You can start getting help for your autistic child in Plano 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 two different offices hold the waiting lists. Join those lists first, while you set up the evaluation and the school request.
Key Takeaways
- A baby or toddler starts with LifePath Systems, the early intervention program for Collin County, and a child of preschool age or older starts with a written request to the school district.
- The Medicaid waivers have long waiting lists, and LifePath holds two of them while a state phone line holds the other three.
- The free Plano 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 Collin County 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 Collin County it is run by LifePath Systems. Your child does not need a diagnosis to be evaluated. Services happen at home or in child care, and families pay a sliding fee based on income, according to the LifePath ECI page.
- LifePath Systems ECI serves children from birth to 3 in Collin, Fannin, Grayson, Kaufman and Rockwall counties, and you can refer your own child at (972) 562-0331 or ECI_Referrals@lifepathsystems.org.
- 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.
- The PACT Project, part of Partners Resource Network, gives Collin County parents free one-on-one help and workshops on special education rights. It covers Education Service Center Region 10, which includes Plano ISD and the rest of the county, at 1-855-974-1368, and its Region 10 coordinators on the PACT page are 469-388-8662 and 972-358-7014 in Spanish.
When you call LifePath, 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.
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.
- The Children's Health and UT Southwestern Center for Autism Care evaluates children in Plano at 7609 Preston Road, with a team that can include psychology, speech and neurology. It takes most commercial insurance and Medicaid, and the evaluation page lists 214-456-7700.
- Cook Children's Psychology in Prosper sees children and teens from 2 to 18 with autism, ADHD and anxiety at 4200 West University Drive, and its Prosper page lists the intake line 682-885-3917. Ask whether the office does full autism evaluations before you book.
- The Warren Center in Richardson is a nonprofit that offers autism evaluations and does not provide ABA. Call (972) 490-9055 or visit the Warren Center site.
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.
Get matched with a BCBA →
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 Autism Society of Texas runs a Dallas and Fort Worth parent group on Zoom, statewide groups in English and Spanish, and a group for families of autistic adults. Its Navigating Autism line on the society's site is 512-479-4199, extension 2, or extension 3 in Spanish.
- 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.
- Prestonwood Baptist Church runs Sunday classes and a midweek Bible study for children, students and adults with special needs at its Plano campus, plus a monthly support group for parents. The Special Friends ministry number is 972-820-5468.
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 Plano and nearby districts
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.
- Plano ISD serves students with disabilities from 3 to 21, and its Child Find page has online request forms for children from birth to 5 and from 5 to 21. The district's main line is 469-752-8100, and its Parent Navigator hub has ARD meeting and transition webinars.
- Frisco ISD evaluates children from birth to 21 through Child Find, at 469.633.3838 for early childhood and 469.633.6900 for school age.
- Allen ISD takes Child Find requests at 972-727-0490 or childfind@allenisd.org through its Child Find page, and McKinney ISD takes them at (469) 302-6337 through its Child Find page.
- SPEDTex is the state's special education information center, and it answers questions by phone, email and chat at 1-855-773-3839 through SPEDTex.
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.
Two state programs help pay for school needs. Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) gives a one-time $1,500 online account to public school students with an IEP who haven't had it before, according to the PDSES page. Our PDSES guide explains the application. Texas Education Freedom Accounts pay up to $30,000 toward a private school for a child with a disability who has an IEP on file, according to the program site. The first cycle is closed, and an interest list is open.
Every Collin County 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. A child who gets SSI can get Medicaid too, according to Navigate Life Texas. Children with disabilities usually get it through a STAR Kids plan.
- Two STAR Kids plans serve the Dallas service area, which includes Collin County, according to the state's STAR Kids page and plan chart. Aetna Better Health is at 844-787-5437 and Wellpoint at 844-756-4600.
- LifePath Systems is the local authority for intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Collin County. Its IDD services office at (972) 727-9133 decides eligibility and puts your child on the interest lists for the HCS and Texas Home Living waivers, and it asks families to update the listing at least every two years.
