Free autism evaluation routes: early intervention and school

Yes, there are free public evaluation routes for many US families: early intervention under three and school evaluation at three and older. No, that usually does not mean a free private clinic ADOS or a free medical autism diagnosis. Monday, call EI or email the district special education director, then find local clinic options via the resources directory if you also want a medical path.

A free public evaluation is an IDEA Part C or Part B evaluation for services eligibility at no cost to the family for that evaluation. It is not a free private ADOS, a free medical diagnosis coupon, or an online quiz.

For how testing works, see the autism testing hub. For the full school-vs-clinic decision, see school evaluation vs medical diagnosis.

Routes at a glance

No row guarantees eligibility, an IEP/IFSP, a diagnosis, a timeline, or insurance payment.

Route 1: Under 3, early intervention (Part C)

Part C early intervention is the public developmental-services system for babies and toddlers from birth until the third birthday.

Federal referral rules list parents among primary referral sources. In most states you can refer your own child with a phone call. No clinic diagnosis required to start.

Federal rules also set a 45-day clock from referral to completing the initial evaluation, assessments, and first plan meeting, and require that evaluation and assessment themselves run at public expense. Ask when you call what later service fees look like where you live.

What it is not: a diagnostic clinic that guarantees a medical autism label or a free private ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, second edition: a structured play-and-conversation tool some clinicians use inside a clinical eval). ADOS-2 is a tool, not a verdict. Public early intervention is about developmental services eligibility. More: ADOS-2.

Fill-in script for the EI call

Hi, I want to refer my child for an early intervention evaluation.
Child's name: [name]
Date of birth: [MM/DD/YYYY]
My concerns: [one or two plain examples, with approximate ages]
Please tell me the next step, what the evaluation covers, and whether any later services have fees in our state.

Save the date you called and who you spoke with.

Monday action: find your state’s Birth to Three / early intervention contact on the resources directory (sample: California) and call this week. Depth on IFSP feel, scripts, and the age-3 handoff: early intervention. This page does not replace that guide.

Around the third birthday, the free public route shifts toward the school district (Part B), even if your child is still preschool age. Ask EI about the age-3 handoff so you are not starting from zero.

Route 2: Ages 3+, school evaluation (Part B)

Past the third birthday, the free public route is your school district. Part B is the school-age special education system under IDEA, including preschool special education from age 3.

Who to write. Address the district’s special education director (sometimes called director of student services or special education coordinator), or the published Child Find contact. Child Find is the district’s duty to locate and evaluate children who may need special education. Do not rely on the classroom teacher alone. Email gives you a timestamp. Keep a copy.

What to put in the letter. Short dated request: child’s name and DOB, school/grade, a clear ask for a comprehensive initial evaluation (including autism), a few dated examples, areas you want assessed, and a request for written acknowledgment. Use the fill-in template on school evaluation vs medical diagnosis. Letter points also align with the autism testing hub.

Consent starts the clock. After the district responds, you sign consent for the evaluation. The federal timeline is within 60 days of parental consent, or within a timeframe your state has set instead. The clock starts at consent, not at the day you first emailed.

Eligibility is not a medical diagnosis. If eligible, the team may build an IEP. Some children instead receive a 504 plan (accommodations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act) when they need access supports but do not qualify for special education under IDEA. Compare: IEP or 504.

If you disagree with the district’s evaluation. Federal rules address an independent educational evaluation (IEE) at public expense under conditions. The district either pays or requests a hearing to defend its own evaluation. Put disagreement in writing. Do not treat IEE as an automatic free second opinion.

Monday action: send the dated email today if your child is three or older. Keep the sent copy.

What these routes can (and cannot) give your family

Can: open public supports when eligible; start a services clock without a private diagnosis; produce useful documentation; run during a clinic waitlist.

Cannot (usually): replace every insurer’s paperwork needs; guarantee a medical autism label, IEP, or IFSP; erase a waitlist or promise a free private ADOS-2.

If you also want a medical path, ask the pediatrician for hearing, vision, and a written specialist referral the same week. More: getting a child assessed.

Free public route vs private clinic evaluation

1. Cost. Public initial evaluation: at public expense / without charge (34 CFR 300.17 and 303.521). Private clinic: ask cash price, CPT codes, and prior authorization. We do not invent a price.
2. Job. Public route: IDEA services eligibility. Clinic: medical diagnosis from history plus observation.
3. Paperwork. Public: EI referral or dated school request, then consent. Clinic: referral/intake, often insurance forms, then a diagnostic report.

Find evaluation help near you: open the resources directory → state → city → Diagnosis. City hubs list providers from their own websites; we are not ranking free clinics. Examples: Des Moines · California · Phoenix. Ask wait and cancellation list.

Other possibly low-cost routes (ask, do not assume)

These are not the same as the IDEA Part C/B entitlements above. They vary. Ask in writing. every coverage claim before treating it as fact for your family.

• Medicaid / CHIP / EPSDT. Some children on Medicaid or CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) may have evaluation benefits. EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment) is Medicaid’s child benefit for medically necessary screening and treatment. Call the plan, ask what autism evaluation documentation they require, and get the answer in writing.
• University training clinics. Some universities run supervised trainee clinics, sometimes at reduced fees. Ask your pediatrician or city Diagnosis listings. We do not name specific clinics here.
• Research studies. Occasional studies include an evaluation. Rules vary. Ask your pediatrician whether any are recruiting. Do not treat a study as a guaranteed free diagnosis path.
• State programs / private insurance. Ask EI or Child Find what local programs exist. Ask your insurer prior authorization rules and required codes in writing before a clinic appointment.

None of these replaces starting the age-fit public route this week.

While you wait (and while you pursue public routes)

A waitlist is the queue for a clinic appointment slot, usually the long part. Public routes are real parallel systems, not dead-time fillers.

While you wait: start the age-fit public route; book hearing and vision; keep a dated notebook; ask every clinic for the cancellation list; one systems action + one care action on hard days.

More: waiting · first 90 days · signs by age.

What to do Monday morning

Under three: call early intervention with the script above; ask the pediatrician in writing for hearing, vision, and whether/how to refer for a clinical evaluation; open your state hub and save the EI contact.

Three and older: email the special education director a dated evaluation request (template on the school-vs-medical page); ask the pediatrician in writing for hearing, vision, and a clinical referral if you also want a medical path; open your state hub and save Child Find / special education contacts.

Script starters

• EI call: “I am referring my child, [name], date of birth [date], for an early intervention evaluation.”
• School email subject: “Written request for initial special education evaluation: [Child name], [school].”
• Pediatrician: “Please order hearing and vision and give me a written referral for a developmental / autism evaluation, plus the clinic names you use.”

If you only do three things

1. Start the age-fit public route today.
2. Ask the pediatrician for hearing and vision plus a clinical referral in writing if you also want a medical path.
3. Open your state hub and save the EI / Child Find / special education contact.

You do not need certainty to start. You need the next call or email.