family guide
Maryland DDA and the Autism Waiver
How to apply, what changed in 2025, how the waiting lists work and what you can do for your child while you wait.
In this guide
01The short answer
DDA eligibility and the Autism Waiver are separate, and you can pursue both. Apply to the Developmental Disabilities Administration through your regional office, and call 866-417-3480 to put your child on the Autism Waiver registry as early as you can. Maryland reported a wait time of seven years four months as of February 4, 2026. While you wait, use county programs and keep your records current.
Don’t rule out the Autism Waiver because of your household income. Financial eligibility is based on your child’s income and assets, rather than yours. Your child must also meet the program’s medical and technical requirements.
Back to contents ↑02Two programs, two front doors
Developmental Disabilities Administration
Community Pathways Waiver
- 1ApplyOnline, by mail or at your regional office.
- 2Coordinator and assessmentDDA assigns a Coordinator of Community Services; a face-to-face assessment follows.
- 3Eligibility decisionDevelopmentally Disabled or Supports Only.
- !WaitlistEligibility isn’t the same as services. 3,537 people waiting (August 2025); invitations go by priority.
- 4Waiver servicesRespite is a covered service.
Autism Waiver
Ages 1 to 21
- 1Call the registry866-417-3480. Don’t wait for a school classification first.
- !Registry wait5,521 on the waitlist; reported wait seven years four months (February 4, 2026).
- 2Invitation to applyAsk how your child’s IFSP or IEP will be reviewed when you’re invited.
- 3Waiver servicesRespite is a covered service. The Arc Montgomery County respite ends once a waiver starts.
| DDA (Community Pathways Waiver) | Autism Waiver | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | Maryland Department of Health, Developmental Disabilities Administration | Maryland State Department of Education with the Maryland Department of Health |
| Who | A disability that began before age 22, is likely lifelong and creates a need for support | Age 1 to the end of the school year in which the child turns 21, with an autism diagnosis or educational classification |
| How to start | Apply online, by mail or at a regional office | Call 866-417-3480 to join the registry |
| Respite | Covered service | Covered service |
| Waiting | 3,537 people on the DDA waiver waitlist (August 2025) | 5,521 on the waitlist; reported wait seven years four months (February 4, 2026) |
Want help sorting this out for your family? Send us a question
03Applying to DDA
- Submit the eligibility application online, by mail or at a regional office. Montgomery County is served by the Southern Maryland Regional Office, 312 Marshall Ave., 7th Floor, Laurel, (301) 362-5100. Baltimore City and County, Howard and Anne Arundel are served by the Central Maryland Regional Office.
- DDA assigns a Coordinator of Community Services, who helps you through the process.
- A face-to-face assessment follows.
- DDA decides eligibility. The main categories are Developmentally Disabled and Supports Only.
Low Intensity Support Services (LISS) has its own, separate application and doesn’t require the main eligibility application.
Back to contents ↑04Where families get stuck
Eligibility isn’t the same as services
Being found eligible doesn’t mean waiver services start. When slots are full, people go on a waitlist, and invitations go out by priority: Crisis Resolution, Crisis Prevention, Current Request and transitioning youth. In FY2025, DDA invited 176 people in Crisis Resolution, 62 in Crisis Prevention, 133 in Current Request and 819 transitioning youth.
Old waiver names
On October 6, 2025, the Family Supports and Community Supports Waivers were combined into the Community Pathways Waiver. Participants were moved over automatically. If a form or website still uses the old names, it’s out of date.
Waiting to join the Autism Waiver registry
Families sometimes wait for a school classification or more services before calling. The registry is the queue, so getting on it early matters. Maryland reported 5,521 people on the Autism Waiver waitlist and a wait time of seven years four months as of February 4, 2026. Invitations were suspended in FY2025 for budget reasons; we couldn’t confirm whether they have resumed.
The IFSP or IEP requirement
Maryland’s Autism Waiver eligibility rules require an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP) with at least 15 hours a week of special education and related services. Ask the waiver coordinator how your child’s current plan will be reviewed when you are invited to apply.
Missing records
Eligibility depends on documentation of the disability. Keep evaluations, school records and your call log together, and note the name and date of every contact.
County respite and waivers don’t mix
The Arc Montgomery County’s respite program excludes families receiving waiver funding, including Community Pathways and the Autism Waiver. Plan for that change once a waiver starts.
Rates in 2026
A Community Pathways Waiver amendment was submitted to the federal government on July 1, 2026, and more information was requested on September 25, 2026. Until it is approved, provider rates and self-directed wages stay at June 30, 2026 levels.
Back to contents ↑05What to do while you wait
- County respite: The Arc Montgomery County (enrollment July to February) and the Community Support Network, 240-777-1216. See respite options compared.
- My Turn: limited help with recreation and camp costs for Montgomery County residents aged 3 to 18 with a developmental disability.
- Low Intensity Support Services (LISS): Up to $1,000 for eligible services or items for children and adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities who are not receiving DDA support services. LISS uses a separate application and random selection. Check the official LISS page for application dates and requirements. The FY2027 application window ran August 1–September 15, 2026, with selection on October 1.
- Information and referral: Montgomery County’s Aging and Disability Resource Unit, 240-777-3000.
- Childcare: private care can cover work hours and the years on a waitlist. Novinway is private pay and doesn’t bill waivers.
Navigation Services can help you through the application and stay on top of it while you wait. You make the decisions.
Back to contents ↑06Key contacts
| Contact | |
|---|---|
| DDA Southern Maryland Regional Office (Montgomery County) | (301) 362-5100; toll-free (888) 207-2479 |
| Autism Waiver registry | 866-417-3480 |
| Montgomery County Community Support Network | 240-777-1216 |
| Montgomery County Aging and Disability Resource Unit | 240-777-3000 |
| The Arc Montgomery County respite | Respite@TheArcMoCo.org |
Sources
Program rules, phone numbers and figures change. We checked each source below in October 2026; confirm details with the program before you rely on them.
- Maryland Autism Strategy annual report (July 2026), February 4, 2026 waitlist data
- Maryland DDA: Low Intensity Support Services (LISS)
- Maryland DDA: eligibility and application process
- Maryland DDA: eligibility
- Maryland DDA: Southern Maryland Regional Office
- Maryland DDA: regional offices
- Maryland DDA: Guide to the October 2025 waiver changes
- Maryland DDA: Community Pathways Waiver Amendment 4 (2026)
- Maryland Department of Health report on waiver waitlists (2025)
- MSDE Autism Waiver fact sheet
- Maryland Department of Health: Autism Waiver
- Montgomery County: Autism Waiver service coordination
- The Arc Montgomery County: respite FAQ
- Montgomery County: My Turn program
Updated October 2026. General information for families, not tax, legal or medical advice.
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