Frequently Asked Questions
Finding Services (1)
Early Intervention
Waiver
HCBS stands for Home and Community Based Services.
For children five and under with autism, you may be eligible to apply for the HCBS autism waiver program. It provides services such as consultation, intensive therapy, respite care, and parent training.
It is on a waiting list system, so apply as soon as you have a diagnosis. More information on the program as well as the application form can be found at the Kansas Early Autism site.
Warning: This program is severely underfunded, and new children aren't currently being added to the program. Chances are that your child will "age out" of the program before their name comes up. It is still really important that you apply anyway and get on the waiting list. The more children are waiting for services, the clearer it is to legislators that there is a need to provide those services. It also means you'll be on the waitning list once funding resumes.
If your name comes up on the waiting list and you don't need any of the services, you are free to decline them and let the next family on the waiting list take your slot.
MR/DD Waiver
Children five and above may qualify for services through the MR/DD waiver. This is also part of the HCBS waiver program, but it is a separate waiting list from the under five autism program. Like the other program, it is severely underfunded. The waiting list may last many years. And like the other program, it is important to make sure your child is on the waiting list to indicate to legislators that this is a program worth funding.
Caveat on both waiver programs: These programs are partially income based. Only the child's income and resources are considered for initial eligibility, but the parental income is considered for a "participation fee." Make sure you understand your financial obligations for participating in the program. You are not obligated to take the waiver if it is offered to you.
CDDO
Services through Kansas SRS are administered by local organizations called CDDOs. (Community Developmental Disabilities Organization) The CDDO for Douglas and Jefferson counties is Cottonwood Inc.
The CDDOs are designed to be a "single point of entry" for the state of Kansas network of services. However, they do not handle private and charity services.
Family Grants
Family grants were available twice a year to families not receiving waiver services. At this point it looks like there is no funding for these services.
Educational Services
In Douglas County, Tiny K provides educational interventions such as speech and occupational therapy for qualifying children under the age of three. Evaluation for developmental delay is free, but they do not evaluate for autism.
The school district provides services for children over the age of three. Preschool aged children with language delays may qualify for free preschool. The three choices the school district will fund include Raintree, East Heights, and the KU Language Acquisition Preschool. Of those three schools, East Heights is the only one run entirely by the school district.
General (2)
The following are age appropriate milestones from birth – age 5. Although no two children grow at the same rate, experts agree there are typical signs of development:
By 3 Months:
• Lift head & chest while laying on stomach;
• Follow a moving object or person with eyes;
• Turn toward the sound of a human voice;
• Smile when smiled at;
• Grasp a rattle;
• Cry in different ways to tell different needs.
By 6 Months:
• Hold head up and look around;
• Reach for & grasp objects;
• Push up with hands & knees;
• Coo, giggle & make lots of sounds;
• Sit with support;
• Roll over;
• Know familiar faces.
By 9 Months:
• Sit up without much help;
• Begin to pull up and stand;
• Crawl or scoot forward;
• Put toys in container and dump out;
• Make sounds like real words (e.g. mama, dada, nana);
• Play simple games like “all gone” or “so big”.
By 12 Months:
• Stand alone for a moment;
• Crawl on hands & knees;
• Walk with one hand held;
• Respond to music with body motion;
• Say first word;
• Understand simple commands;
• Feed self with finger foods.
By 18 Months:
• Likes to pull, push, & takes things apart;
• Walk without help;
• Turn pages in a book;
• Say 8-10 words you can understand;
• Ask specifically for mother or father;
• Cling to caretaker in new situations.
By 2 Years:
• Walk, run and climb without help;
• Sometimes get angry & have temper tantrums when tired, angry or upset;
• Sing songs or say rhymes;
• Use 2-3 word sentences;
• Treat a doll or stuffed animal as though it were alive;
• Verbalize desires and feelings.
By 3 Years:
• Use the toilet with some help;
• Kick a ball forward and pedal a tricycle;
• Look through a book alone;
• Remember what happened yesterday;
• Count 2 to 3 objects;
• Match circles and squares;
• Know first & last name.
By 4 Years:
• Hold a pencil & try to write name;
• Buckle, button, & lace with help;
• Identify situations that would lead to happiness, sadness, or anger;
• Sort by shape or color;
• Want explanations of “why” & “how”;
• Catch a bouncing ball;
• Use the toilet alone.
By 5 Years:
• Draw simple figures of things;
• Dress & undress him/her self (although you may need to supervise);
• Know the sequence of reading a book, from left to right and top to bottom;
• Invent make-believe games with simple rules;
• Copy name in large irregular letters;
• Protect younger children.
