Autism Grants in Texas: What's Available and Who Qualifies
Funding Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and autism-related services doesn't have to fall entirely on families and insurance. A range of autism grants in Texas can help cover therapy costs, equipment, and even workforce training. Here's what providers and families need to know.
What autism grants are available in Texas?
Texas families and ABA providers can access autism grants through different channels, including state-funded institutional programs, private nonprofit grants, and Medicaid-based financial assistance.
Some grants fund therapy directly. Others cover equipment, assessments, or caregiver training. A few focus on workforce development, training teachers and Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) to expand evidence-based ABA services statewide.
A 2025 report from the CDC found that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) had been identified in 1 in 31 children in the U.S. The Autism Society of Texas estimates that over 1 million people in the state may have autism. That's a lot of families and individuals who need support, and grants can help facilitate it.
The Texas Autism Grant Program
The Autism Grant Program (AGP) is Texas’ primary institutional funding stream for ASD services and research.
Administered by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, the AGP awards competitive grants to autism research centers. It's been offering grants since 2016 and has served more than 82,000 children.
Eligible applicants are entities operated by Texas public or private institutions of higher education that actively conduct autism research and provide evidence-based ASD treatment. These entities may be research centers, departments, or institutes. Individual families and private practices cannot apply directly.
The 2026–2027 grant cycle application deadline has passed, with the grant period running from May 1, 2026 through March 31, 2028. To stay updated on future cycles, contact the AGP team directly at AGP@highered.texas.gov.
AGP funding falls in three categories:
Parent-directed treatment
This trains parents and home-based caregivers to deliver evidence-based ABA interventions. The maximum award is $500,000 over two years, with a minimum goal of 300 children served.
BCBA training for teachers and paraprofessionals
This funds behavioral skills training in ABA methodology. The maximum award is $475,000 over two years, with a minimum goal of 850 children served.
Innovative ASD treatment models
This funds research, development, and evaluation of new treatment approaches. The maximum award is $1,400,000 over two years.
Autism grants for families in Texas
Families and the providers who support them may be able to access nonprofit grants to offset the cost of therapy, equipment, and assessments.
The Navigate Life Texas funding directory is a good starting point for families. It's state-funded and regularly updated.
ACT
Autism Care Today (ACT) is a national nonprofit that awards grants of up to $5,000 for individuals and families. Applications from households earning less than $100,000 per year are considered first.
Funding can be used for ABA therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, medication, and home safety devices.
The organization also runs an SOS Program for families with immediate safety needs. Household income must be under $45,000 per year to qualify.
National Autism Association: Give a Voice grant
This funding is for individuals with ASD who are nonverbal or minimally verbal, and whose communication challenges put them at risk. It helps cover the cost of communication devices and practitioner sessions for letterboard-based methods. The grant is for families with no other way to obtain these tools and services.
Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation
The foundation offers scholarships for swimming lessons, iPads, equine therapy, and social skills camps, plus a holiday gift card program for families who need extra support.
Heart of Variety Fund
The nonprofit Variety offers grants to Texas families with children or young adults under 22 with disabilities, including those with ASD. Funding can cover medical care, equipment, and home repairs.
UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation
The foundation funds medical-related services not fully covered by a commercial health plan for children aged 16 and younger. ABA therapy funding is only available for children aged 3–6, and financial eligibility requirements apply.
MyGOAL
This nonprofit offers a $1,000 annual grant for medical treatments, nutrition, and personal care needs not covered by insurance. Applications open once a year, usually in February.
Medicaid waivers and state-funded support
Grants won't cover everything, so ABA practices regularly work with Texas Medicaid, which offers several waiver programs. Understanding these options helps providers guide families toward every available resource.
Key programs include:
- Home and Community-Based Services (HCS): Supports individuals with intellectual disabilities living at home or in community settings
- Texas Home Living (TxHml): Covers essential services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities living at home
- Medicaid Buy-In for Children: Allows families above the standard income limit to purchase Medicaid coverage for a child with disabilities.
Texas Medicaid waiver programs often have long waiting lists, sometimes lasting years. Texas Children's Hospital recommends that families sign up as soon as possible, even if it’s unclear whether they'll need the services.
