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| Helping Our Children |
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| Funding Sources for ABA Treatment |
Regional Center
 What is Regional Center? Regional Centers are nonprofit private corporations that contract with the Department of Developmental Services to provide or coordinate services and supports for individuals with developmental disabilities. They have 21 offices throughout California to provide to help find and access the many services available to individuals and their families. They are governed under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Act which gives people with developmental disabilities in California the right to services and supports that will allow them to live a more independent and normal life. For more information on Regional Centers, click here http://www.dds.cahwnet.gov/rc/rclist.cfm
Becoming a Regional Center client First step for the family is to call the Regional Center serving their geographical area to initiate the intake process. The Regional Center will conduct its own assessment/diagnosis to determine your child's eligibility for intervention. Once found to be eligible, family is assigned a service coordinator/case manager whose job is to help family develop "person-centered IPP (Individual Program Plan)" or IFSP (if under 3, Individual Family Services Plan,), and to make sure that family gets the services they are entitled to from other agencies. The Family and the assigned case manager will sit down together to go over the IPP or IFSP. The Family can have anyone else they want to have at the meeting. This IPP/IFSP is an evolving document between the family and the regional center which spells out all of the services and support which the Regional Center will provide. The Family can ask for an IPP/IFSP meeting at anytime, as the child's needs change. Here is a partial list from the section 4512(b) of the Lanterman Act, of services and supports available to families with young children with developmental disabilities living at home (in alphabetical order):
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- Advocacy to assist in getting welfare, educational services and other governmental benefits to which the child and family may be entitled including California Children's services (CCS), In-home Supportive Services (IHSS), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medi-Cal, etc.
- Assessment/ Diagnosis/evaluation
- Behavior Modification program (including DTT/ ABA)
- Camping
- Childcare/ Day care
- Communication devices and other necessary appliances and support
- Counseling
- Daily Living Skills training
- Development and provision of a 24-hour emergency response system
- Diapers
- Homemaker services
- Infant stimulation program
- Mental health services
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Respite care for parents
- Special training for parents
- Specialized medical and dental care
- Speech therapy
- Services and supports that are necessary for families to maintain their children with developmental disabilities at home, when living at home is in the best interest of the child.
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The Pivotal Point- Age 3:
If your child is younger than 3 years old, then s/he qualifies under the Early Start Program and is entitled to receive early intervention services under Part C of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as well as Lanterman Act. It is often easier to receive services before a child turns 3. It is much easier at this point to have ABA program as a Regional Center client. At the initial IEP meeting with the local school district, If the family already has the Regional Center funding an intensive ABA program, and has data to show progress, it is easier to justify the request for continuing services by both the local school district and the Regional Center. For families desiring intensive ABA program, this is the time to have the program in place with the provider of choice at the desired intensity, before the local school district comes in the picture.
Once the child turns 3, s/he will receive services from both the school district AND the Regional Center. (Generally speaking, ASD meets the eligibility criteria from both entities.) Please note that Regional Center's responsibilities DO NOT END when the child turns 3, but rather shifts with focus on the social, daily-living skills, adaptive skills, etc. as the local school district takes over the responsibilities of child's education. (Please refer to the responsibilities of the local school districts below.)
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| For example, my child was diagnosed and found be eligible for the Regional Center services at the age of 2. His IFSP provided speech therapy (2hours a week), occupational therapy (2 hours a week), and 30-hour/week ABA program until he turned 3. Once he turned 3, the speech and occupational therapies and half of the ABA program became the responsibility of the local school district. The other half of ABA (15 hrs a week) remained responsibility of Regional Center. With ABA program, the funding for the entire program can be split between the local school district and the Regional Center after child turns 3, so the Regional Center picks up the portion of the program that focus on the social skills, community outings, self-help skills, including toilet training, etc. The school picks up the "educational" portion of the ABA program, including pre-academic skills taught in the home program as well school shadowing by trained ABA therapists. (As discussed below, health insurance also can serve as the funding source as well.) Looking back, it was such a blessing to have him in the Regional Center system with ABA program in place before the transition to the school district. |
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A couple things to remember in dealing with the Regional Centers:
- Case managers come in all different colors, shapes and form- Some are great, and others are lacking. (You can always request a new case manager if you are not satisfied.) They are your first point of contact at Regional Center, but may not be the last. I found it helpful to escalate issues to the decision maker directly when the process stalled and nothing was happening. Remember, they are NOT your child's advocate. You are.
- Be courteous and polite. Document everything.
- Never sign anything (IPP, for example) on the spot, but do take your take your time to ponder the details and go over with your spouse and/or attorney before signing any document.
- "No" is not necessarily so! If the Regional Center rejects your request for services, do not give up and think that is the end. (It ain't over until it's over!) If the Regional Center rejects your request for service, ask for such in writing which should be mailed to you along with the appeal request form. (Don't throw away the appeal form.) You can continue to explore alternatives, from informally working it out, reaching a settlement, or filing for appeal of the decision.
- The squeaky wheel gets the grease. Be persistent and continue to advocate, as you are your child's voice and only you have your child's best interest in the heart.
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