You can start getting help for your autistic child in Arlington 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 your street address decides which school district evaluates your child. Join the waiting lists first, while you set up the evaluation and the school request.
Key Takeaways
- A baby or toddler starts with the county's early intervention program, and a child of preschool age or older starts with a written request to the Arlington or Mansfield school district.
- The Medicaid waivers have long waiting lists, and the county's disability office holds two of them while a state phone line holds the other three.
- The free Arlington 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 Arlington number you need in your first 90 days, in one place.
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 Tarrant County it is run by MHMR of Tarrant County under the name ECI of North Central Texas, and your child does not need a diagnosis to be evaluated. Families pay a fee on a state sliding scale, and the program bills insurance only with your permission, according to the ECI page.
- ECI of North Central Texas serves children from birth to 36 months in Tarrant and 11 nearby counties, and you can refer your own child at 817-446-8000 or 1-800-754-0524.
- Help Me Grow North Texas is a phone line that connects families of children from birth to 5 to local services, at 844-689-5437, and Help Me Thrive does the same for ages 6 to 17 at 844-689-8336, according to MHMR's child and family services page. Call one of these when you don't know which door to start with.
- 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. Call 866-896-6001 or start on the Texas Parent to Parent site.
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, so 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. For an older child, the teen screener is a first check. Bring the result to your pediatrician and ask about a full evaluation.
- Cook Children's Child Study Center in Fort Worth evaluates and diagnoses autism and other developmental disabilities with developmental pediatricians and psychologists. Families talk to their pediatrician first and send an application before scheduling, and the center's page lists 682-303-9200.
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. Bring those notes with any school or therapy reports. Keep the diagnosis report in one folder afterward, since health plans and grant programs ask for proof. If you'll pay for an evaluation yourself, the diagnosis cost guide shows what's typical.
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 and advocacy groups
Other parents can tell you which form to fill out first and what to ask at each meeting. Some of these groups can also step in when a school or health plan says no.
- The PACT Project, part of Partners Resource Network, gives Tarrant County parents free one-on-one help and workshops on special education rights from its office in Euless. Call 1-855-974-1368, or reach the Region 11 coordinator listed on the PACT page at 817-757-3572.
- The Autism Society of Texas runs a Dallas and Fort Worth parent group on Zoom and a free information line at 512-479-4199, extension 2, or extension 3 in Spanish, through the society's site.
- The Arc of DFW Area offers information and referral, plus training on special education, transition to adulthood and Medicaid supports, and it does not sell services. Call (903) 776-4955 or visit The Arc of DFW Area.
- MHMR's parent groups include an ADHD and Autism Parenting Support group and SibShop for brothers and sisters, listed on the same child and family services page.
A parent from Texas Parent to Parent or a support group can tell you what worked for their child and what they wish they had known. At a first meeting it's fine to listen and take notes. If the meeting time doesn't work for you, ask whether the group meets online.
School help in Arlington
Your street address decides which district evaluates your child. Most families are in Arlington ISD, and some neighborhoods belong to Mansfield ISD, so check your address before you call. Either district evaluates your child at no cost, and your child can get a school evaluation even if a doctor already gave a diagnosis. Put your request in writing so you have a dated record, and copy the principal on the email.
- Arlington ISD Child Find takes evaluation requests at (682) 867-7690 or childfind@arlingtonisd.org, and its parent resources page describes early childhood special education for ages 3 to 5 and in-home and parent training.
- Mansfield ISD runs Child Find for children from birth through 21 and special education for students who live in the district, and its special education office is at 817-299-4300.
- Region 11 is the state's education service center for 76 districts around Fort Worth, including both Arlington districts, at 817-740-3600 through the Region 11 site. SPEDTex answers special education questions by phone, email and chat at 1-855-773-3839 through SPEDTex.
- Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) gives a one-time $1,500 grant to parents of public school students in special education, according to the Texas Education Agency, 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 PACT Project can explain your options before you meet again.
Every Arlington number you need in your first 90 days, in one place.
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, and the plan's member line is where you ask what it covers.
- Cook Children's Health Plan is a STAR Kids plan for Tarrant and five nearby counties, and its STAR Kids page lists 1-800-964-2247. Aetna Better Health also serves the Tarrant area, and the state's STAR Kids chart lists the current plans.
- MHMR of Tarrant County is the local authority for intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Its IDD services office decides eligibility and puts your child on the interest lists for the HCS and Texas Home Living waivers at 817-569-4140, and it runs monthly friendship groups for adults.
- 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.
- The Children's Autism Program is a separate state program that pays for short-term ABA for children ages 3 to 15, up to 180 hours in 12 months, with a parent taking part in training, according to Texas HHS. Call 2-1-1 to find the program near you.
