Some children with ASD might also have mental health needs. A mental health professional may do a diagnostic assessment (DA) to determine if a person has a mental health diagnosis that would benefit from a mental health treatment plan and services. More information about the services available is available on the Children’s Therapeutic Services and Supports (CTSS) page.
Mental health services include:
Individual, family or group psychotherapy
Individual, family or group skills training provided by a mental health professional or mental health practitioner
Mental health behavioral aide services, which can help a person practice the skills delayed because of a mental illness
Personal care assistance (PCA) provides services to people who need help with day-to-day activities to allow them to be more independent in their own homes.
Family Support Grant (FSG) Program provides state cash grants to prevent or delay the out-of-home placement of children with disabilities and promote family health and social well-being by facilitating access to family-centered services and supports.
A person may have to meet certain guidelines to be eligible for these programs. More information about these is available on the Disability Programs and Services page.
Minnesota Department of Human Services: Works closely with the Minnesota Department of Education and Minnesota Department of Health to coordinate Part B and Part C services of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)
MN LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities), a program at the University of Minnesota, is increasing training opportunities to examine the impact of the growing prevalence of autism spectrum disorders on law and policy.
Federal policy initiatives
In addition, there are many federal entities dedicated to developing policies pertaining to ASD, including:
Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention: A Background and Summary Overview of Minnesota's Autism Benefit Program (PDF) (March 2019) is a report by Wilder Research. DHS contracted with Wilder to conduct research and evaluation of the Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) benefit for the treatment of people under 21 years old with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This report provides information from current studies and from survey responses from states about the evaluation of treatment outcomes associated with various treatment modalities. We will post more reports and updates as part of the ongoing EIDBI evaluation.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that causes significant challenges in social interaction, communication and behavior. More information about ASD is available on the Autism spectrum disorder and related conditions page.
EIDBI Benefit
The Early Intensive Developmental and Behavioral Intervention (EIDBI) benefit is a Minnesota Health Care Program (MHCP) for children, youth and young adults up to age 21 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or related conditions. The purpose of the EIDBI benefit is to provide medically necessary services, including:
Education, training and support for parents and families
Intervention that teaches language, communication, self-care and safety skills, as well as regulation strategies.
