Medicaid waivers for autism in Oregon
Oregonians with an intellectual or developmental disability, including autism, who meet the state's eligibility standard.
- Main program
- K Plan (Community First Choice) and ODDS waivers
- Typical wait
- No waitlist for K Plan in-home services
- Administered by
- Oregon Department of Human Services, Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS), through local Community Developmental Disabilities Programs (CDDPs)
- Phone
- 971-673-3000 (ODDS also on 503-945-5811; all relay services accepted)
How to get on the list
Call ODDS on 971-673-3000 or submit a referral form through the ODDS website, then work with your local Community Developmental Disabilities Program. Ask directly which services come through the K Plan and which through a waiver.
Open the official Oregon page →Does autism qualify?
Autism qualifies as a developmental disability. Oregon has no autism-specific program and does not need one, because the general route is not rationed the way most states' are.
How the waiting list works
Oregon is structurally different from most states and it is worth understanding why. Rather than funnelling in-home support through a capped waiver, Oregon uses the 1915(k) Community First Choice option — the K Plan — which is a state plan benefit rather than a waiver. That distinction is the whole story: state plan benefits are not capped at a fixed number of slots, so in-home services go to every child who meets the eligibility standard, with no waiting list. Oregon's reported waiting lists are for other things and are strikingly small on the developmental disability side. Residential and some specialized supports can still involve waits. So the practical advice inverts here as it does in Wisconsin: do not rush to apply years early in order to bank a place, because there is no place to bank. Focus on establishing eligibility, and ask specifically whether what you need falls under the K Plan or under a waiver, because only the second has a queue.
What it can pay for
- In-home support services
- Attendant care
- Respite
- Behaviour supports
- Employment services
- Community living supports
- Assistive devices and home modifications
Other programs worth knowing
Children's Extraordinary Needs Program
A separate ODDS program for children with the most intensive needs. Ask about it if in-home K Plan hours are not enough.
Oregonproviders & 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
- Oregon ODHS — Medicaid waivers and K Plan for I/DD services
- Oregon ODHS — Children's Extraordinary Needs Program
- Oregon ODHS — Office of Developmental Disabilities Services
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.