What Is Autism Support Coordination?
A Complete Guide for Maryland Families
Navigating autism services in Maryland can feel like a second job — one nobody trained you for. This guide explains what autism support coordination is, what types are available in Maryland, and how to access them, step by step.
Key Takeaways
- Support coordination is a navigational service — someone whose job is to help you find, access, and organize your child's services.
- Maryland has several different types of support coordination available, depending on your child's age, diagnosis, and coverage.
- ABA therapy and support coordination are different services — both can work together to support your child and family.
- The Maryland Autism Waiver waitlist is significant — but families waiting can still access ABA through Medicaid EPSDT or commercial insurance.
- You don't have to figure this out alone. Maryland has nonprofit resources, and your ABA provider can be a knowledgeable guide too.
In This Guide
If you have ever felt like navigating autism services is a second job — one nobody trained you for, one that doesn't pay, and one that follows you home after a long day — you are not imagining it. In fact, you are describing the lived experience of thousands of Maryland families. This guide is for you.
Why Navigating Autism Services in Maryland Feels So Overwhelming
Consider everything a family must manage at once. First, there is ABA therapy to find, research, and schedule. Beyond that, there are insurance claims to file — and often to fight. In addition, there is an IEP to understand, attend, and advocate through. On top of all that, early intervention programs each have their own entry points, paperwork, and eligibility deadlines. Meanwhile, provider directories are full of names that may or may not have openings. And Medicaid forms, as many families discover, use language designed for policy professionals rather than parents.
Understandably, it is far too much for any family to carry alone — and it should not have to be.
That is where autism support coordination comes in — an official service, in many cases a funded one, where a person's specific role is to help your family make sense of all of this. Throughout this guide, we explain what support coordination is, what types exist in Maryland, how to access them, and how to make them work for your family.
Section 01
What Is Autism Support Coordination?
Simply put, autism support coordination — sometimes called case management or service coordination — is a service where a trained professional helps your family identify the services your child needs, connects you to the right providers and programs, helps you navigate paperwork and eligibility, and monitors your child's overall support plan over time.
Think of a support coordinator as a knowledgeable guide who understands the systems you are walking through — the medical system, the school system, the insurance system, the state Medicaid system. Crucially, their job is to walk alongside you as you navigate all of this, rather than leaving you to figure it out from behind a phone you can never quite reach.
What a Support Coordinator Actually Does
Roles vary depending on the type of coordination and the program involved. Generally speaking, however, a support coordinator in Maryland may help your family with:
- Assessing your child's needs across developmental, medical, educational, and family domains
- Developing or supporting a service plan that brings together all the supports your child receives
- Connecting you to providers — ABA therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and others
- Navigating insurance and Medicaid — explaining coverage, helping with prior authorizations, and supporting appeals when needed
- Monitoring progress over time and helping adjust the service plan as your child grows and their needs change
- Supporting transition planning — including transitions from early intervention to school-age services, and eventually to adult supports
Support coordination and ABA therapy are not the same thing — but they work beautifully together. Specifically, your ABA provider works directly with your child on skills and goals. Meanwhile, a support coordinator ensures that all of your child's services — including ABA — are in place, properly covered, and working in concert.
What Support Coordination Is Not
Just as importantly, it is worth being clear about what support coordination does not do, so that your expectations are well-placed. A support coordinator is generally not a therapist and does not directly deliver clinical services to your child. In other words, coordination is not a substitute for ABA therapy, speech-language therapy, or other specialized interventions. Instead, their role is purely organizational — making sure all the pieces fit together so that you are not carrying that burden alone.
Section 02
Types of Autism Support Coordination Available in Maryland
Maryland does not have a single, unified autism support coordination system. Instead, coordination services are woven through several different programs — and which one applies to your family depends largely on your child's age, diagnosis, insurance coverage, and where they fall in the service system. Below is a clear breakdown of each program.
The Six Programs Maryland Families Should Know
Maryland Infants & Toddlers Program (MITP)
For children birth to age 3 who have a developmental delay or disability, MITP provides a dedicated Service Coordinator as part of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) process. Importantly, this coordination is included as part of the program — it is not an add-on. Furthermore, when your child turns three, MITP actively works with your family on transitioning to school-age services.