If you are concerned about your child’s development consider arranging a screening.
Signs of Autism:
• Difficulty in expressing needs; gestures or points instead of speaking;
• Not responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf;
• Little or no eye contact;
• Prefers to be alone; difficulty mixing with others;
• Not wanting to cuddle or be cuddled;
• Repeats words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language;
• Persistent “odd” or repetitive play including lining up toys or spinning objects;
• Obsessive attachment to objects;
• Resists changes in routine; an insistence on sameness;
• Laughs/cries/shows distress/tantrums for no clear reason;
• Unresponsive to normal teaching methods;
• Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain;
• No real fear of danger;
• Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity;
• Uneven gross/fine motor skills (may not kick a ball but can stack blocks).
Time-Related Red Flags:
• Does not babble or coo by 12 months;
• Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months;
• Does not say single words by 16 months;
• Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months;
• Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age.
Please note: individuals with autism may exhibit many but not all of the above symptoms. Also, this list is not a substitute for a full-scale diagnostic assessment.
If you are concerned about your child’s development consider arranging a screening.
The following are age appropriate milestones from birth – age 5. Although no two children grow at the same rate, experts agree there are typical signs of development:
By 3 Months:
• Lift head & chest while laying on stomach;
• Follow a moving object or person with eyes;
• Turn toward the sound of a human voice;
• Smile when smiled at;
• Grasp a rattle;
• Cry in different ways to tell different needs.
By 6 Months:
• Hold head up and look around;
• Reach for & grasp objects;
• Push up with hands & knees;
• Coo, giggle & make lots of sounds;
• Sit with support;
• Roll over;
• Know familiar faces.
By 9 Months:
• Sit up without much help;
• Begin to pull up and stand;
• Crawl or scoot forward;
• Put toys in container and dump out;
• Make sounds like real words (e.g. mama, dada, nana);
• Play simple games like “all gone” or “so big”.
By 12 Months:
• Stand alone for a moment;
• Crawl on hands & knees;
• Walk with one hand held;
• Respond to music with body motion;
• Say first word;
• Understand simple commands;
• Feed self with finger foods.
By 18 Months:
• Likes to pull, push, & takes things apart;
• Walk without help;
• Turn pages in a book;
• Say 8-10 words you can understand;
• Ask specifically for mother or father;
• Cling to caretaker in new situations.
By 2 Years:
• Walk, run and climb without help;
• Sometimes get angry & have temper tantrums when tired, angry or upset;
• Sing songs or say rhymes;
• Use 2-3 word sentences;
• Treat a doll or stuffed animal as though it were alive;
• Verbalize desires and feelings.
By 3 Years:
• Use the toilet with some help;
• Kick a ball forward and pedal a tricycle;
• Look through a book alone;
• Remember what happened yesterday;
• Count 2 to 3 objects;
• Match circles and squares;
• Know first & last name.
By 4 Years:
• Hold a pencil & try to write name;
• Buckle, button, & lace with help;
• Identify situations that would lead to happiness, sadness, or anger;
• Sort by shape or color;
• Want explanations of “why” & “how”;
• Catch a bouncing ball;
• Use the toilet alone.
By 5 Years:
• Draw simple figures of things;
• Dress & undress him/her self (although you may need to supervise);
• Know the sequence of reading a book, from left to right and top to bottom;
• Invent make-believe games with simple rules;
• Copy name in large irregular letters;
• Protect younger children.
If you are concerned about your child’s development consider arranging a screening.
Signs of Autism:
• Difficulty in expressing needs; gestures or points instead of speaking;
• Not responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf;
• Little or no eye contact;
• Prefers to be alone; difficulty mixing with others;
• Not wanting to cuddle or be cuddled;
• Repeats words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language;
• Persistent “odd” or repetitive play including lining up toys or spinning objects;
• Obsessive attachment to objects;
• Resists changes in routine; an insistence on sameness;
• Laughs/cries/shows distress/tantrums for no clear reason;
• Unresponsive to normal teaching methods;
• Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain;
• No real fear of danger;
• Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity;
• Uneven gross/fine motor skills (may not kick a ball but can stack blocks).
Time-Related Red Flags:
• Does not babble or coo by 12 months;
• Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months;
• Does not say single words by 16 months;
• Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months;
• Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age.
Please note: individuals with autism may exhibit many but not all of the above symptoms. Also, this list is not a substitute for a full-scale diagnostic assessment.
If you are concerned about your child’s development consider arranging a screening.
