At the event, representatives from local intellectual and developmental disabilities, or IDD, authorities, including the Texana Center, encouraged families to connect with the organizations to learn about waitlists that can span over a decade. They emphasized that enrolling early is the only way to secure access to these resources during adulthood.
“None of us know what our child will need 10 [years], 15 [years or] 20 years from now,” said Karri Axtell, program director at nonprofit The Arc of Fort Bend County. “That’s why it’s so important to sign up as early as possible.”
Who’s eligible
In Texas, families can add a child or adult with a disability to Medicaid waiver interest lists at any age—there is no minimum or maximum age requirement, according to The Arc of Texas website.
To get on a Texas Medicaid waiver, parents should contact their local IDD authorities—the Texana Center for Fort Bend County residents and The Harris Center for Harris County residents—and ask to be added to all applicable waiver interest lists as early as possible, Axtell said.
Most waivers base eligibility on a parent’s income until the child turns 18 years old, when eligibility is then determined by the individual’s disability and their own income, said Katy-based lawyer Boyd Handley, who specializes in estate planning and guardianship.
Axtell said it’s essential to keep contact information updated and respond to annual communications from the local IDD authority to maintain a spot on the list for future access to long-term services.
About the programs
Medicaid waiver programs fund a range of services—such as residential support, therapy and job assistance—that help individuals live in their homes and communities rather than in assisted living centers, Texana Center representative Beth Duncan said.
Duncan said some waivers pay for therapies and job training, while others provide caregiver support or even 24-hour residential care. However, the wait to receive services can take years—often over a decade.
Duncan said Texas offers the following six waivers to support adults with IDDs:
- Home and community-based services,which supports individuals living with family or in small group homes of four people or fewer
- Texas home living, which helps those living in their own homes or with family
- Community living assistance and support services, which connects individuals to agencies that promote independence
- The medically dependent children program, which serves medically fragile individuals age 20 and younger
- Star Plus, which provides services to adults age 65 and older
- Deaf-blind with multiple disabilities, which supports individuals who have deaf-blindness and additional disabilities
During the resource fair portion of the FBISD event, organizations from around Fort Bend County informed parents of available resources including:
- Vocational programs offered through the Texana Center, Texas Workforce Commission, Workforce Solutions and The HEART Program
- Education through Houston Community College’s VAST Academy in Stafford
- Health care with Molina Healthcare and Youth Advocate Programs Inc.
- Recreation opportunities with Special Olympics Texas, Special Strong West Houston and Best Buddies International
- Transportation options through Fort Bend Transit
- Legal guidance with Brazos Bend Guardian Services, The Handley Law Office PLLC and Southwest Americans with Disabilities Act Center
While Medicaid waivers and support services provide a safety net, Axtell reminded families that fostering independence, while also understanding when protective decision-making is needed, is central to having a “partnership” that help individuals with IDD thrive in adulthood.
“I encourage you to think very carefully about how you can help your child learn to make choices,” Axtell said. “But also be ready... for the bad choices, because unfortunately, that is part of transitioning. It’s part of being an adult.”
