State guide

Georgia

Programs, dollars, and people that serve autism families in Georgia. Federal protections always apply on top of what you see here.

Georgia overview

Georgia's Division of Developmental Disabilities within DBHDD administers the COMP (Community Opportunity and Medically Dependent Children Program) and New Options waivers. Apply through DBHDD — waitlists are long. The Georgia Parent Support Network (GPSN) and Parent to Parent of Georgia provide navigation support; GPSN also serves as part of Georgia's PTI network. The Autism Society of Georgia and Marcus Autism Center (Children's Healthcare of Atlanta) are major regional resources. Georgia has a strong network of Babies Can't Wait providers for early intervention.

Verify program names, URLs, and eligibility on official .gov sites — these change.

⏰ Act now — Medicaid waiver waitlist

New Options (NOW) and Comprehensive Supports (COMP) Waivers

Typical wait: Needs-based, not date-based — position depends on assessed need

Apply through your DBHDD regional field office. Georgia's planning list is NOT ordered by application date — keep your needs assessment current instead.

NOW supports people living independently or with family; COMP covers more intensive needs including residential.

Apply or learn more →Compare all 50 states

Statewide resources

These four programs exist in every state and are the fastest entry points for most families.

State Autism Organization

Autism Society of Georgia

State-level autism advocacy, family support, and community connection.

Insurance Coverage

Whether private insurance must cover autism treatment in Georgia.

Georgia requires insurance to cover autism treatment

O.C.G.A. 33-24-59.10 (Ava's Law) · enacted 2015

Ages:
Covers a person who is 20 years of age or under.
Limits:
A plan may not limit the number of visits, but it may cap applied behavior analysis at $35,000 a year.

Self-funded employer plans (ERISA) are typically exempt — ask your HR department which type of plan you have.

How to use it, and how to appeal a denial →

Medicaid Waiver

Home and community-based services (HCBS) for autism families in Georgia.

New Options (NOW) and Comprehensive Supports (COMP) Waivers

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD)

Georgians with an intellectual disability or a closely related developmental disability — autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy — that substantially impairs intellectual or adaptive functioning.

How autism qualifies

Autism qualifies as a closely related developmental disability. The test is substantial impairment of intellectual or adaptive functioning, so adaptive evidence matters as much as the diagnosis.

Age rules

Onset must be during the developmental years — by age 18 for intellectual disability, by age 22 for a developmental disability such as autism.

What it can pay for

  • Community living support
  • Respite
  • Supported employment
  • Behavioral supports
  • Community access
  • Residential supports (COMP)

How the waiting list is ordered

Georgia is the opposite of a first-come queue, and families routinely misunderstand this. DBHDD uses a validated needs assessment and a most-in-need questionnaire to decide who moves into waiver services — the planning list is explicitly not ordered by when you applied. Applying early still matters, because you cannot be assessed until you apply, but the thing that moves you is your assessed need. DBHDD asks families to contact their regional field office whenever circumstances change so the assessment can be updated. Most families never do this, and it is the single most useful action available to them.

How to apply

Visit or contact your DBHDD regional field office; staff will help you complete the application, which can also be faxed. Within 14 business days of receiving it they schedule a screening assessment, including a psychologist's review and possibly a face-to-face interview.

Full Georgia waiver detail and sources →

Verified August 2026 against 3 official sources.

Medicaid Managed Care

How Medicaid pays for ABA therapy in Georgia.

Georgia Medicaid (managed care program: Georgia Families; PeachCare for Kids is the CHIP program)

ABA covered: Under 21

Find or choose your plan

Georgia Families enrollment line (1-888-GA-ENROLL)

(888) 423-6765Official page →

Plans in this state

  • Amerigroup Community Care
  • CareSource
  • Peach State Health Plan
Georgia's official plan list →

Georgia Medicaid covers autism services, including Adaptive Behavior Services, for members under 21 with a documented ASD diagnosis; the provider must get prior approval for the assessment and again for treatment. Families can change plans within 90 days of their plan start date by calling 1-888-GA-ENROLL. Children in foster care or receiving adoption assistance are covered through Georgia Families 360°, run by Amerigroup.

⚠️ Prior authorization is required before starting ABA services.

Checked against 6 official sources, September 2026. Plans change when states rebid contracts, so confirm with the state.

Georgia guides

Deeper guides where the facts are genuinely specific to Georgia.

Financial help for autism in Georgia

SSI, Medicaid, the waiver and what insurers must cover — and which to apply for first.

Autism evaluation in Georgia

The two free routes, the deadlines they run against, and verified diagnostic providers.

ABA therapy in Georgia

Verified providers, what the state mandate covers, and the questions to ask.

Georgia insurance mandate

The statute, the caps, and how to complain when a plan ignores it.

By county

159 counties