Navigating the System
Navigating the System to Access Services for Individuals with Disabilities
Is your child under 3? Contact Arizona Early Intervention Program, otherwise known as AzEIP to determine if you are eligible to receive services. AzEIP is established by Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which provides eligible children and their families access to services to enhance the capacity of families and caregivers to support the child’s development.
Is your child 3 or older? Contact Arizona Long Term Care, or ALTCS to apply for Medicaid services. Medicaid is the funding source for habilitation and respite services for individuals with developmental disabilities in the state of Arizona. Click here to learn more about the ALTCS application process.
If your child is approved for ALTCS prior to the age of 4 they are also eligible to receive Habilitation Masters (Hab M) and Habilitation Bachelors (Hab B) services. Eligible families are allotted a total of 150 hours. Click here to learn more.
Definitions
Arizona Long Term Care (ALTCS): Arizona’s Medicaid system; funding source for services
Arizona Department of Economic Security, Division of Developmental Disabilities (DES/DDD): provides services and programs to eligible individuals with developmental disabilities; coordinates services and resources through a central administrative office, six DES/DDD district offices and approximately 40 local offices in various communities throughout the state
Habilitation: one-on-one therapy to teach and/or improve an individual’s daily living, social, gross/fine motor, communication, and/or memory and organization skills. Habilitation providers will implement the goals and objectives written by the lead habilitation therapist.
Respite: a service designed for short-term, temporary care to our clients with the purpose of giving the parents a break from the everyday routine of raising a child with special needs. An important purpose of respite is to provide parents and families temporary relief to relax, run errands, work, etc.
i have a question. my son is 4yo and has an altcs interview coming up. what services is he eligible for since he is already 4yo? thanks
Sending you an email right now, Diane!
I need help. I dont have insurance and my youngest got on DDD and ACHHHS because he is delayed but I cant get my oldest on it.
My oldest is actually autistic and weve been scholastically diagnosed in 3 states but since AZ needs a medical diagnosis – I cant get him approved. His teachers tell me to get him on, hes over 6 in diapers and I need help financially.
Does anyone know a Developmental Pediatrician or Psych who will diagnose him for free or not much?
Ive gotten 2 quotes and since I need 2 diagnosis’s – the cost is impossible for me
Hello,
I received your post on our website and wanted to follow up. You should contact Dr. Amanda Wood. She works around families with financial constraints and may be able to help. http://doctorwood.org/about.html
Hi, I am brand new to AZ, living in Lake Havasu City, where there are literally NO autism support groups or any kind of therapies available. I saw this site and wondered if we might be eligible for some kind of assistance. My daughter is 11, diagnosed at 5 years old with Asperger’s and we have private insurance (we don’t qualify for public assistance) is there any help out there for us?