Medicaid waivers for autism in Maryland
Marylanders with a developmental disability that began before age 22 and is expected to continue indefinitely, causing substantial limitation in major life activities.
- Main program
- DDA Community Pathways Waiver
- Typical wait
- 3–10 years, but your priority category matters more than your date
- Administered by
- Maryland Department of Health, Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA), through regional offices and a Coordinator of Community Services
- Phone
- (877) 463-3464 in Maryland; (410) 767-5600 from outside
How to get on the list
Complete the DDA Application for Eligibility with supporting documentation and take part in a DDA interview. Once found eligible, a Coordinator of Community Services helps you complete the waiver application packet and submits it to the DDA regional office. The Coordinating Center can help you start: 410-987-1048 (Baltimore) or 301-621-7830 (Washington).
Open the official Maryland page →Does autism qualify?
Autism qualifies as a developmental disability. Roughly 6,200 autistic people are currently on Maryland's waiting lists, so this is a well-worn route rather than an edge case.
How the waiting list works
Maryland does not run a first-come, first-served queue. The list is sorted into need categories — Crisis Resolution (need is imminent, within six months, such as homelessness or danger), Crisis Prevention (at real risk of reaching crisis), Current Request, and Future Needs (three or more years away). Someone in Crisis Resolution who applied last month is served ahead of someone in Future Needs who applied a decade ago. The practical consequence is that the eligibility interview is the moment that decides your position, so describe your actual circumstances fully and unsentimentally — the risks, the caregiver's health, what happens if the current arrangement fails — rather than the version where you are managing. Ask which category you were assigned to and request a review if it does not match your situation.
- Autistic people on Maryland's waiting listsroughly 6,200
What it can pay for
- Behavioral supports
- Respite
- Family and individual support services
- Day habilitation and community learning
- Supported employment and employment discovery
- Community residential habilitation
- Assistive technology and adaptive equipment
- Environmental accessibility adaptations
- Transportation
Other programs worth knowing
Family Supports and Community Supports waivers
Two narrower DDA waivers alongside Community Pathways, with their own budgets and criteria. Ask your Coordinator which fits — the answer is not always the largest program.
Marylandproviders & 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
- Maryland DDA — eligibility application process
- Maryland DDA — waiver application process
- Pathfinders for Autism — understanding the DDA determination process
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.