You can start getting help for your autistic child in Laredo this week. The first call depends on your child's age, and the office you reach can tell you where to go next. You don't need every answer on day one.
Some of the help has a long wait, and a full evaluation may mean a drive to Corpus Christi or San Antonio. Join the waiting lists first, while you set up the evaluation and the school request.
Key Takeaways
- A baby or toddler starts with the early intervention program run by the Community Action Corporation of South Texas, and a child of preschool age or older starts with a written request to the Laredo or United school district.
- The Medicaid waivers have long waiting lists, and Border Region Behavioral Health Center holds two of them while a state phone line holds the other three.
- The free Laredo checklist on this page keeps every number in one place, and if you're ready for ABA therapy too, you can start your intake.
Every Laredo number you need in your first 90 days, in English and Spanish.
We also sent the link to your email.
Who to call first, based on your child's age
Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) is the Texas program for babies and toddlers with delays or disabilities. In Webb and Zapata counties the Community Action Corporation of South Texas (CACOST) runs it, and United ISD lists the program as Project Niños. Your child does not need a diagnosis to be evaluated. The evaluation, case management and interpreters cost nothing. Other services use a sliding fee, according to the CACOST ECI page.
- CACOST's early intervention program serves children from birth to 3 from its office at 5709 Springfield Avenue in Laredo, and its page lists 361-980-9652 and 361-265-4502. You can also call the state ECI line at 877-787-8999 and choose option 3.
- Texas Parent to Parent answers calls from parents on the day of a diagnosis, and the people who pick up are parents of children with disabilities. It also runs a Spanish-language support call on Mondays at noon. Call 866-896-6001 or start on the Texas Parent to Parent site.
- The TEAM Project, part of Partners Resource Network, gives Laredo parents free one-on-one help and workshops on special education rights, and its Region 1 coordinator speaks Spanish at 956-477-9526. The toll-free line on the TEAM page is 1-877-832-8945.
When you call about ECI, staff ask about your child's growth and health before they set up an evaluation. Have your child's birth date, your doctor's name and a short list of what worries you in front of you. ECI ends on your child's third birthday. The program plans the move to school services before then. Our guide to early intervention for autism explains what those first visits look like.
If your child is already 3, the school district takes the first call. A doctor or psychologist can evaluate for an autism diagnosis at the same time. You can start both in the same week, so help can begin at school and at home sooner.
Where to get a medical autism diagnosis
If you're not sure yet, the free M-CHAT-R screener takes about two minutes and is made for toddlers 16 to 30 months old. Bring the result to your pediatrician and ask about a full evaluation. Laredo has one developmental pediatrician. The nearest children's hospital clinics are out of town, so ask your pediatrician for a referral early.
- Gateway Community Health Center has a developmental pediatrician and a pediatric neurologist at its West Clinic, 1702 Lafayette Street. It charges a sliding fee for families with low incomes. The developmental pediatrics page lists (956) 795-8100, and you should ask whether the clinic does full autism evaluations.
- Driscoll Children's Hospital's developmental pediatric medicine clinic in Corpus Christi evaluates autism, ADHD and delays after a referral from your child's primary care doctor, and it bills insurance and Medicaid. The clinic page lists (361) 694-5650.
- UT Health San Antonio evaluates autism and severe behavior at its children's clinic in San Antonio, after a referral and hearing and speech checks. Call 210-450-7334 or see its section page.
Alpaca Health also offers autism evaluations with the ADOS-2 (a standard autism test done with a clinician) and checks your coverage before you book. You can ask more than one clinic for a spot. The first appointment you get can lead to the diagnosis. When you call, ask how long the wait is and which forms to send ahead.
Before the visit, write down how your child talks and plays, and what happens when a plan changes. Our autism diagnosis checklist lists what to bring. Keep the diagnosis report in one folder afterward, since health plans, the school and grant programs all ask for a copy.
You don't have to figure this out alone.
Alpaca Health matches your family with an independent BCBA in Texas and handles the insurance paperwork and scheduling so you can focus on your child.
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Parent support in Laredo, in English and Spanish
Two Laredo nonprofits are run by parents of autistic children. A Facebook group adds a few hundred more local families, and some of the statewide groups meet in Spanish.
- Families for Autism Support and Awareness is a Laredo nonprofit for families of children with autism that has hosted parent meetings, an annual conference and a summer camp. Call (956) 763-6044 to ask about the next meeting, or see its site.
- The Laredo Educational Autism Foundation works on advocacy and education about local resources for families of autistic children, and it announces its autism conference on its Facebook page. Call 956-324-8903 or email leafautismlaredo@gmail.com.
