Free IEP Help Directory: Where to Find Real Support
You do not have to figure this out alone, and you do not have to pay for help. Start with the national organizations below, then find help in your state. Free, no strings attached.
A lot of families never learn these organizations exist until years into the process. Bookmark this page. Every group below offers free help, no strings attached, and none of them require you to buy anything first.
Start here (national)
Parent Training and Information Center NetworkEvery state
A federally funded nonprofit in every U.S. state and territory that helps parents understand rights, prepare for meetings, and resolve disagreements, at no cost. This is the single best first call for almost any IEP question.
Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates. A national nonprofit of special education attorneys and advocates, with a public resource directory and information on parents' legal rights.
The most widely used plain-English reference for special education law, written by a special education attorney and a psychologist. Free articles, case summaries, and advocacy guidance.
Free Social Security work incentives counseling for beneficiaries ages 18-64. A WIPA counselor can calculate exactly how a job will affect your young adult's SSI or SSDI before they start working. See our transition planning guide for more.
A national network connecting parents of children with disabilities to a trained "support parent" who has walked a similar path, for peer support outside of the school system.
The umbrella network for every state's Protection and Advocacy agency, the group empowered to investigate when a school violates your child's legal rights. Use it to find the P&A agency for your specific state.
Washington, Oregon, and California are fully built out below, including Spanish-language and community-specific organizations where we have them. We are adding more states over time.
PAVE (Partnerships for Action, Voices for Empowerment)WA · PTI
Washington's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free help with IEPs, evaluations, and navigating disagreements with a district, statewide.
Washington's federally designated Protection and Advocacy organization. The group to contact if you believe a school violated your child's legal rights.
A free, neutral state agency that helps families navigate K-12 issues, including special education, without taking either side. Complements, does not replace, formal legal options.
Bilingual Spanish-speaking staff and family services alongside community health care, serving hundreds of thousands of patients a year across Washington.
Oregon's statewide Parent Training and Information Center. Free one-on-one support navigating special education and disability systems, plus trainings, parent leadership programs, and a bilingual Spanish-language specialist on staff.
Oregon's federally designated Protection and Advocacy organization, handling legal advocacy for disability-related discrimination and rights violations.
A free, neutral way to resolve IEP disagreements without starting with a lawyer — mediation, IEP facilitation, and formal state complaints, offered directly through Oregon's Department of Education.
IRCO (Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization)Bilingual
One of Portland's largest immigrant and refugee family-service organizations, serving 25,000+ people a year. Its Disability Legal Services team helps families access SSI and Social Security disability benefits, alongside school-based family support programs.
A Parent Training and Information Center and Family Empowerment Center offering a statewide resource, Connections California, for any family affected by disability.
CA Dept. of Education — Procedural Safeguards Referral ServiceCA
California's free path to resolve special education disputes through mediation, a formal state complaint, or a due process hearing, without needing a lawyer to start.
California's unique regional-center system coordinates and funds services for people with developmental disabilities, from early intervention through adulthood. Find the regional center serving your area.
California's largest Latino-led disability organization, founded in 1978. Offers Spanish-language special education advocacy training, family conferences, and an autism-specific parent education program, with offices in Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Jose.
Texas has multiple regional Parent Training and Information Centers depending on where you live. We have not built out a full Texas page yet, this link goes straight to the national finder.
Every Florida family has access to a free Parent Training and Information Center. We have not built out a full Florida page yet, this link goes straight to the national finder.
Every New York family has access to a free Parent Training and Information Center. We have not built out a full New York page yet, this link goes straight to the national finder.
Every Pennsylvania family has access to a free Parent Training and Information Center. We have not built out a full Pennsylvania page yet, this link goes straight to the national finder.
Every Illinois family has access to a free Parent Training and Information Center. We have not built out a full Illinois page yet, this link goes straight to the national finder.
Every Georgia family has access to a free Parent Training and Information Center. We have not built out a full Georgia page yet, this link goes straight to the national finder.
Every North Carolina family has access to a free Parent Training and Information Center. We have not built out a full North Carolina page yet, this link goes straight to the national finder.
Keep this updated: phone numbers and staff change. Always confirm current contact details on the organization's own website before relying on a number listed here.
Common Questions
Do I have to pay for a special education advocate?
No. Every state has a federally funded Parent Training and Information Center that provides free help, and organizations like Disability Rights agencies and COPAA offer free resources and referrals as well.
What is a Parent Training and Information Center?
A federally funded nonprofit in every state that helps parents understand their rights, prepare for meetings, and resolve disagreements with schools, at no cost. Find yours at parentcenterhub.org.
Is there free help available in Spanish?
Yes. Organizations like Open Doors for Multicultural Families, El Centro de la Raza, Casa Latina, and Sea Mar Community Health Centers all offer bilingual, Spanish-language support for families in Washington State.
What if my state is not listed here yet?
We are adding new states over time. Every state already has a free Parent Training and Information Center, even if we have not built out a full state page yet. Search the national directory at parentcenterhub.org to find yours right now.