Eligibility is not funding
A formal DDA eligibility decision is separate from priority, waiver enrollment, service authorization, provider capacity, and actual service receipt.
SRC-MD-001 current · checked 2026-07-22A parent-first guide to Maryland adult services
Know the next move—even when the system is complicated.
Answer three short questions. You’ll get a source-backed action plan, the proof to save, the office that owns the step, and what to do if progress stalls.
No accountNo personal information savedOfficial sources firstNot an eligibility decision
Human help at any point
You do not have to know which agency to call first
DDA Regional Office
Use your county to find the office responsible for DDA eligibility and case-specific questions.
Find the official regional officeCurrent policy context
What is current—and what is only proposed
Community Pathways Amendment 4
DDA submitted Amendment 4 to CMS on July 1, 2026. DDA says current provider rates and self-directed wage levels remain at June 30, 2026 levels until CMS approval.
SRC-MD-004 submitted · checked 2026-07-22Correction and maintenance policy
How errors and stale guidance are handled
Report a possible error
Any reader, family member, autistic adult, advocate, agency, or provider may report one. Include the page URL, the statement believed wrong, an official replacement source if available, and why it could change an action.
Email corrections@beyondchildhood.org. Do not include protected health information or other sensitive personal information.
Urgent corrections and rechecks
Safety, appeal-right, eligibility-gate, rate-status, regional-contact, and provider-capacity errors are withheld or corrected before routine updates. High-volatility sources are checked monthly, medium quarterly, and low annually, plus after official change notices.
Near-due guidance warns. Expired required guidance is withheld until reverified.
Browse without the questionnaire
All six starting situations
JNY-MD-01
Approaching school exit; DDA application not started
School entitlement can end before adult eligibility, funding, and provider capacity are in place.
JNY-MD-02
DDA eligible; Future Needs Registry or Waiting List
Eligibility does not establish waiver funding or a service start.
JNY-MD-03
Waiver offered; Medicaid and level-of-care steps underway
An offer begins a second eligibility and enrollment process; it is not enrollment.
JNY-MD-04
Enrolled; choosing provider-managed or self-directed services
Model choice changes who recruits, supervises, schedules, and pays workers—but neither model guarantees capacity.
JNY-MD-05
Autism needs are clear; DDA eligibility is uncertain or denied
Autism diagnosis and functional need do not automatically establish Maryland DDA eligibility.
JNY-MD-06
Urgent need, service breakdown, or crisis
Immediate safety and system-priority escalation are related but not identical processes.
Accountability and public-use policies
Who this is for, how it is maintained, and what it does not do
Beyond Childhood is a parent-led public resource for autistic adults and families navigating adult-service systems. Maryland is the first state navigator. The source register shows when each underlying source was last checked.
About and publisher
Public identity: Beyond Childhood.
Accountable publisher, copyright holder, editorial owner, and release/withdrawal authority: Doug Souza.
Relationship to CCA: CCA is not the publisher or copyright owner. This public family navigator is editorially and evidentially separate from private CCA market analysis. Provider inclusion is not a CCA referral, endorsement, or business-development signal.
Educational-use disclaimer
This resource provides general educational information. It does not provide legal, medical, clinical, financial, benefits, eligibility, funding, emergency, or case-specific advice and does not make agency decisions. Verify notices and current agency instructions for the person’s circumstances.
If there is immediate danger, call 911. For mental-health or suicide crisis support, call or text 988.
Privacy
This static site has no accounts, submission forms, analytics, advertising, cookies, or tracking scripts. Questionnaire answers are processed only in your browser and are not transmitted or saved by this site.
Cloudflare provides hosting, security, DNS, and email forwarding. Like other web infrastructure providers, it may process routine request data such as IP address, requested URL, timestamp, and browser information to deliver and protect the site. Email sent to a role address is forwarded to the publisher’s mailbox and is not anonymous. Do not send protected health information or other sensitive personal information.
Provider inclusion basis
A provider may appear only when an identified official or otherwise documented source supports the listing and the relevant service context. A listing means only that the source was verified on the stated date.
- Accepting inquiries: unknown unless separately verified.
- Current capacity or wait time: unknown unless separately verified.
- Quality, outcomes, and family fit: not evaluated.
- Payment, rate, and authorization applicability: must be verified for the individual case.
Providers may request a factual correction, but cannot purchase placement or ranking.
