What is the Massachusetts Autism Waiver Program?

Autism Waiver Program:
The Office of Medicaid and the Department of Mental Retardation's Autism Division have received approval from the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement an autism services program and receive federal matching funds for Medicaid eligible children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.  This three year model program is called the Children's Autism Spectrum Disorders Home and Community-Based Services Waiver Program.  Waiver services are supplemental to special education services provided under IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.)

Program Highlights:
This Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waiver Program is a Medicaid program designed to provide services to help children with autism to remain in their homes and actively participate in their families and in their communities.  This Waiver Program is designed to provide one-to-one behavioral, social and communication based interventions through a service called Expanded Habilitation, Education.  The waiver will also provide related support services such as community integration activities and respite.  The waiver will serve up to 80 children under the age of 9, with an autism spectrum disorder, who meet the eligibility criteria for the Waiver Program.

Families, agencies, and individual providers can access information by downloading the  forms below.  Please contact Community Resources for People with Autism (413/529-2428) if you have any questions or concerns.

For Families:

Autism Waiver--Update 12/2007 (English)

Actualidades del Programa de Exención de Autismo: Diciembre de 2007

Autism Waiver Forms:
(The Request Form and Family Notice documents below have been formatted into multiple languages.  Simply click the link that applies to download your form.)

- Autism Waiver Program Application for Children (Autism Waiver Program Eligibility Request Form (PDF)

     English
     Chinese
     Creole
     Khmer
     Portuguese
     Russian
     Spanish
     Vietnamese

- Autism Waiver Program Family Notice (PDF)

     English
     Chinese
     Creole
     Khmer
     Portuguese
     Russian
     Spanish
     Vietnamese

For Individual and Agency Providers:

Background: The Autism Division of the Department of Mental Retardation runs a program that serves young children (under age 9) diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. The focus of this program, called The Autism Spectrum Disorder Home and Community Based Services Waiver Program, is to provide services that address the key issues of autism, including social, behavioral and communication deficits. This program is not intended to supplant the services children receive in their local school through IDEA; rather they are meant to work in tandem to help the child remain an integral part of their home and community.

Need for Providers: Families involved in this program are able to choose which qualified providers they want to provide services to their child. The major service in this program provides one-to-one interventions such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Floor Time and Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) as identified in a personalized Habilitation Intervention Plan. Other services include Community Integration Activities, Adaptive Living Skills, Family Training and Respite.  The Autism Division currently has a Master Provider List for the Autism Waiver Program and we want to expand our base of providers to ensure that families have a choice of providers; especially for the one-to-one in-home interventions staff that includes: Senior Therapists, Therapists and Direct Support Staff.

Where to Get Additional Information: Provider forms can be downloaded by clicking on the links (below) or by visiting the DMR web-site at www.mass.gov/dmr under ‘Autism Spectrum Services’.  For additional information, please contact Community Resources for People with Autism at (413) 529- 2428.

Service Providers Needed for Autism Waiver Program for Children

Information on How to Qualify as an Autism Provider for the Autism Waiver Program

Individual Provider Application

Agency Provider Application

Autism Waiver Provider Rates