- Laredo Autism Community is an open Facebook group for anyone who loves someone on the spectrum in Laredo, with local questions and events.
- The Autism Society of Texas runs free help by phone through its Navigating Autism program and statewide online parent groups, including one in Spanish, at 512-479-4199, extension 3 for Spanish, through the society's site. There is no in-person group in Laredo.
- The Blue Ribbon Committee for People with Disabilities is an open city committee that meets monthly at the Laredo Public Health Department, 2600 Cedar Avenue, according to the city's page. It is where accessibility and services get discussed, and any parent can attend.
- Navigate Life Texas is the state's information site for families of children with disabilities, fully in Spanish and English, and its Webb County page lists the local contacts.
A parent from Texas Parent to Parent or a local group can tell you what worked for their child. At a first meeting it's fine to listen and take notes. The Arc of Texas has no Laredo chapter, and its statewide site has plain guides on the waivers and guardianship.
School help in Laredo
Your child can get a school evaluation even if a doctor already gave a diagnosis, because the school team makes its own decision about special education. Put your request in writing so you have a dated record, and copy the principal on the email.
- Laredo ISD's special education department evaluates children from 3 to 21 and runs Child Find for children not yet in school, with its steps to start special education in English and Spanish. Call (956) 273-1500 or see the special education page.
- United ISD takes Child Find referrals for ages 3 to 21 at its special education office, (956) 473-2047, through its Child Find page, and it sends children under 3 to ECI.
- Region One Education Service Center supports every district in Webb County from a Laredo office, and it runs a parent program. Call 956-984-6203 or see its special education page. SPEDTex, the state's special education information line, answers questions in English and Spanish at 1-855-773-3839 through SPEDTex.
- Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) gives a one-time $1,500 online account to Texas public school students with an IEP who haven't had it before, according to the PDSES page, and our PDSES guide explains the application.
After you ask, a school team meets with you about your concerns. In Texas that team is called the ARD committee (admission, review and dismissal). If the team thinks your child may have a disability, it asks for your written OK before testing. If your child qualifies, the team writes an Individualized Education Program (IEP). That plan lists your child's services and goals.
The IEP meeting checklist helps you bring the right questions to that first meeting. Keep every email and report in one folder. You'll want them at the next meeting. If you and the school disagree, the TEAM Project can explain your options before you meet again, in Spanish if you prefer.
Every Laredo number you need in your first 90 days, in English and Spanish.
We also sent the link to your email.
Paying for therapy and care
Texas Medicaid covers ABA therapy for members age 20 and younger who have an autism diagnosis. The benefit started on February 1, 2022, according to the state's Medicaid notice. The health plan approves therapy before it starts. Read our guide to Medicaid ABA coverage before you choose a provider.
Children on Medicaid also have EPSDT, the part of Medicaid that pays for a child's checkups and needed care. Children with disabilities usually get their Medicaid through a STAR Kids plan. The plan's member line is where you ask what it covers.
- Webb County sits in the Hidalgo STAR Kids service area, and the state's plan chart lists Driscoll Health Plan, Superior HealthPlan at 844-590-4883 and UnitedHealthcare at 877-597-7799. Driscoll's member line is on your Medicaid card.
- Border Region Behavioral Health Center is the local authority for intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg and Starr counties. Its main line on the Border Region site is 956-794-3000, and it decides eligibility and puts your child on the interest lists for the HCS and Texas Home Living waivers.
- The state takes the calls for the CLASS, MDCP and DBMD interest lists at 877-438-5658, and the person who has waited longest is served first under the state's handbook rule.
- Medicaid Buy-In for Children covers children 18 and younger with a disability whose families earn too much for regular Medicaid, and our Medicaid Buy-In guide explains the monthly payment.
- The City of Laredo Health Department's family supports program refers families to the state's Children with Special Health Care Needs services program for ages 20 and under, and the department's main line is (956) 795-4900.
Once your child is on a list, write down the date you applied and the office you called. Check in once a year to make sure your phone number and address are still current. Our Texas waivers guide explains what each waiver pays for.
If your child has private insurance, the rules depend on the plan. Texas law requires state-regulated group plans to cover autism treatment, including ABA, when the child was diagnosed before age 10. Once a child turns 10, a plan can cap ABA at $36,000 a year, according to the Texas Insurance Code. Plans that an employer pays for directly follow federal rules instead, so ask your HR office which kind you have.
Call the member number on the card. Ask what the plan pays for autism evaluations and ABA therapy, and whether it has to approve therapy first. Write down the date and the name of the person you spoke with.
What if the plan says no? Ask for the reason in writing and keep the letter. Call 2-1-1 through 2-1-1 Texas when you don't know which office to bring it to.
