shown, no matter how rural your town in Nebraska.
Several reputable practices provide autism/ADHD evaluation and speech/OT/ABA by telehealth across Nebraska — vital for rural families far from Omaha or Lincoln. 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 Nebraska families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
Nebraska'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 Nebraska?
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 Nebraska?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in Nebraska — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.