Every family in West Virginia — from Charleston to the smallest hollow in the coalfields — 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 West Virginia 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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WV Birth to Three is West Virginia's IDEA Part C system, run through the state Department of Health (Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health). 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. There is no income test and no diagnosis required. This is the single best first call for a baby or toddler.
Anyone — a parent, a doctor, or a caregiver — can refer a child to WV Birth to Three. Use the referral page or call the toll-free line, and a service coordinator in your Regional Administrative Unit (RAU) will reach out to set up your free evaluation. They come to you.
West Virginia's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center has served families for more than 30 years. WVPTI gives free, one-to-one help understanding your rights under IDEA, the evaluation, and the IEP/504 process — for children and youth from birth to age 26. Trained parent specialists who've been through it themselves. Call before you pay any private advocate.
The WV Developmental Disabilities Council publishes a free, plain-language Parent's Advocacy Guide to Special Education that walks you through evaluations, eligibility, IEP meetings, and your rights under West Virginia Policy 2419. A great companion to keep beside you in every meeting.
Disability Rights of West Virginia is the state's federally mandated protection & advocacy agency. It provides free, confidential legal information and advocacy when a child's special-education rights are being denied — including help with disputes, restraint/seclusion, and discipline. Every state must have a P&A; this is a powerful no-cost resource before you ever hire a lawyer.
Legal Aid of West Virginia offers free legal information and, for those who qualify, representation on special-education and school-discipline issues. Their website also has clear plain-language explainers on requesting an evaluation and establishing an IEP.
The WV Division of Rehabilitation Services provides free Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) for students with disabilities ages 14 to 21 — job-exploration counseling, work-based learning, postsecondary counseling, workplace-readiness training, and self-advocacy instruction. Every high school in West Virginia has an assigned DRS counselor. Ask your DRS counselor to join your child's transition IEP meetings.
West Virginia DOES offer a Katie Beckett pathway — the TEFRA program through the Bureau for Medical Services. It lets a child with significant disabilities qualify for Medicaid based only on the child's own income, without counting the parents' income, so middle-income families can get Medicaid to pay for therapies, equipment, and services. This is one of the most overlooked, most valuable programs in the state. Apply as soon as possible.
West Virginia's home-and-community-based Medicaid waivers — the Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Waiver (IDDW) and the Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver (TBIW) — can pay for therapies, respite, and in-home services for a child with significant disabilities, based on the child's needs. These waivers have long waiting lists, so the single most important move is to get on every list TODAY. Contact the Bureau for Medical Services to start your child's application.
You can ask your school district in writing for a special-education evaluation at any time. Under West Virginia Policy 2419, the district must give you a consent form within 5 calendar days, and once you sign consent, it must complete the full evaluation and determine eligibility within 80 calendar days. After eligibility is decided, the IEP must be written within 30 days. 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 West Virginia Department of Education's Office of Special Education sets the rules every district must follow through Policy 2419 (Regulations for the Education of Students with Exceptionalities), runs the state-complaint, mediation, and due-process systems, and publishes guidance including West Virginia's dyslexia resources. 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 area'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 West Virginia — vital for families in rural and Appalachian 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 West Virginia families understand their rights, the IEP/504 process, evaluations, and meetings. A great first call.
West Virginia'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 West Virginia?
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 West Virginia?
A New Story lists credential-vetted schools, evaluators, therapists, advocates, and the free public programs and parent centers in West Virginia — searchable by ZIP, and free forever.