If your son or daughter has a speech delay, trouble being understood, or struggles with language and communication, these are the best evaluators, therapists, and schools in the DMV. Real names, honest notes.
A speech-language pathologist (SLP) evaluates how your child understands and uses language, and whether therapy is needed. For young children, start with a free evaluation — speed matters most when they're little.
When language needs are significant, some schools build communication support into the entire day — speech therapy woven into class, plus AAC for kids who aren't yet speaking. Most are district-funded.
We track 19+ schools with strong speech-language and communication programs across the DMV. Our free matcher narrows it to your child — and we help you get the right one funded.
For speech and language, the best first step is often FREE — Early Intervention for under-3s and the public school's own evaluation. Never let cost delay getting your child talking.
Start here if paying out of pocket isn't possible right now:
The free options here aren't the leftovers. Your public school's evaluation is done by the same kind of licensed psychologists and specialists who work in private practice — and by law it has to be comprehensive. Early Intervention is run by trained professionals. University clinics are supervised by senior faculty using the exact same gold-standard tests as the $5,000 private evaluators. Being honest: a highly-paid private evaluator will often spend more one-on-one time with your child and write a longer, more detailed report — and sometimes that extra depth matters. But more time and a thicker report don't necessarily mean a different answer. The core testing is the same, and money should never decide whether your child gets help — in the DMV, it doesn't have to.
Tell us your situation on a free call and we'll point you to the right free option for your family — no pressure, no cost.
Once you have a diagnosis, the next step is getting the school to actually provide what your child needs — and getting the right placement funded. That's where an advocate comes in.
For cases that head to a formal hearing, you may want a special-education attorney (e.g., Michael J. Eig & Associates is the region's best-known parent-side firm). We'll tell you if you've reached that point and connect you.
That's okay — most parents aren't. Tell us about your child in your own words and we'll guide you to the right next step. Free, no pressure.
Tell us about your child →