California special education resources covering legal rights, regional centers and local organizations across Greater Los Angeles.
California families searching for California special education resources — or for a special education advocate in Los Angeles or an IEP advocate in Beverly Hills — are in the right place. This page gathers the references families across greater Los Angeles use most, from the California Department of Education (CDE) and its Special Education Division to the California Education Code and the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), where California due process hearings and mediations take place.
California’s special education rules differ from other states in important ways: assessments are governed by strict timelines under the Education Code, every district belongs to a Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA), and parents have specific procedural safeguards and dispute-resolution options, including mediation, due process complaints, and compliance complaints filed with CDE. The Parent Rights & Procedural Safeguards document, published by California SELPAs, is the official starting point for understanding those rights.
Families of children with developmental disabilities in California may also be eligible for services through the regional center system, created by the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act — separate from, but often complementary to, what the school district provides. We help families coordinate both systems.
Looking for Arizona? Visit our Arizona resource collection, or contact us and we will point you to the right agency for your district.
California Education Code and procedural safeguards, the Department of Developmental Services and regional centers, Los Angeles–area advocacy organizations, and mental and behavioral health networks across the region.
It depends on your address. Los Angeles County is served by several regional centers, including Frank D. Lanterman, Westside, South Central, Harbor, Eastern Los Angeles and North Los Angeles County. The list above includes links so you can confirm your catchment area.
Yes. Regional centers, state agencies and nonprofit advocacy organizations provide free parent-facing information and intake. Eligibility for services varies by program.
California’s Early Start program serves infants and toddlers through regional centers, and school district services begin at age three. Both pathways are listed above so you can start in the right place.
Not directly. Coverage for evaluations and therapy varies widely by plan. What we list are public agencies and nonprofits, which are free or low cost and do not depend on insurance authorization.
Still not sure where to start? Book a free consultation and we will review what you have, explain what the documents actually show, and tell you honestly whether advocacy is the right next step for your family.
Schedule a free consultation to talk through your child’s IEP or 504 plan and find out how we can help.
