State guide

Virginia

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

Virginia overview

Virginia's Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) administers the Community Living and Family and Individual Supports (FIS) waivers. Apply through your Community Services Board (CSB) — Virginia's 40 CSBs are the local intake point for services. Virginia's adult waiver waitlists are significant; apply as soon as your child is old enough to be eligible. For early intervention, contact Virginia's Infant & Toddler Connection. The Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC) is Virginia's PTI. The University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth's RRTC are major research centers.

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

⏰ Act now — Medicaid waiver waitlist

DD Waivers — Community Living, Family & Individual Supports, Building Independence

Typical wait: By urgency, not by date — Priority 1 is served within about a year

Ask your local CSB for a DD Waiver screening and make sure the Priority Needs Checklist reflects your real situation — your priority level, not your application date, determines when a slot comes.

Virginia runs three DD waivers rather than one. Your CSB decides which fits.

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 Virginia

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

Insurance Coverage

Whether private insurance must cover autism treatment in Virginia.

Virginia requires insurance to cover autism treatment

Va. Code § 38.2-3418.17 · enacted 2011

Ages:
Any age. Virginia removed its age cap effective 1 January 2020 — before that, coverage ran only from age 2 through 10.
Limits:
$35,000 a year for ABA specifically. The cap is a floor, not a ceiling: an insurer may choose to cover more, and some do — ask yours directly rather than assuming.

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 Virginia.

DD Waivers — Community Living, Family & Individual Supports, Building Independence

Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), through 40 local Community Services Boards

Virginians with a developmental disability, including autism, who need support to live at home or in the community rather than an institution.

How autism qualifies

Autism is explicitly covered. The CSB assesses functional ability across everyday activities — bathing, mobility, communication, learning — so bring psychological evaluations plus OT, PT and speech records.

What it can pay for

  • Personal assistance and companion care
  • Respite
  • Group and individual supported employment
  • Community engagement and coaching
  • Assistive technology and environmental modifications
  • Residential supports (Community Living)

How the waiting list is ordered

Virginia assigns slots by urgency of need, not first come first served. After a screening, your CSB completes a Priority Needs Checklist and assigns Priority 1 (in crisis, needs services within a year), Priority 2 (significant unmet need) or Priority 3. Your priority level is the thing that determines when you are served — so the checklist is the document that matters, and it should be revisited whenever your circumstances change.

How to apply

Contact your local Community Services Board or Behavioral Health Authority and ask for a screening for the Developmental Disability Waiver. Bring proof of the disability — psychological evaluations, medical reports, therapy records. The CSB assesses functional ability and assigns your priority level.

Full Virginia waiver detail and sources →

Verified August 2026 against 4 official sources.

Medicaid Managed Care

How Medicaid pays for ABA therapy in Virginia.

Cardinal Care (Virginia Medicaid)

ABA covered: Under 21

Federal Medicaid rules (EPSDT) require medically necessary treatment, including ABA, for enrollees under 21 in every state. We did not find Virginia publishing its own ABA policy, so ask your plan what it covers beyond that.

Find or choose your plan

Cardinal Care Managed Care Helpline (enrollment broker)

(800) 643-2273Official page →

Plans in this state

  • Aetna Better Health of Virginia
  • Anthem HealthKeepers Plus
  • Humana Healthy Horizons of Virginia
  • Sentara Health Plans
1 more — see Virginia's full plan list →

Virginia Medicaid's managed care program is Cardinal Care, with five health plans; former Molina members were moved to Humana on July 1, 2025. ABA treatment needs service authorization from Acentra Health or from your Cardinal Care plan, though the initial assessment codes do not.

⚠️ 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.

Virginia guides

Deeper guides where the facts are genuinely specific to Virginia.

Financial help for autism in Virginia

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

Autism evaluation in Virginia

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

ABA therapy in Virginia

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

Virginia insurance mandate

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

By county

132 counties