- 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.
Once your child is on a list, write down the date you applied and the office you called. Our Texas waivers guide explains what each waiver pays for. Our Texas autism grants guide lists the grants that help with one-time costs.
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. The Arc of DFW Area's training on Medicaid supports can help you plan the next step.
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
The city's recreation department runs programs that also give parents a break. The library and a nearby museum have calm ways to visit, and a team or a weekly class gives your child a steady routine outside the house.
- Plano Parks and Recreation's Adapted Recreation offers year-round classes, youth activities, adult trips and a monthly dance club for ages 15 and up, and the city says the programs also give caregivers respite. An intake form comes first, according to the Adapted Recreation page, and the city's main line is 972-941-7000.
- Plano Public Library runs sensory-friendly programs for neurodivergent children, teens and adults, including an Adapted Storytime for ages 3 to 5 that needs registration. Email LibraryAdapted@plano.gov or see the Adapted Library page.
- The Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas lends sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones and fidget tools at the box office and has a quiet room, according to its accessibility page. The museum's number is 214.428.5555.
- Special Olympics Team Plano is a community team of about 165 athletes in five sports, with evening and weekend practices, and you don't have to live in Plano to join. Sign up through the Team Plano site.
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 Collin County
Save these numbers in your phone while things are calm. LifePath Systems runs the county's crisis line, a mobile crisis team and crisis support for families of people with IDD, 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 |
| LifePath Systems crisis line | A mental health or IDD crisis in Collin County, for adults and children, regardless of insurance | 1-877-422-5939, 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. Plano has several programs for autistic adults. Some have their own waiting lists, so it helps to visit early.
- 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 through a local office.
- Plano ISD's Charmaine Solomon Adult Transition Center prepares young adults in special education for adult life, and the district links Project SEARCH job internships from it. Call (972) 905-8803 or see the Solomon Center site.
- My Possibilities runs full-day, year-round classes in continuing education, job training and independent living on its Plano campus at 3601 Mapleshade Lane, paid by tuition or Medicaid waiver funding, for adults 18 and older with IDD, including autism. Call 469-241-9100 or visit My Possibilities.
- nonPareil is a nonprofit program for adults 18 and older on the autism spectrum, with work readiness, technology training and life skills at 5085 West Park Boulevard. Email plano@npitx.org or see the Plano location page.
- The Callier Center at UT Dallas in Richardson runs a social communication group for young adults on the spectrum, and appointments are at (972) 883-3660 through the Callier Center page.
Ask your child's school team to add work and college goals to the IEP well before graduation, and ask LifePath about supported employment when your child is on its list.
How Alpaca Health helps Plano families
Alpaca Health matches Plano 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 Plano 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 and the parts of town they serve on the Plano 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 Collin County 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 Plano
What programs are there for adults with autism in Plano?
My Possibilities runs daytime classes and job training for adults 18 and older. nonPareil offers work readiness and technology training for autistic adults, and Plano ISD's Solomon Center prepares students in special education for adult life. The state's job program starts at 14, and the Autism Society of Texas has a group for families of autistic adults.
Where can I get an autism diagnosis in Plano?
The Children's Health and UT Southwestern Center for Autism Care evaluates children at its Plano office. The Warren Center in Richardson offers evaluations, and Cook Children's has a psychology office in Prosper. Alpaca Health also offers evaluations with the ADOS-2 and checks your coverage first.
How does early intervention work in Collin County?
LifePath Systems runs Early Childhood Intervention for children from birth to 3. You can refer your own child at (972) 562-0331. The team evaluates your child, and services happen at home or in child care on a sliding fee.
How do I start ABA therapy in Plano?
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.
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.
Get matched with a BCBA →
RELATED ARTICLES
NEW TO THE TERMS?
ABA glossary for parents →The words you will hear from your child's care team, explained in plain language.