What is the Autism Waiver?
The Autism Waiver is designed to help children with autism spectrum disorder receive specialized services, such as intensive individual support services, therapeutic integration, and residential habilitation.

Who is eligible?
The Autism Waiver serves children who have been diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder and have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) with more than 15 hours per week of special education and related services. Financial requirements are applied only to the child, who must meet certain income and resources criteria.

How do I receive services?
The waiver is currently full. Interested parents or guardians should contact the Autism Waiver Registry at 866-417-3480. Children who apply to the waiver are referred from the Registry to the Maryland State Department of Education in chronological order when there are waiver vacancies. Email The Arc’s Autism Waiver Coordinator, Becky Carter, at bcarter@thearcofpgc.org or call 301-322-8306 (ext. 5502) for more information.

Click here  to view additional resources.
Click here to go to the Autism Now Website.

Subsidized by a grant from the Maryland State Department of Education, The Arc Childcare Program supports children with disabilities in an inclusive setting within the Northwestern Child Developmental Center in Hyattsville.

The partnership with Northwestern CDC supports children with developmental disabilities and/or medically fragile conditions. Licensed nurses are on site everyday, all day, and provide staff and parent training in addition to overseeing the children’s daily medical needs.

Northwestern Child Development Center accepts vouchers. Children flourish under small child to caregiver ratios.

Curriculum

The center operates within the Creative Classroom curriculum where motor and cognitive development skills are addressed in daily activities that are adapted to meet each child’s specific strengths and needs. Therapies authorized through the Infants and Toddlers Program may be provided in the center within the typical daily routine. Staff will address IFSP and IEP goals.

Statistics show that children with special needs who have the opportunity to play and learn with their typically developing age mates progress more rapidly than those who do not.

The Arc-Northwestern Child Development Center is located at 7000 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782

Centers’ hours are Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding major PGCPS school holidays and teacher in-service days.

Who is eligible?

Children ages 6 weeks to 5 years must have a developmental delay or a medical diagnosis to qualify for admission under the Department of Education Grant, however the Northwestern Child Development Center is open to all children. For more information about The Arc Partnership, please contact Becky Carter at BCarter@thearcofpgc.org or 301-322-8306 x302, or to set up an enrollment appointment, contact Bettye Savoy at Northwestern, 301-985-1820.

The Arc offers workshops on various special education topics that have been proven very helpful to families, increasing their knowledge of the system and strengthening their advocacy skills. Please check The Arc’s monthly calendar of events for listings!

The Arc is an active member and hosts monthly meetings of The Prince George’s Special Education Coalition, whose mission is to advocate for appropriate and improved education and support services for students with disabilities in the Prince George’s County Public Schools.

For additional support, please contact:

Prince George’s County Public Schools
Department of Special Education
Family Support Center
Phone: (301) 431-5675
Director: Beth Diaite. Beth.Diaite@pgcps.org

The Parents Place of Maryland
801 Cromwell Park Drive, Suite 103
Glen Burnie, MD 21061
Phone: 1.800.394.5694 or 410.768.9100
email: info@ppmd.org

Maryland Disability Law Center
1500 Union Avenue; Suite 2000
Baltimore, MD 21211
Phone: 1-800-233-7201 or 410-727-6352 ext.0
http://www.disabilityrightsmd.org

Click here to view additional general resources.

What is the Infants and Toddlers Program?

The Arc provides case management services for children from birth to age three who have a diagnosed condition, a developmental delay, or atypical development. Service Coordinators arrange family training, counseling, home visits, developmental education services, therapy services, and family support services. Services are provided in the child’s natural environment to ensure that family members and caregivers are equipped to provide quality on-going care. Some services take place in a toddlers’ group or in a community setting. Bilingual (Spanish-speaking) case-management services are available.

Who pays for the program?

The Infants and Toddlers Program is funded by the Maryland State Department of Education, and run through the Prince George’s County School System. There are no fees for services and no income eligibility requirements. To receive services, a child must be referred to the Infants and Toddlers Program and then determined eligible through assessments.

How do we receive services?

An infant or toddler should be referred for services if there are obvious delays in development, or if the child was born prematurely, or has a diagnosed condition. Family members, medical professionals, or anyone who has contact with the child can make a referral by calling the Infants and Toddlers Intake and Referral line at 301-925-6627. Upon receiving a referral, the Infants and Toddlers Program conducts an assessment within 45 days. If a child is determined eligible, services will begin within 30 days of the development of an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).

Click here to view additional resources.

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Transition is the period when a student prepares to move from life as a student to life in the adult world. For students with developmental disabilities, this means planning training and careers and identifying adult service providers. Maryland students are entitled to free, appropriate, and public education. Students with disabilities receive this entitlement until they complete the school year in which they turn 21; after this—eligibility and availability of funds determine services. Finding adult service providers is the responsibility of the student and the student’s family.

The Arc wants to make sure that the transition from childhood to adulthood is smooth. You can learn more about our transitioning youth programs by clicking the button below.

Learn More about Transitioning Youth programs