Corrections
Email corrections@beyondchildhood.org. Doug Souza is the primary owner and Rachel Souza is the backup owner.
Target response: acknowledge safety, eligibility, appeal-right, rate-status, or contact-route reports within 2 business days; triage other factual reports within 5 business days. High-risk guidance is withheld when it cannot be promptly verified.
Accessibility
The site is designed for keyboard use, clear headings, visible focus, reflow, reduced motion, and assistive-technology compatibility. Automated checks support, but do not certify, accessibility.
Report access barriers to accessibility@beyondchildhood.org. Urgent access barriers receive the same 2-business-day acknowledgment target.
Sources and freshness
Official operational sources control. Submitted or historical material may explain context but cannot override current instructions.
- High volatility: current through day 30; warn days 31–45; withhold after day 45.
- Medium volatility: current through day 90; warn days 91–120; withhold after day 120.
- Low volatility: current through day 365; warn days 366–455; withhold after day 455.
Material official change notices trigger an out-of-cycle review.
Maintenance ownership
Accountable/editorial owner: Doug Souza. Backup owner: Rachel Souza.
Technical maintenance: Codex-assisted under the accountable owner’s approval and evidence rules.
Release and withdrawal authority: Doug Souza, with Rachel Souza as backup. A prebuilt withdrawal deployment and immutable production versions support rapid rollback.
The Beyond Childhood name review was a practical preliminary screen, not a legal opinion or formal trademark clearance.
Transparency
Sources, status, and freshness
Official sources come first. “Historical” and “submitted” material may explain context but cannot override a current operational page. High-volatility sources are reviewed more often.
| Source | Owner | Policy status | Checked | Review rule | Freshness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DDA Eligibility Application ProcessSRC-MD-001 | Maryland DDA | current | 2026-07-22 | quarterly | current |
| DDA Medicaid Waiver Application ProcessSRC-MD-002 | Maryland DDA | current | 2026-07-22 | quarterly | current |
| DDA Medicaid Waiver ProgramSRC-MD-003 | Maryland DDA | current | 2026-07-22 | monthly | current |
| 2026 Community Pathways Waiver Amendment 4SRC-MD-004 | Maryland DDA | submitted | 2026-07-22 | weekly until CMS disposition | non_current |
| DDA RatesSRC-MD-005 | Maryland DDA | current | 2026-07-22 | monthly and on amendment notice | current |
| FY2027 LTSSMaryland Rate ChartSRC-MD-006 | Maryland DDA | current | 2026-07-22 | monthly and on replacement | current |
| Provider-Managed Service ModelSRC-MD-007 | Maryland DDA | current | 2026-07-22 | semiannual | current |
| Self-Directed Service ModelSRC-MD-008 | Maryland DDA | current | 2026-07-22 | semiannual | current |
| Transitioning YouthSRC-MD-009 | Maryland DDA | current | 2026-07-22 | quarterly | current |
| Regional OfficesSRC-MD-010 | Maryland DDA | current | 2026-07-22 | quarterly | current |
| Crisis ServicesSRC-MD-011 | Maryland DDA | current | 2026-07-22 | quarterly | current |
| Maryland Provider SearchSRC-MD-012 | Maryland DDA-linked directory | current | 2026-07-22 | monthly | current |
| DORS Pre-Employment Transition ServicesSRC-MD-013 | Maryland DORS | current | 2026-07-22 | semiannual | current |
| DORS Autism ServicesSRC-MD-014 | Maryland DORS | current | 2026-07-22 | semiannual | current |
| SSA Information for ParentsSRC-FED-001 | Social Security Administration | current | 2026-07-22 | annual | current |
| Supplemental Security IncomeSRC-FED-002 | Social Security Administration | current | 2026-07-22 | annual and after federal update | current |
| Maryland Section 811 ProgramSRC-MD-015 | Maryland Department of Disabilities | current | 2026-07-22 | semiannual | current |
| Alternatives to GuardianshipSRC-MD-016 | Maryland Courts | current | 2026-07-22 | annual | current |
| Pediatric to Adult Health Care Transition Family ToolkitSRC-MD-017 | Maryland Department of Health | current | 2026-07-22 | annual | current |
| DDA Guide to ServicesSRC-MD-018 | Maryland DDA | historical | 2026-07-22 | use for process detail; verify against live pages | non_current |