• Age 0-17; and

• Currently enrolled in ND Medicaid; and

• Have an official diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The North Dakota Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) birth through Seventeen (age 17) waiver provides service options for individuals living with a primary caregiver. The goal of the waiver is to support the primary caregiver in maximizing the child’s development and preventing out of home placements.

The objectives include:

1. Service Management (SM) to assist in the implementation of the participant service plan,

2. to provide respite care to support families,

3. assistive technology/ Community Connector, to support identified individuals' independence and

4. Remote monitor service to provide the ability to GPS track/find individuals who wander but are in need of adult supervision at all times, assist primary caregiver in location of individual through GPS tracking device located on missing individual.

The Service Manager (SM) assists in gaining access to needed medical, social, educational, and other resources and supports. Families have the option to self-direct or choose provider directed respite supports, vendors supply assistive technology, and social engagement activities. Families choosing self-directed respite have a Fiscal Agency to assist them with the process.

Participant Directed services are reimbursed at the usual and customary rate up to the individual budget limit. Payment rates are noted on the participant authorization that the SM reviews with the family prior to each authorization period. All services are authorized by an individual authorization completed quarterly.

The Department of Health & Human Services- Medical Services-oversees the process from application to delivery of service and payment.

The Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver program is authorized in §1915(c) of the Social Security Act. The program permits a state to furnish an array of home and community-based services that assist Medicaid beneficiaries to live in the community and avoid institutionalization. The State has broad discretion to design its waiver program to address the needs of the waivers target population. Waiver services complement and/or supplement the services that are available to participants through the Medicaid State plan and other federal, state and local public programs as well as the supports that families and communities provide.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recognizes that the design and operational features of a waiver program will vary depending on the specific needs of the target population, the resources available to the state, service delivery system structure, state goals and objectives, and other factors. A State has the latitude to design a waiver program that is cost-effective and employs a variety of service delivery approaches, including participant direction of services.