Special-education help for Pennsylvania families.

Pennsylvania's Infant/Toddler Early Intervention program (run by the Department of Human Services, Office of Child Development & Early Learning) 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. There is no income test and no diagnosis required. This is the single best first call for a baby or toddler.

Early Intervention is delivered by your county program across Pennsylvania. Call the statewide CONNECT Helpline at 1-800-692-7288 and they will refer your family to the local program for a free screening and evaluation. They come to you — no cost, ever.

Pennsylvania's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, the PEAL Center, gives free, one-to-one help understanding your rights, the evaluation, and the IEP/504 process — run by parents of children with disabilities who have been through it themselves. Workshops, trainings, and individual support across the whole state. Call before you pay any private advocate.

Hispanics United for Exceptional Children (HUNE) is a Community Parent Resource Center providing free bilingual English and Spanish training and individual assistance to parents of children with disabilities — an outstanding resource for Spanish-speaking families navigating evaluations, IEPs, and meetings.

Pennsylvania'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. They take over 6,800 calls a year through their toll-free intake line. A powerful no-cost resource before you hire a lawyer.

Pennsylvania's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) provides free Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) for students with disabilities starting at age 14 — job-exploration counseling, workplace-readiness and work-based learning, self-advocacy instruction, and counseling on post-secondary options. Students with IEPs, 504 plans, and even those without special education can qualify. Ask your OVR counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.

Pennsylvania does NOT use the Katie Beckett/TEFRA option — instead it offers PH-95 (also called Category PH 95 or "the loophole"). Any child who meets the SSI disability criteria can get Medicaid regardless of parent income, and unlike TEFRA it does not require an institutional level of care. Over 32,000 PA children get Medicaid this way. This is often the fastest path to cover therapy, so apply through your County Assistance Office now.

Pennsylvania's home and community-based waivers — Consolidated, Community Living, and Person/Family Directed Support (P/FDS) — can pay for therapies, respite, and supports for a child with intellectual disability or autism, and all waive parent income. The interest lists are years long, so the single most important move is to register with your county program and get on every list TODAY. Call your county Mental Health/Intellectual Disability office to add your child's name.

You can ask your school district in writing for a special-education evaluation at any time. If you ask orally, the district must give you a Permission to Evaluate (PTE) form within 10 calendar days. Once you sign and return consent, Pennsylvania districts must complete the evaluation within 60 calendar days (the summer break doesn't count). You'll get the Evaluation Report, and an IEP meeting follows. Put the request in writing and date it — the clock starts when they receive your signed consent.

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.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education's Bureau of Special Education sets the rules every district must follow (Chapter 14 of PA's code), publishes guidance on evaluations and reevaluations, and supports dyslexia screening and structured-literacy practices. Start here to know exactly what the state requires of your school.

When you disagree with the school, Pennsylvania's Office for Dispute Resolution (ODR) runs free mediation and due-process hearings, and publishes the official timelines and notices parents need. A no-cost path to resolve conflicts without immediately hiring an attorney.

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 Pennsylvania — vital for rural families in the central and northern parts of the state. 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.