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Every child can learn. Some need the school to teach a little differently — and when they do, the law is on their side, and so are we. If you think your child might need extra help, you don't have to wait to be asked.
If you think your child might need extra help, you don't have to wait to be asked. Reach out to your building team — start with your child's teacher, or contact the principal. You can also reach Student Services at the district office at (360) 249-1233. Any parent can ask for an evaluation, in writing, at any time — you don't need a diagnosis, and it's always free.
Special education is specially designed instruction — at no cost to your family — that helps a student with a disability make real progress in school. It's a federal promise under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and a Washington one under Chapter 28A.155 RCW and the state rules in WAC 392-172A: every eligible student is entitled to a free appropriate public education (FAPE), built around who they actually are.
It is not a room, and it is not a label. At its core it's specially designed instruction — teaching adapted to your child — plus the related services that help them benefit from it, all written into one plan (an IEP) that follows your child to wherever they learn best. Some students get a few hours of reading help a week; others need a full day of specialized support. The plan fits the child, not the other way around.
A student qualifies for special education only when all three of these are true:
Washington recognizes these disability categories: autism, deaf-blindness, deafness, emotional/behavioral disability, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, multiple disabilities, orthopedic impairment, other health impairment, specific learning disability, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment, and — for younger children — developmental delay.
A diagnosis on its own doesn't automatically qualify a student, and not having one doesn't rule them out — it's the combination of all three above that matters. Our team works through it together, with you in the room.
Districts have a legal duty called Child Find: we actively look for any child who may need special education — from birth through age 21, including students who are home-schooled, in private school, or experiencing homelessness — and make sure they get evaluated. (For infants and toddlers, that path runs through Early Intervention; see below.)
You don't have to wait. Any parent can request an evaluation at any time. You don't need a diagnosis, and it's free. Put it in writing — an email is perfect — to your child's teacher, the principal, or our Special Education office. A school will often try classroom interventions first and watch how a student responds, but that can't be used to delay a written request forever: once you ask in writing, the district must decide whether to evaluate, and tell you why, within 20 school days.
Before we evaluate, we'll explain exactly what we want to look at and ask for your written consent — nothing happens without it. The evaluation is done by a team (which can include a school psychologist, a speech-language pathologist, OT/PT, teachers, and you) and looks at your child from several angles, never a single test.
Under Washington's law (ESHB 2557, effective June 11, 2026):
A deadline can be extended only by written agreement with you, with the reason written down. There is never a cost to your family.
If your child is eligible, the team writes an Individualized Education Program (IEP) within 30 calendar days of the eligibility decision, and you are a full member of that team. A strong IEP spells out:
The IEP is reviewed at least once a year, and your child is re-evaluated at least every three years to make sure it still fits. You can ask for a review sooner anytime something changes.
Want to see every step laid out, start to finish — including what happens after each decision? Walk through our special education process flowchart.
The law starts from a simple idea — the Least Restrictive Environment: students with disabilities should learn with their classmates as much as possible, in the general classroom, with the supports they need to succeed there. Moving a student into a more separate setting happens only when the regular classroom, even with supports, isn't enough for a specific goal. The team weighs that for each student, and the path back to the general classroom is always open.
The law gives related services a specific meaning: supportive services a student needs in order to benefit from their special education. They don't stand on their own — they exist to make the special education work. They can include speech-language and audiology services, physical and occupational therapy, school psychology and counseling, school health and nursing services, orientation and mobility, social work, parent counseling and training, recreation, and specialized transportation when a disability requires it.
One important nuance: some of these — speech therapy, OT, PT — can be a related service for one student (supporting special education that's really about something else) and the special education itself for another (when that therapy is the specially designed instruction the student needs). Which it is depends on the child. Either way, it's written into the IEP and provided at no cost.
Beginning with the IEP in place when your student turns 16 (sooner if it makes sense), the plan adds transition — your student's own goals for work, training, college, and independent living, plus the steps to get there. At 18, the rights under IDEA transfer from parent to student, though families almost always stay closely involved. We help connect students to partners like the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) as they move toward adult life.
Federal and state law give families strong rights throughout this process, written out in a document called the Procedural Safeguards (we give you a copy at least once a year — ask anytime). In short, you have the right to:
We'd much rather hear from you than have you wait. Start with the team or the building — most concerns get solved right there. If they don't, Washington gives families several free options, and using any of them never affects how your child is treated:
Not every student who needs support qualifies for special education. Section 504 is a different law (also free) for a student who has a disability that substantially limits a major life activity but doesn't need specially designed instruction — they need accommodations to access the same education as everyone else. If the team finds your child isn't eligible for an IEP, 504 is often the right tool, and we'll help you get there. See our Section 504 page.
You don't have to wait for kindergarten — finding out early is one of the kindest things a family can do.
Both run on the same idea: family-led, free, and the sooner the better.
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