Medicaid waivers for autism in Oklahoma
Oklahomans aged three and over with a primary diagnosis of intellectual disability, who meet ICF/IID institutional level of care. People served may also have autism or other developmental disabilities alongside it.
- Main program
- Consolidated, Community Living, PFDS and Adult Autism Waivers
- Typical wait
- 7+ years, with over 11,000 waiting — but the state is actively clearing it
- Administered by
- Oklahoma Department of Human Services, Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS), with intake handled by Liberty of Oklahoma
- Phone
- 405-500-1866
- Age rules
- Services are for ages three and up. The Adult Autism Waiver is, as the name says, for adults.
How to get on the list
Contact the intake specialists at DDSintake@libertyhealth.com or on 405-500-1866 to request an application. Completed applications go back by email, or by post to Liberty of Oklahoma, PO Box 2335, Edmond, OK 73083. Then check the DDS waiting list dashboard for your position.
Open the official Oklahoma page →Does autism qualify?
Read this carefully, because it is the trap. DDS serves people whose primary diagnosis is intellectual disability, and autism is treated as something a person may have in addition. An autistic person without an intellectual disability may not meet the standard route's criteria at all. Oklahoma does operate an Adult Autism Waiver, which is one of the few genuinely autism-specific waivers still running anywhere — ask about it by name, because it is small and you are unlikely to be offered it unprompted.
How the waiting list works
Oklahoma has one of the largest backlogs in the country — reported at 11,624 people with waits of seven years or more. What makes it worth watching rather than simply despairing is that the state has publicly committed to becoming a no-wait state and is working through the queue in cohorts, holding regional family meetings in spring 2026 for people who applied between January and June 2025. Two practical consequences. First, Oklahoma publishes a waiting list dashboard, so you can check your own position instead of waiting for a letter — use it. Second, because they are processing by application cohort, your application date genuinely determines which meeting you are invited to, which makes this a first-come state in practice even while the policy is changing around it. Apply now.
- People waiting11,624
- Reported wait7+ years
- State intentionto become a no-wait state
What it can pay for
- Habilitation training specialist services
- Respite
- Employment and day services
- Behavioral services
- Speech, occupational and physical therapy
- Architectural modifications and specialized equipment
Other programs worth knowing
Adult Autism Waiver
A rare surviving autism-specific waiver. Small, and easily missed — name it explicitly when you call rather than waiting to be told it exists.
DDS waiting list dashboard
Oklahoma publishes its waiting list position data publicly. Very few states do. Check it rather than relying on being contacted.
Oklahomaproviders & 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
- Oklahoma DDS — waiting list dashboard
- Oklahoma DDS — apply for services
- Oklahoma Health Care Authority — DDSD HCBS waiver
- Oklahoma Policy Institute — DDSD waivers and wait list
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.