Ages 0–3School-Based IEP Coordination
Once your child enters school-based special education, your child's IEP team serves a coordinating function within the educational system. The team — which may include special educators, related service providers, and an administrator — meets at least annually to plan your child's supports. While this coordination is education-focused, it is an important part of the overall picture, particularly for children also receiving school-based or complementary ABA therapy.
School ageMedicaid Targeted Case Management (TCM)
Targeted Case Management (TCM) is a Medicaid-funded service that helps eligible individuals access needed health and human services. In Maryland, TCM for children with autism may be available through qualified providers and is designed to support coordination across medical, behavioral, and community services. However, eligibility and availability vary — contact your Medicaid managed care organization or a TCM provider for the specifics of your situation.
Medicaid eligibleAutism Waiver Support Planning
Families enrolled in the Maryland Autism Waiver receive a Support Planner who helps develop and manage their waiver service plan. Notably, this is one of the most comprehensive forms of coordination available in Maryland. Nevertheless, the Autism Waiver carries a significant waitlist — and families waiting for enrollment can often still access ABA therapy through Medicaid EPSDT or commercial insurance in the meantime.
Autism WaiverDDA Coordination (Developmental Disabilities Administration)
Maryland's Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) provides support coordination for individuals with an intellectual disability (ID) alongside their autism diagnosis. DDA supports are significant and long-term. However, eligibility requires a documented intellectual disability — therefore, not all individuals with autism will qualify. Contact DDA directly for a formal eligibility determination.
Co-occurring IDNonprofit & Community Resources
Finally, organizations like Pathfinders for Autism and Kennedy Krieger Institute's CASSI program (Coordinating Autism Services and Supports Initiative) offer family navigation support, resource directories, and guidance. These resources are especially valuable for families who do not yet qualify for formal coordination programs or who simply need help understanding their options. Although they are not clinical coordinators, they are knowledgeable guides.
Community resourcesYou Don't Have to Figure This Out Alone
Questions About ABA Therapy in Maryland? Let's Talk.
Whether you're just starting out, navigating insurance, or wondering how ABA fits into your child's overall picture — our team is here to answer your questions with warmth and clarity. No pressure. Just support.
Interactive Tool
Find Your Starting Point
Not sure which type of support coordination might apply to your family? Use this quick tool to find the best place to start based on your child's situation. Keep in mind, however, that this is a starting point only — a conversation with a qualified professional will ultimately give you the most accurate picture.
Maryland Support Coordination Pathway Finder
Answer a few quick questions to find your best starting point.
How old is your child?
Section 03
How to Access Support Coordination in Maryland
There is not one universal door to walk through — the honest answer is that access depends on your child's age, their specific needs, your coverage, and which programs apply to your situation. That said, here is a clear step-by-step path based on where most Maryland families find themselves.
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1
Start with your child's pediatrician or developmental specialist
Your child's primary care provider is often the best first call. They can help clarify your child's diagnosis, make referrals to evaluation services, and connect you with early intervention if your child is under three. Moreover, a diagnosis or developmental concern documented by a qualified provider is typically required to access most formal coordination services — so starting here sets a strong foundation.
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2
For children under 3 — contact the Maryland Infants & Toddlers Program
If your child is under three, contact MITP as soon as possible. Importantly, you can self-refer — no doctor's referral is needed to begin the process. Once your child is enrolled and has an IFSP in place, a Service Coordinator is assigned as part of the program. To get started, reach out through your local jurisdiction's Lead Agency or visit mditp.org, which is a helpful starting point.
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3
Understand your insurance and Medicaid coverage
Maryland's HB 1055 (2012) requires commercial insurers to cover ABA therapy for children with autism. Similarly, Medicaid EPSDT covers medically necessary ABA for children under 21. Knowing what your plan covers is essential — and it is also often the biggest source of confusion for families. Fortunately, your ABA provider can help you navigate this. Additionally, you can contact your insurer's behavioral health department directly to ask specifically about autism benefit coverage and case management services.
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4
Explore the Maryland Autism Waiver — and understand the waitlist reality
The Maryland Autism Waiver provides comprehensive services including a Support Planner — however, it carries a substantial waitlist. Registering early, even before your child may need all waiver services, is therefore advisable. While waiting, your child can still access ABA therapy through Medicaid EPSDT and commercial insurance. Contact the Maryland Department of Health or your managed care organization to begin the Waiver registry process.
