State guide

Indiana

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

Indiana overview

Indiana's Bureau of Developmental Disability Services (BDDS) administers Medicaid waiver services — apply through your local BDDS office and get on the waiver list immediately. Early intervention (ages 0–3) is through First Steps. The Indiana Resource Center for Autism at Indiana University is one of the country's leading autism-specific resource centers, offering free consultation and training to families statewide. IN*SOURCE is Indiana's PTI center. The Autism Society of Indiana provides community connection and family support.

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

⏰ Act now — Medicaid waiver waitlist

Family Supports Waiver (FSW) and Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver (CIH)

Typical wait: Years for FSW; CIH is crisis-entry only

Apply at your local BDDS district office using State Form 55068, and ask to be considered for both FSW and CIH. Indiana publishes an online dashboard where you can check your own place in the queue.

Indiana capped enrollment in 2025–26. Confirm current capacity with your BDDS district office before assuming a timeline.

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.

Parent Training & Information (PTI)

IN*SOURCE

(800) 332-4433

Federally funded — free help with IEPs, evaluations, and special ed rights.

Early Intervention (Birth to 3)

Indiana First Steps (FSSA)

(800) 441-7837

Part C IDEA services for children under 3. Apply immediately after diagnosis.

Insurance Coverage

Whether private insurance must cover autism treatment in Indiana.

Indiana requires insurance to cover autism treatment

Ind. Code 27-8-14.2 · enacted 2001

Ages:
The statute sets no age limit, which is unusual for a mandate this old.
Limits:
None in the statute. Indiana also bars limiting ABA to a set number of calendar days — it must be available year-round, which blocks the common tactic of approving therapy only during the school 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 Indiana.

Family Supports Waiver (FSW) and Community Integration and Habilitation Waiver (CIH)

Family and Social Services Administration, Bureau of Developmental Disabilities Services (BDDS), through eight district offices

Indiana residents with a developmental disability, including autism, who meet the level-of-care criteria for an intermediate care facility.

How autism qualifies

Autism qualifies as a developmental disability for both waivers. There is no autism-specific waiver — the same two programs serve everyone with a qualifying developmental disability.

What it can pay for

  • Behavioral support services
  • Respite
  • Participant assistance and care
  • Adult day services and supported employment
  • Environmental modifications
  • Specialized medical equipment
  • Residential habilitation (CIH only)

How the waiting list is ordered

Indiana runs two waivers that work very differently, and the difference matters more than the wait. The Family Supports Waiver is capped at roughly $17,300 of services a year and uses a conventional queue. The CIH waiver is uncapped and comprehensive — and it no longer has a waiting list at all, because entry is now by emergency criteria only: loss of the primary caregiver, a caregiver aged 80 or over, extraordinary health and safety risk, or evidence of abuse or neglect. "No waiting list" sounds like good news here and is not. It means there is no queue to join and no way to accrue seniority; a family that is coping receives nothing until they are in crisis. The common route is to take FSW first and apply for CIH when circumstances change. Separately, Indiana froze movement onto both waivers, telling families invited to begin the process that there would be no capacity to move them forward until 1 July 2026 — confirm with your district office whether that has actually lifted.

How to apply

Contact your local BDDS district office and request applications for both the Family Supports and CIH waivers. Complete State Form 55068 and return it by fax, post or in person. Then check your placement on FSSA's online HCBS waitlist dashboard rather than waiting to be told.

Full Indiana waiver detail and sources →

Verified August 2026 against 4 official sources.

Medicaid Managed Care

How Medicaid pays for ABA therapy in Indiana.

Indiana Medicaid (Hoosier Healthwise, Healthy Indiana Plan, Hoosier Care Connect)

ABA covered: Under 21 (20 years of age and younger)

Find or choose your plan

Hoosier Healthwise helpline

(800) 889-9949Official page →

Plans in this state

  • Anthem
  • CareSource
  • Managed Health Services
  • UnitedHealthcare
Indiana's official plan list →

Indiana Medicaid covers medically necessary ABA for autism for members 20 years of age and younger, and all ABA therapy services require prior authorization. Hoosier Healthwise (children) offers Anthem, CareSource and Managed Health Services; Hoosier Care Connect offers Anthem, Managed Health Services and UnitedHealthcare. You can change plans in your first 90 days with a new plan or during your annual open enrollment.

⚠️ Prior authorization is required before starting ABA services.

Checked against 2 official sources, September 2026. Plans change when states rebid contracts, so confirm with the state.

Indiana guides

Deeper guides where the facts are genuinely specific to Indiana.

Financial help for autism in Indiana

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

Autism evaluation in Indiana

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

ABA therapy in Indiana

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

Indiana insurance mandate

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

Legal & advocacy

  • Disability Rights Indiana

By county

92 counties