Texas uses different systems for early intervention, public-school special education, and long-term developmental disability services. A diagnosis may support a referral, but each system has its own eligibility process.
Birth through 36 months: ECI
Texas Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) works with eligible children from birth through 36 months and their families. Use the current Texas HHS Early Childhood Intervention page to review the program and find a local ECI entry point.
When you contact ECI, describe the routines and skills that are difficult now. Ask who will coordinate the evaluation, what consent is needed, what costs or insurance rules apply, and when you should expect the next contact.
Referral notes
- Date and method of referral
- Local ECI program and contact person
- Communication, sensory, motor, feeding, or daily routine concerns
- Interpreter or accessibility needs
- Evaluation and IFSP dates
- Written next step
Ages three through five: ECSE
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) is available through local school districts for eligible children ages three through five who are not yet in kindergarten. The Texas Education Agency ECSE page explains the current public-school pathway. Start transition planning before the third birthday so the school evaluation does not begin only after ECI ends.
Ask the district how to submit a written evaluation request, where to send records, and who coordinates the process. School eligibility is based on disability-related educational need. It is separate from a medical diagnosis or an ECI decision.
School-age autism support and the Texas IEP supplement
The Texas Education Agency’s autism program page links to the Texas autism IEP supplement. The supplement requires the IEP team to consider specified strategies as practicable and needed; it does not mean every listed strategy is appropriate for every student.
Use the measurable autism IEP goal examples to prepare present-level notes and questions about communication, transitions, participation, daily living, and progress measurement.
Developmental disability services and interest lists
Some Texas Home and Community-based Services pathways use interest lists. A local intellectual and developmental disability authority (LIDDA) is the public entry point; use the current Texas HHS LIDDA directory to find the office serving the person’s area. Ask which interest lists may fit, how to add the person’s name, and how often contact information must be confirmed. Texas HHS also publishes a current HCS program overview.
Do not pay a third party merely to join an official interest list. Save the date, confirmation, program name, and instructions for maintaining status.
Interest-list maintenance
- Program or waiver name
- Date added and confirmation number
- Current address, phone, and email on file
- Required annual contact or update
- Local authority contact
- Date of the next status check
Your one-page action plan
Write one next action for each relevant system: ECI, school, and long-term supports. Keep agency records separate. This guide organizes entry points and is not a benefits determination, medical recommendation, or legal opinion.
Browse all state resource guides or open the free autism skills library for printable planning tools.