Birmingham proper is served by one school system, Birmingham City Schools, so this page pairs that district's Child Find process with Alabama's statewide Parent Training and Information Center for a second, independent source on evaluation rights.

Under-3 referrals go through Alabama's single-entry Early Intervention System, and longer-term disability supports run through the Jefferson County Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Authority, the local 310 Board that acts as the county's point of entry into Alabama's waiver system.

Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the Alabama page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Birmingham (Jefferson County).

Early intervention under 3: Alabama's Early Intervention System (AEIS) — Jefferson County

Alabama runs early intervention as a single statewide point of entry: a family calls one Child Find number, and the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services assigns the referral to a District Early Intervention Coordinator for Jefferson County. That coordinator generally reaches out within about two weeks to explain the evaluation process and, if a delay is confirmed, help build an Individualized Family Service Plan. A diagnosis isn't required to make the referral — a documented concern about a child's development is enough.

• Alabama's Early Intervention System (AEIS) — Jefferson County
• Referral phone: 1-800-543-3098

New to early intervention? Read the plain-language guide first.

School districts and special education

The city of Birmingham is served by its own district, Birmingham City Schools, separate from the larger Jefferson County Schools system that covers other municipalities around the county. Alabama's Child Find duty applies to Birmingham City Schools just as it does statewide, requiring the district to identify and evaluate children with a suspected disability, from birth through 21, at no cost — including children who are homeschooled or in private school within district boundaries.

• Birmingham City Schools — Child Find is run under the district's Student Wellbeing programs; serves roughly 25,000 students across 42 schools

Other places to ask — not a substitute for the district

An evaluation request has to go to the school district itself; only the district can start the legal timeline. These are for asking questions about the process, or for when the district has not responded.

• Alabama Parent Training and Information Center (AL PTI) — not a school district — the statewide Parent Training and Information Center operated by the Alabama Parent Education Center, offering free help with special education law and advocacy; 866-532-7660

IEP or 504 · If you disagree with the school

Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Birmingham

We have not yet verified a hospital or university evaluation program with public intake information in Birmingham. That is a gap in our research, not a sign there is nothing here — and it does not stand between you and an evaluation. The school district evaluation above is free, and early intervention under 3 does not need a private diagnosis first.

How assessment works · What to do while you wait

Disability services and waivers: Jefferson County Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Authority

Jefferson County's 310 Board, the Jefferson County Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Authority, provides case management and acts as the county's point of entry into Alabama's Department of Mental Health system, including the Intellectual Disabilities and Living at Home waivers. Families can call the Authority directly to start service coordination, or call the state's central waiver line to begin the waitlist application from anywhere in Alabama.

• Jefferson County Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Authority
• Phone: 205-945-9310

Local organizations that help Birmingham families

We have not yet verified a local parent organization in Birmingham. Statewide help still covers you: the Alabama guide lists the federally funded parent center and the free disability rights organization for the whole state, and both take calls from families anywhere in Alabama.

Documented waits and access notes

Wait times change. Each note below links to the public source it came from — confirm current status directly with the program.

• Alabama's special-education rules give Birmingham City Schools 60 calendar days from a parent's signed consent to finish the evaluation, then 30 more days to determine eligibility, and a further 30 days to hold the IEP meeting once a child qualifies. (source)
• AEIS runs on a 45-day statewide clock, counted from the date a referral is logged into Child Find, inside which the screening, the full evaluation, and the initial IFSP meeting all have to be finished for a Jefferson County toddler. (source)
• One tally puts Alabama's statewide Intellectual Disabilities Waiver waitlist at around 1,848 people, with a typical non-crisis wait commonly described as five to ten years — a range the Jefferson County Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Authority can put into context for a specific application. (source)