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5
Tap into free navigation support from Maryland nonprofits
Pathfinders for Autism offers a free resource directory and family navigation services throughout Maryland. In addition, Kennedy Krieger Institute's CASSI program is another well-regarded resource. Although these organizations do not manage a child's formal service plan, they can help you understand your options, prepare for meetings, and find providers — which is often exactly what families need when they are just starting out.
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6
Check in with your ABA provider — they can be a resource too
While your child's ABA provider is not a support coordinator, a good ABA provider will be knowledgeable about the Maryland service landscape. As a result, they can help you understand how ABA fits into the bigger picture. At The Learning Tree ABA, for example, we work alongside families — if you have questions about connecting with other services or resources, we are happy to point you in the right direction.
Section 04
Making the Most of Support Coordination
Having a support coordinator assigned to your family is a genuine resource. Like most resources, however, the families who benefit most are the ones who come prepared and know what to expect. With that in mind, here is how to set yourself up for a productive relationship.
Keep Everything in One Place
First, create a simple system — a binder, a shared digital folder, or even a dedicated notes app — where you keep your child's diagnosis documents, service plan copies, insurance explanation of benefits letters, prior authorization reference numbers, and the contact information for every provider involved in your child's care. Ultimately, your coordinator will appreciate the organization, and it will save you hours when paperwork requests come in — because they always do.
Come to Meetings with Specific Questions
Coordination meetings can move quickly and cover a lot of ground. Therefore, before each meeting, write down your top two or three questions or concerns — not a list of ten things, just the most pressing ones. Above all, be specific: rather than saying "I have questions about services," try "I want to understand the prior authorization renewal timeline for ABA so we do not have a gap in coverage." Specificity gets better answers.
Advocate Clearly and Respectfully
You know your child better than any professional in the room — trust that knowledge. If something in a service plan does not feel right for your child, say so. Similarly, if you receive a denial from insurance, know that you have the right to appeal — and Maryland law requires that appeal rights be honored. Your support coordinator should guide you through that process. If they do not, that is a signal to ask questions or seek additional guidance.
And through all of this — please take care of yourself too. Research is unambiguous that autism caregivers carry significant weight. Caregiver self-care is not a luxury — it is an essential part of your child's support system. When you are supported, you can show up more fully for them.
After all, you are your child's most important advocate. Support coordination works best when you bring your deep knowledge of your child to the table. No coordinator, however skilled, knows your child the way you do.
Understand Transition Points — They Are Critical
The moments when your child moves from one service system to another — from MITP to school-age services at age 3, from school-based services to adult supports, from pediatric ABA to adult programming — are among the most important and most underestimated moments in the coordination journey. Therefore, start planning for transitions well before they happen. Learn more about autism transition planning in Maryland and what families should know.
Wondering how ABA therapy fits into your child's overall support plan?
We're happy to walk you through it — no commitment, just an honest conversation.
Interactive Checklist
Your Support Coordination Meeting Prep Checklist
Walking into a coordination meeting feeling prepared makes a real difference — and the good news is that preparing does not have to take long. Use this checklist to get ready. Simply click each item as you complete it.
Before Your Meeting
Check off each item as you complete it. Progress saves during your visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions Families Ask About Autism Support Coordination in Maryland
These are the questions we hear most often from Maryland families. If yours is not here, please reach out — we are always happy to help point you in the right direction.
Keep Learning
Related Resources for Maryland Families
These articles were written for families navigating autism services in Maryland — we hope they're helpful wherever you are in the journey.
Always a Priority. Never a Number.
Your Family Deserves Support That Shows Up
At The Learning Tree ABA, we believe every family navigating autism deserves to feel heard, supported, and celebrated — from the very first conversation. If you have questions about ABA therapy in Maryland, your insurance coverage, or how we can support your child's growth, we'd love to talk.
Important Note
This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as legal, clinical, or insurance advice, and does not constitute a clinical recommendation. Service availability, eligibility requirements, and program details in Maryland may change. Always verify current information directly with the relevant programs, your insurance provider, or a qualified professional. The Learning Tree ABA is an ABA therapy provider, not a support coordination agency. For questions about your specific situation, please contact the programs referenced or a qualified specialist.
