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Help at school for your child
For parents and carers in the United States whose child is struggling at school, or who learns, moves, speaks or behaves differently. How to ask for an evaluation. What an IEP is and what happens at the meeting. A 504 plan. Suspensions. Bullying. What to do when you and the school disagree. Help before age 5. And the words to put in the letter. One thing at a time.
Right now
- Scared for your child tonight, or worn through yourself? Call or text 988, at any hour. The 988 Lifeline says it is there for emotional distress, or if you just need someone to talk to. In danger: 911.
- You can ask the school to evaluate your child. The Center for Parent Information and Resources says a request may be spoken, but it is best to put it in writing.
- Under 5? The CDC says you do not need a doctor’s referral or a diagnosis to ask for a free evaluation.
- Not alone in this: there are nearly 100 Parent Centers across the U.S. and its territories, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Find yours.
More help
- Worried about what your child said or did? When you’re worried about someone.
- A hard meeting coming? Appointment prep, Speak for me and Make peace.
- Need a lawyer and can’t pay? When you need a lawyer and can’t pay.
- Caring for a disabled child wears you down? When you’re caring for someone.
- A baby or toddler at home? Pregnant, or a new baby.
- The same rights, grown up: accommodations at work and in housing.
- All our free tools and Get help now.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). The facts come from the Center for Parent Information and Resources (CPIR), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs and whose pages say its views are not necessarily the Department’s; from USAGov; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; MedlinePlus from the National Library of Medicine; and the 988 Lifeline. Their pages were read on October 1, 2026. CPIR dates its own pages between 2017 and 2023. The U.S. Department of Education’s own sites (ed.gov, including the Office for Civil Rights) and StopBullying.gov refused our connection that day, so nothing here comes from them, and the page says where that leaves a gap: who qualifies for a 504 plan, how to file a civil rights complaint, and what the law requires of a school when a child is bullied. States add their own rules and timelines, and we did not read any state’s. A few lines are our own suggestions, and the page marks them as ours. This page saves nothing: no account, no cookies, nothing you tick is stored or sent, and no analytics (privacy). Scarlet Beast is not a school, a law firm or a Parent Center, is not part of any government agency, and takes no money from anyone named here. Found a mistake? Email [email protected].