You can access education systems in the state of Indiana without a medical diagnosis. Each organization will do their own diagnostic testing to determine eligibility. If you’re new to special education services, be sure to check out our handy acronym list. Your about to enter a world where it seems like everyone is speaking a different language, but don’t worry, we’ll help you catch up and learn to speak the “alphabet soup” fluently.

In Indiana, if you child is under 3 years old, First Steps is the program to help with early intervention services. These services are brought to the child in the home setting. Contact them here https://www.infirststeps.com/

If you child is 3 years old or older, contact your local school district. They are mandated by the state of Indiana to provide services provided your child falls into one of 13 different categories of disability AND your child’s education is being affected by their disability. The school district will perform their own set of tests/evaluations to determine your child’s eligibility. If your child qualifies, you will start the process of getting services and drafting an Individualized Education Plan sometimes called an IEP. In Indiana, IN*SOURCE is a free resource for families to better understand this process. You can reach out to your local IN*SOURCE program specialist here: http://insource.org/contact-us/staff-directory/#program-specialists

If your child is older and falls between the ages of 14 - 22, they may qualify for a program called Pre-ETS. Pre-ETS stands for Pre -Employment Transition Services. This is a vocational program to help ready your child for employment and life after high school. To find out more about vocational programming in high school and beyond go to https://www.in.gov/fssa/ddrs/rehabilitation-employment/vocational-rehabilitation-employment/

Be sure to check out our podcasts or YouTube channel for interviews with INSOURCE the Indiana Department of Education and Pre-ETS. As always, you can contact us at info@myautismally.org for help navigating special education services. We understand your concerns because we share them. We are autism parents too.