Paying for ABA therapy
Alpaca Health accepts Texas Medicaid and many private plans, and verifies your benefits before therapy starts so you know what your plan covers.
Check your coverage →
Things to do together in Laredo
A team or a weekly class gives your child a steady routine outside the house. It also gives you time with other families. The library's play program is an easy place to ask a development question.
- Special Olympics Texas Area 21 runs year-round sports in the Laredo area, with Young Athletes for ages 2 to 7, training from age 6 and competition from age 8, according to its Navigate Life Texas listing. Call 512-530-9898 or email lgarza@sotx.org.
- The Laredo Public Library's Family Place program runs a five-week parent and child play workshop for children ages 1 to 3 at the main library and the McKendrick Ochoa Salinas branch, with a local expert on hand for caregiver questions, at (956) 795-2400 through its Family Place page. The program is for all families, not only autistic children.
For a first visit anywhere new, pick a short trip at a slow time of day, bring whatever helps your child settle, and plan a way to leave early if you need to.
Crisis help in Webb County
Save these numbers in your phone while things are calm. Border Region Behavioral Health Center runs the 24-hour crisis line for Webb County and a crisis stabilization unit.
| Who to Call | When to Call | How to Reach Them |
|---|---|---|
| 988 Lifeline | Any mental health crisis, day or night | Call or text 988 |
| Border Region crisis line | A mental health or IDD crisis in Webb, Zapata, Jim Hogg or Starr County | 1-800-643-1102, 24 hours a day |
| 911 | A life-threatening emergency | Call 911 |
If you call 911, tell the dispatcher that your child is autistic and what helps calm them. It also helps to keep a short note with your child's diagnosis, medicines, doctor's name and what calms them in your phone or by the door.
Support for autistic teens and adults
In Texas the ARD committee has to start planning for life after high school by age 14. Ask for work and college goals in the IEP at that meeting.
- Workforce Solutions for South Texas runs the state's job program for people with disabilities in Webb, Zapata and Jim Hogg counties. It helps with finding a job and planning for life after high school from its Laredo center at 1406 Jacaman Road, Suite A. Call (956) 794-6500 or see its disabilities page.
- Border Region's YES Waiver serves children 3 through 18 with serious mental health needs at (844) 503-6182, and its adult IDD services continue after 18. A teen on the HCS list keeps their place after 18.
- Families of teens and adults can join the Autism Society of Texas group for families of autistic adults, and Texas Parent to Parent offers its Pathways to Adulthood training in Spanish.
How Alpaca Health helps Laredo families
Alpaca Health matches Texas families with independent BCBAs. A BCBA (board certified behavior analyst) is the clinician who plans and leads your child's ABA therapy. Therapy can happen at home or by video, depending on where you live. Alpaca Health checks in-home availability for your address during the intake.
Alpaca Health checks your Texas Medicaid or private insurance before therapy starts. Your BCBA builds the plan around the skills your family cares about, such as talking or getting through a trip to the store. You can see the cities Alpaca Health serves on the Texas page, and the Texas resources guide lists the statewide programs. When you're ready to begin ABA while the school and waiver steps move forward, you can start your intake.
Every Laredo number you need in your first 90 days, in English and Spanish.
We also sent the link to your email.
Frequently asked questions about autism resources in Laredo
Who offers autism services in Laredo for children with developmental delays?
For a child under 3, CACOST's early intervention program evaluates and starts services at home. From age 3, Laredo ISD or United ISD evaluates for special education. Border Region Behavioral Health Center decides eligibility for state disability services at any age, and Texas Parent to Parent can help you plan the calls.
Where can I find early intervention for autism in Laredo?
The Community Action Corporation of South Texas runs the early intervention program for Webb and Zapata counties, and United ISD lists it as Project Niños. Its office is at 5709 Springfield Avenue, and you can refer your own child by phone without a diagnosis.
Where can I find ABA therapy for my child in Laredo?
Texas Medicaid covers ABA for members age 20 and younger with an autism diagnosis, and state-regulated insurance covers it for children diagnosed before age 10. Alpaca Health checks your Texas Medicaid or private insurance before therapy starts, and you can begin your intake today.
Are the Laredo parent groups only for young children?
The two Laredo nonprofits describe themselves as serving families of children. Families of teens and adults can join the Autism Society of Texas group for families of autistic adults. Texas Parent to Parent offers its Pathways to Adulthood training in Spanish, and Workforce Solutions for South Texas runs the state's job program.
Support for the hard days.
When you are ready for expert support, Alpaca Health matches your family with a BCBA who can help with the hardest moments, at home, in a clinic, or by telehealth.
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