Seattle families reach early intervention through King County's Resource Access Team, the local lead agency for ESIT — Washington's Part C system, run statewide by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).

Seattle Public Schools carries Child Find for children three and up inside city limits, and Puget Sound Educational Service District 121 backs the district with regional specialists in behavior support and evaluation, while DSHS's Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) handles longer-term supports.

Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the Washington page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Seattle (King County).

Early intervention under 3: Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) — King County Resource Access Team

Washington runs Part C early intervention as ESIT, administered by DCYF, with day-to-day referrals handled by four County Lead Agencies; King County's is the Resource Access Team. A parent, doctor, or child care provider can call in a concern about a child under three without a diagnosis in hand, and staff help arrange a free developmental evaluation. If the Resource Access Team's line is busy, an eFax referral form can be sent to 206-299-9146 instead.

• Early Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) — King County Resource Access Team
• Referral phone: 206-204-3536

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

School districts and special education

Seattle Public Schools is the sole division inside city limits, so Child Find covers everyone from birth through 21, with a dedicated intake team for preschool-age concerns. Washington regulation gives a district 25 school days after a referral to decide whether to evaluate, and 35 school days to finish if it proceeds.

• Seattle Public Schools — Child Find intake 206-252-0805 (ages 3-5) handles the first developmental-screening referral; supported languages include Amharic, Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

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.

• Puget Sound ESD 121 — Special Education Services — not a second division — the regional service district behind Seattle and dozens of other King and Pierce County districts, providing behavior specialists and case-management support.

IEP or 504 · If you disagree with the school

Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Seattle

We have not yet verified a hospital or university evaluation program with public intake information in Seattle. 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: Washington DSHS — Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)

DDA is Washington's long-term disability-services agency, and enrollment starts the same way statewide: call DDA intake at 1-800-314-3296 to request enrollment, which is a separate step from requesting an actual service. An intake and eligibility specialist has 30 days to decide once your paperwork is complete, and DDA then administers five home and community-based waivers with limited capacity, so eligibility alone doesn't guarantee an open slot right away.

• Washington DSHS — Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA)

Local organizations that help Seattle families

• The Arc of King County — founded 1938; runs Square Pegs meetup groups for autistic adults and the Wings for Autism airport rehearsal program at Sea-Tac
• UW Autism Center — Community Organizations List — curated directory of Seattle-area and statewide autism organizations maintained by the University of Washington

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.

• Seattle Public Schools must decide, within 25 school days of a Child Find referral, whether to move forward with a formal evaluation. (source)
• Washington sets ESIT's post-referral deadline at the federal floor rather than lengthening it: the Resource Access Team's evaluation, family assessment and first IFSP meeting are all due within 45 days of the referral date. (source)
• A DDA caseload update put 20,231 Washingtonians statewide on the agency's no-paid-services list as of December 2024 — people found eligible who are not yet funded for an actual service. (source)