Families can also apply for supplemental security income from the Social Security Administration, which provides monthly cash assistance for children whose disability and household income meet federal criteria.
How Passage Health supports ABA practices navigating grant-funded care
When grant funding or Medicaid waivers come through for a family, the last thing anyone needs is complex billing getting in the way.
Passage Health is an all-in-one ABA practice management platform built for this kind of complexity. Whether a client is privately funded, grant-supported, or covered through Medicaid, our integrated billing tools help practices submit cleaner claims, reduce manual entry, and get reimbursed faster.
For ABA clinics in Texas, that means:
- Faster authorization tracking: Built-in authorization management helps your team stay on top of approved units, so billing stays accurate across funding sources.
- Cleaner claim submission: Integrated billing rules help catch credential and coding mismatches before claims go out, reducing denials for grant-funded services.
- Better practice visibility: Built-in reporting shows clinical directors and billing managers exactly where sessions and revenue stand at any time.
If your practice is serving families who rely on state or nonprofit grants, or if you want the operational capacity to offer more support, Passage Health gives you the tools.
Book a demo to see how Passage Health can help you take on more clients across more funding sources, without adding to your admin workload.
Frequently asked questions
What autism grants are available in Texas?
Autism grants in Texas are available through several sources, including nonprofits like ACT (offering up to $5,000) or MyGOAL (offering $1,000). Medicaid waivers and supplemental security income are also an option for qualifying families.
Who qualifies for the Texas Autism Grant Program?
The Texas AGP is open to autism research centers at public or private institutions of higher education in the state. Families and private practices aren’t directly eligible for this funding.
Can autism grants in Texas cover ABA therapy?
Yes, several autism grants in Texas cover ABA therapy costs. ACT grants, for example, can fund ABA and other therapies, as well as medication and home safety equipment.
How do I apply for autism grants in Texas as a family?
The Navigate Life Texas funding directory is a good place to start. For Medicaid waivers, reach out to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services early, as wait lists can take years to clear.
Are there autism grants for adults in Texas?
Most family-facing grants in Texas are aimed at children and young adults under 22, but Medicaid waiver programs, like HCS and TxHml, are open to adults, too.
References
Autism Care Today. (n.d.). Autism Care Today SOS. Retrieved from https://www.act-today.org/our-funds/autism-care-today-sos/
Autism Society of Texas. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from https://www.texasautismsociety.org/about-us/
Autism Spectrum Disorder Foundation. (n.d.). Our programs. Retrieved from https://myasdf.org/our-programs/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Prevalence and early identification of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 4 and 8 years – Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 sites, United States, 2022. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 74(2), 1–22. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/74/ss/ss7402a1.htm
MyGOAL. (n.d.). MyGOAL autism grant program. Retrieved from https://mygoalinc.org/mygoal-autism-grant-program/
National Autism Association. (n.d.). Give a voice. Retrieved from https://nationalautismassociation.org/family-support/programs/naas-give-a-voice-program/
Navigate Life Texas. (n.d.). Applying for disability benefits or supplemental security income for children with disabilities. Texas Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.navigatelifetexas.org/en/insurance-financial-help/funding-grants-for-children-with-disabilities
Navigate Life Texas. (n.d.). Funding and grants for children with disabilities. Texas Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.navigatelifetexas.org/en/insurance-financial-help/funding-grants-for-children-with-disabilities
Texas Children's Hospital. (n.d.). Financial resources for medical services. Retrieved from https://www.texaschildrens.org/departments/developmental-pediatrics-and-autism/financial-resources-for-medical-services
Texas Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Programs for children and adults with disabilities. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip/medicaid-chip-programs-services/programs-children-adults-disabilities
Texas Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Programs for children and families. Retrieved from https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip/medicaid-chip-programs-services/programs-children-adults-disabilities/programs-children-families
Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. (n.d.). Autism Grant Program (AGP). Retrieved from https://www.highered.texas.gov/grants/autism-grant-program-agp/
UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation. (n.d.). Apply for a grant. Retrieved from https://www.uhccf.org/apply-for-a-grant/
Variety of Texas. (n.d.). Heart of Variety Fund. Retrieved from https://www.varietytexas.org/heartofvariety