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, and a plan can cap ABA at $36,000 a year once a child turns 10, 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 →
Respite, weekends and sensory-friendly outings
A church in Arlington gives parents a free evening off once a month, and the city's biggest venues have published sensory supports. A team or a weekly class gives your child a steady routine outside the house.
- First United Methodist Church of Arlington holds First Fridays, a free evening of respite on the first Friday of each month during the school year for children and adults with special needs and their siblings, with one volunteer per child and nurses on site. Call (817) 274-2571 or see its special needs page.
- Miracle League DFW plays adaptive baseball at Randol Mill Park on Saturdays for six weeks each spring and fall, with a buddy for every player. Registration is $40 and scholarships are granted automatically, according to its site, and the number is (817) 733-6076.
- The Arlington Public Library's SNAP program has a quiet Kindness Room at the downtown library, a sensory storytime for ages 2 to 5 and a sensory art class for ages 5 to 10, with registration through the SNAP page or 817-459-6900.
- Globe Life Field has a quiet sensory room inside the Toyota Southwest Entrance and sensory bags with headphones and fidgets at Guest Services, according to the Rangers' disability access guide.
- Six Flags Over Texas asks guests with cognitive disabilities to register for an accessibility card before the visit and show it at Guest Services to arrange ride accommodations, according to its accessibility page.
- New Strength Adaptive Fitness in Arlington coaches strength training, gymnastics, martial arts and yoga adapted for autistic children and adults, at 682-800-3153 through its site. ACEing Autism runs adaptive tennis for autistic children at TCU in Fort Worth, with scholarships, through its Fort Worth program page.
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 Tarrant County
Save these numbers in your phone while things are calm. MHMR of Tarrant County runs the county's 24-hour crisis line and mobile crisis teams that come to children, teens and adults, according to its crisis services page.
| Who to Call | When to Call | How to Reach Them |
|---|---|---|
| 988 Lifeline | Any mental health crisis, day or night | Call or text 988 |
| MHMR ICARE Call Center | A mental health crisis in Tarrant County, with a mobile team if needed | 800-866-2465, call or text, 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, and look at the adult programs early, since several have their own waiting lists.
- Texas Workforce Solutions Vocational Rehabilitation offers job and college counseling, internships and workplace readiness training for students with disabilities ages 14 to 22, through its youth program. You apply online or through a local office.
- Handitran gives door-to-door rides within Arlington to residents with disabilities who can't travel on their own, for $3 each way after a one-time $10 application, according to the city's Handitran page. Call 817-459-5390 to apply.
- A Fair Choice runs a licensed day program in Arlington that builds life and social skills, and it provides group homes, respite and other services for people with an HCS, Texas Home Living or Community First Choice plan, through its site.
- Center for ASD in Burleson runs evening social groups for children, teens, adults and parents, plus a weekday education program for ages 7 to 17, and the groups carry a fee. Call (682) 499-6655.
MHMR's IDD office also runs monthly friendship groups for adults 18 and up, and a teen on the HCS list keeps their place after 18.
How Alpaca Health helps Arlington families
Alpaca Health matches Arlington 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 in Arlington and nearby towns, or by video anywhere in Texas.
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 local BCBAs on the Arlington ABA page and the Mansfield ABA 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 Arlington number you need in your first 90 days, in one place.
We also sent the link to your email.
Frequently asked questions about autism resources in Arlington
Where can I get an autism evaluation near Arlington?
Cook Children's Child Study Center in Fort Worth evaluates children after a pediatrician referral and an application. Alpaca Health also offers evaluations with the ADOS-2 and checks your coverage first, and for a child under 3, ECI of North Central Texas evaluates at no cost.
Which school district evaluates my child in Arlington?
Most Arlington addresses are in Arlington ISD, and some neighborhoods are in Mansfield ISD. Check your address with either district, then send a written request to Arlington ISD Child Find at (682) 867-7690 or Mansfield ISD special education at 817-299-4300.
Is there autism support for teens in Arlington?
Yes, the state's vocational rehabilitation program starts at 14, Center for ASD in Burleson runs teen social groups, Handitran gives teens with disabilities rides around Arlington, and MHMR runs friendship groups once a teen turns 18. The ARD committee has to start transition planning by age 14.
Does Texas Medicaid pay for ABA therapy in Arlington?
Yes, Texas Medicaid covers ABA for members age 20 and younger who have an autism diagnosis, and your child doesn't need a waiver slot to begin. Alpaca Health checks your Texas Medicaid or private insurance before therapy starts, and you can begin your intake today.
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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