Austin, TX — Texas health officials are proposing to eliminate the state’s Children’s Autism Program as part of budget reductions ordered for the 2028-29 biennium, alarming families and providers who say access to treatment is already severely limited.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission included eliminating the program in its budget request after Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows directed state agencies to cut spending by 3%.
The program provided treatment to 583 children during fiscal 2026, while contractors told the Associated Press that at least 1,000 additional children are waiting for services, sometimes for years.
State officials argue that Medicaid now provides many of the same autism-related benefits, making the separate program less necessary. Advocates dispute that assessment, saying Medicaid coverage does not always translate into actual access to providers, particularly in rural communities.
If lawmakers approve the cut, children currently enrolled could continue receiving services through August 2027 before the program ends.
Parents and disability advocates say the proposal could leave families with fewer options for therapies such as applied behavior analysis, especially for children who are uninsured, underinsured or unable to find Medicaid providers.
The Legislature will ultimately decide whether to eliminate the program when it considers the state budget during its 2027 session.
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