Connecting for Kids - How To: Thriving on the Waitlist

How to thrive on the waitlist

With autism diagnoses on the rise, many providers have waiting lists for diagnosis and services. This guide explores some of the things you can do to support your child while you’re waiting.

Step 1: Check with your Primary Care Provider

Even if your child's primary care provider (PCP) can't diagnose/treat autism, there are ways they can help. Learn more.

Step 2: Apply for Early Intervention (0-3)

Early intervention (EI) offers a variety of free services to support children under three. Learn how to get started.

Step 3: Contact your school district (3-22)

Even if your child does not have a medical diagnosis, they may still be eligible for special education services. Learn more.

Step 4: Try Early Childhood Mental Health (0-6)

Families whose children have challenging behavior may help with solutions for home, preschool or daycare. Learn more.

Step 5: Join Multiple Waitlists

Many families aren't aware of private practices who take insurance and can support their children. Learn how to find them.

Step 6: Look into private pay providers

Private pay providers can sometimes have shorter waiting lists. Learn how to find these providers.

Step 7: Try Inclusive Activities

Inclusive activities offer ways to learn and practice new skills and are sometime free or a fraction of the cost of therapies. Learn more.

Step 8: Get Support for You

Waiting for a diagnosis or therapy can be hard - find ways to build your village and keep yourself supported while you wait.

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Primary Care Provider (PCP)

Primary care providers (PCPs) are your family’s first stop with any concern about your child, but they may not have the expertise to evaluate and treat autism. Even if they can’t, there are some things a PCP can help you do:

Treat medical concerns. Many autistic children have co-occurring medical concerns, like gastrointestinal (GI) issues or food avoidance. Your child’s PCP can help diagnose and treat these problems or connect you with specialists.

Look at other diagnoses. Some diagnoses, like developmental delay, can get your child access to therapies while you wait for a full evaluation.

Suggest other providers. PCPs may know of other professionals who have shorter waiting lists.

Good to Know

If you're new to the diagnosis process, our guide to getting started with a concern about your child can help.

Our Autism Resource Guide also offers strategies families use to support a child with autism.

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Early Intervention (ages 0-3)

Early intervention (EI) is a free service for families with children with delays or disabilities (ages of 0-3). While EI can’t diagnose your child, they can offer free services like:

Home Visits
Playgroups
Parent Training
In-Home Therapies

EI varies from county to county, and your county may have different services available. To get started with early intervention, complete the online referral on Ohio’s Help Me Grow website.

Good to Know

Depending on where you live, you may hear EI called different things. In Northeast Ohio, it is also called Help Me Grow or Bright Beginnings.

Despite hearing different names, all counties use the same statewide intake system.

Refer Your Own Child to EI

If your child is under the age of three, you can refer them to EI yourself. You do not need a doctor or teacher to do this.

To create a referral:

Visit the Ohio Help Me Grow website
Click Complete the Online Referral Form.

If you need help filling out the form, Ask Us!

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School (ages 3-22)

Children between the ages of 3-22 may be eligible for special education services, even if they haven’t been diagnosed by a medical professional. Special education services can include:

Free special education preschool or kindergarten classes
Modified teaching with licensed intervention specialists
Therapies, including occupational, physical and speech
Access to assistive technology

To learn how you can get started, check out step one in our special education guide.

Good to Know

Your child does not need to medical diagnosis to receive special education services. The school will complete their own evaluation and use that information instead.

For more on the differences between a medical diagnosis and school identification, see this article from Understood.

Asking for An Evaluation

The first step in getting started with school is asking for an evaluation. If you're not sure who to ask or how to do that, Ask Us!

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Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Services (ages 0-6)

Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) services give parents and children tools to manage emotions and have positive relationships. IECMH happens where the parent and child are, including in the home, at preschools, at daycares or in the community.

IECMH can be helpful when there are behavior problems at home or at school – or when a family is faced with being “kicked out” of a daycare.

To get started with IECMH, visit the referral page and click the blue LAUNCH button. This opens a list of IECMH providers by county.

Good to Know

Our Behavior Resource Guide has ideas to help with challenging behavior. The guide also has FAQs with more tips for dealing with challenging behavior at childcare or preschool.

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Multiple Waitlists

One strategy that many families use is to place their child on more than one waiting list. This helps increase the chances that a child can be seen sooner.

To see if there are more providers in your area, use our provider directory – or visit the Ask Us section of the site to schedule a call or quick request. During your Ask Us, a member of our Family Resource Specialist (FRS) Team will learn more about what you need and give you a tailored list of providers to try.

Good to Know

Many families try providers with major hospital systems first. This can work well when insurance is limited or you need a specialist.

If you have a little more flexibility, there are many private providers who take insurance.

To get help finding the right fit for you, Ask Us!

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Private Pay Providers

Private pay providers don’t take insurance. This means they can sometimes have shorter waiting lists. If funding is flexible or the need is urgent, this can help you get to diagnosis or treatment faster.

You can find private pay providers in our provider directory or Ask Us for help.

Good to Know

Some private pay providers will give you a superbill that you can submit for insurance reimbursement. We can help you find out which ones - just Ask Us!

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Inclusive Activities

Inclusive activities like playgroups, library programs or sports are great ways to learn new skills and meet other families in the community. Connecting for Kids offers free inclusive playgroups, led by an Early Childhood Specialist, where you can ask questions and get support. We also have free Music Therapy & More programs where you can learn musical tools to improve behavior, communication, motor skills and more.

To find more inclusive activities in our area, search the provider directory or Ask Us for help.

Places to Find Free/Low Cost Inclusive Activities

Connecting for Kids
Your local library
Community Rec Departments
Inclusive Sports Programs

For activities near you, Ask Us!

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Support for You

Waiting for a diagnosis or to start therapy when you’re concerned about your child can be hard. At Connecting for Kids, we welcome ALL families – whether your child has a diagnosis or not. You can join us for a free Share & Support Group to get support from other parents who get it or participate in a speaker program or workshop to learn new tools. We also have an active community on Facebook with different groups to meet your needs.

You can check out our latest programs or contact us to learn more.

Good to Know

Connecting for Kids welcomes all families - even if your child is on a waiting list for a diagnosis.

CFK is free and our adult programs include free childcare, supervised by experienced professionals.

Website supported by a grant from Parker.

Call, text or email:

Phone: 1-440-570-5908
Email: info@connectingforkids.org

Post Office Box:

30628 Detroit Rd. #252
Westlake, Ohio 44145