A quirk of Wilmington's city boundaries is that no single school district covers it. Depending on which neighborhood a family lives in, a Wilmington child might attend Red Clay Consolidated, Brandywine, Christina, or Colonial — four separate districts, each running its own Child Find team and special education office.

Below that layer sits the same statewide structure every Delaware city has: Child Development Watch for a child under 3, and the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS) for longer-term supports. This page lists what's publicly posted for each, plus the two Wilmington-based districts with the clearest online Child Find pages.

Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the Delaware page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Wilmington (New Castle County, Delaware).

Early intervention under 3: Birth to Three Early Intervention (Child Development Watch) — New Castle County

Delaware's Part C program, Birth to Three, was formerly called Child Development Watch and many families and providers still use that name. In New Castle County, which includes Wilmington, a family calls the county referral line to start; a parent does not need anyone else's sign-off to make that call, and a suspected delay is reason enough. A Birth to Three team member follows up, and if an evaluation confirms eligibility, the family and team build a service plan together at no direct cost for that evaluation and planning work.

• Birth to Three Early Intervention (Child Development Watch) — New Castle County
• Referral phone: 302-995-8590

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

School districts and special education

Wilmington's city limits cross four Delaware school districts — Red Clay Consolidated, Brandywine, Christina, and Colonial — so the first step is confirming which one your address falls into before sending a written evaluation request. Each district runs its own Child Find team responsible for screening and evaluating both preschoolers and school-age children referred to it.

• Red Clay Consolidated School District — Child Find office at 1502 Spruce Avenue, 302-552-3773; covers much of western Wilmington
• Brandywine School District — preschool Child Find 302-792-3920 x502, school-age Child Find 302-793-5063; covers North Wilmington

IEP or 504 · If you disagree with the school

Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Wilmington

These are hospital and university programs with public intake information. Listing here is informational — it is not a recommendation, and it is not medical advice. Public school evaluation is free and does not require any of these.

• Swank Autism Center (Nemours Children's Health, Delaware) — full autism spectrum disorder evaluations, plus genetic testing, brain imaging, and specialist follow-up from psychologists, psychiatrists, and developmental pediatricians; the center also runs a feeding program · Nemours has reported 6-to-12-month waits for an initial autism screening appointment, which led it to train primary care residents to conduct some evaluations directly

How assessment works · What to do while you wait

Disability services and waivers: Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS)

DDDS, part of the Department of Health and Social Services, determines eligibility for Delaware's intellectual and developmental disability services, including autism where it causes substantial functional impairment that began before age 22. A family calls the DDDS intake unit to request a Lifespan Waiver intake; the agency then reviews a current psychological evaluation, an adaptive behavior assessment, and proof the disability began before adulthood, and sends written acknowledgment of a completed application within about 7 days.

• Delaware Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS)
• Phone: 302-744-9700

Local organizations that help Wilmington families

• Autism Delaware — statewide organization offering Family Navigation, the Autism Care Team program, and adult services, with an office presence across Delaware
• PIC of Delaware (Parent Training and Information Center) — 302-999-7394; free consultation for IEP meetings and questions about special education rights, based in Wilmington
• The Arc of Delaware — 2 S Augustine St #B, Wilmington, 302-996-9400; statewide chapter advocating for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

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.

• Wilmington is unusual among mid-size cities in having no single school district; a child's district depends on which of four boundaries — Red Clay, Brandywine, Christina, or Colonial — their address sits inside. (source)
• Regardless of which Wilmington district handles your child, that district must finish evaluation and reach an eligibility decision within 60 calendar days of your signed consent to proceed. (source)
• The New Castle County Birth to Three program must complete evaluation and the initial IFSP meeting within 45 calendar days of your referral. (source)
• Delaware has not maintained a waiting list for its Developmental Disabilities Waiver since 2014. (source)