First 30 Days after Your Child’s ASD Diagnosis -
Sample Action Plan
Check whether your child may qualify for Medicaid.
Medicaid is often the single biggest source of paid-for therapy and support — but there's more than one road to it, and they don't work the same way.
Check NC Medicaid eligibility.
Review the eligibility guidelines. If your child appears eligible — or you're close enough that you're unsure — apply for Medicaid.
Check NC Medicaid eligibility →Look at the NC Innovations Waiver.
This program has different eligibility rules and can waive some of the usual Medicaid financial requirements for people who meet its disability and level-of-care criteria.
Because the wait can be long, this is worth checking early if regular Medicaid isn't available to your child.
Learn about the Innovations Waiver →Choose the support that would help your child most right now.
An autism diagnosis does not mean your child needs every available therapy. Start with the need that matters most in your child's everyday life.
What is making everyday life hardest or limiting my child most?
Think about communication, independence, movement, feeding, sensory needs, safety, learning, and participation in everyday life.
Learn about different types of therapy and support, what needs they may address, and what to consider when deciding which options make sense for your child.
Explore the guide →Connect with early intervention or your public school system.
Your child's autism evaluation may help them access developmental or educational supports at no cost to your family. What happens next depends largely on your child's age and where they are in the early-childhood or school process.
Start with the early childhood and school guide.
Z Path's Start Here guide explains North Carolina's early-intervention program, preschool services, school evaluations, establishing an IEP, and the different early-childhood programs you may encounter.
See Early Childhood & School Options →Open an ABLE account for your child.
An ABLE account gives families a tax-advantaged way to save for disability-related expenses without treating the account like an ordinary savings account. You don't need to decide how much to contribute or create a long-term financial plan today.
Set up the account. The rest can come later.
Put the important documents in one place.
By now, you're probably already generating paperwork. Give it one home so you don't have to hunt for the same documents every time someone asks for them.
✓ Diagnostic report
✓ Other evaluations
✓ Referrals and prescriptions
✓ Medicaid or Innovations paperwork
✓ Early-intervention or school paperwork
✓ Insurance authorizations or denials
One folder is enough.
Digital or paper is fine. The goal is simply to know where the important records are when you need them.