Medicaid waivers for autism in Delaware
Delawareans found eligible for DDDS services with a diagnosis of intellectual developmental disability, autism spectrum disorder or Prader-Willi syndrome assigned during the developmental period.
- Main program
- DDDS Lifespan Waiver
- Typical wait
- No waiting list
- Administered by
- Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS)
- Age rules
- The qualifying condition must have been assigned during the developmental period. Three services added in 2026 are for people aged 12 and over.
How to get on the list
Contact the DDDS intake unit at the Department of Health and Social Services and request a Lifespan Waiver intake. Prepare documentation of functional impairment, not just the diagnosis, and check the income and resource limits before you go far.
Open the official Delaware page →Does autism qualify?
Autism spectrum disorder is named directly in the eligibility criteria, which is better than most states. But read the second half carefully: eligibility rests on substantial functional impairment, not on the diagnosis alone. A diagnosis gets you considered; documented functional impact is what gets you in. Gather evidence of what daily life actually requires — support with self-care, communication, safety, routine — rather than relying on the diagnostic report to speak for itself.
How the waiting list works
Delaware has no waiting list, which puts it in a very small group nationally. The gates are eligibility and money instead. On money, community-based long-term care applicants must have income at or below 250 percent of the SSI standard benefit rate and less than $2,000 in resources — a real constraint that families should check early rather than after months of paperwork, and one where a special needs trust or an ABLE account may be relevant to how resources are counted. On eligibility, the functional impairment standard is the substantive test. Delaware also expanded the waiver in 2026, adding Enhanced Behavioral Residential Services, Crisis Stabilization Services and Remote Supports with CMS approval on 1 July 2026, aimed at helping people aged 12 and over live more independently — worth asking about, since new services are the ones least likely to be mentioned to you.
- Waiting listnone
- Income limitat or below 250% of the SSI standard benefit rate
- Resource limitunder $2,000
What it can pay for
- Community living and residential supports
- Respite
- Day and employment services
- Behavioral supports
- Enhanced Behavioral Residential Services (added 2026)
- Crisis Stabilization Services (added 2026)
- Remote Supports (added 2026)
Other programs worth knowing
Services added July 2026
Enhanced Behavioral Residential Services, Crisis Stabilization Services and Remote Supports, for people aged 12 and over. Ask about them by name — newly added services are the least likely to be offered unprompted.
Delawareproviders & resources →
Local help you can access now, while you wait.
Waivers explained →
What to do while you're on the list, and what to ask.
Sources · last checked August 2026
Waiting lists and eligibility rules change. Always confirm current details with the agency before making decisions. If something here is out of date, tell us.