This is the route our family took through Lane County Developmental Disabilities Services and Oregon's Medicaid-funded support system. We made the checklists we wish someone had handed us at the beginning.
Last checked against Lane County and Oregon sources: September 8, 2026
Eligibility, Medicaid coverage, the needs assessment and the service plan are separate decisions. Some steps can overlap, and a yes at one step does not automatically finish the next one.
Open Lane County's current intake page, download the child intake packet and use the contact details listed there. After sending it, ask for written confirmation that the complete packet entered the system.
Official source: Lane County application and eligibility page
Submit the county intake packet and records showing both the developmental disability and its effect on everyday life.
What happened in our family: an application went missing. We now keep the sent email and ask for written receipt confirmation.
Describe what your child can do reliably without prompting, preparation, supervision or rescue. Strong language and academic skills can hide how much daily support a child needs.
Question to ask: “Does the file need a formal adaptive-behavior assessment, and which instruments does Lane County currently accept?”
Lane County decides whether the child meets Oregon's developmental-disability eligibility rules. Save the written decision and ask who the assigned services coordinator will be.
The Oregon Health Plan, or OHP, includes Oregon's Medicaid program. Many I/DD supports are Medicaid-funded through the K Plan. Ask the services coordinator which Medicaid application process applies to your child and what can proceed while it is pending.
Official source: ODHS Medicaid application guides for families
The ONA records disability-related support needs and risks. Talk about what happens without the supports your family quietly supplies every day. Be accurate and specific; do not make a hard day sound easy.
The ISP lists the services that are actually authorized. Check the service, provider, amount, effective date and any training or safety requirements before assuming something can begin.
Provider onboarding, signatures, approval and required plan training can each hold up a start date. Ask: “What is still preventing this service from starting?”
New assessments, safety needs or changes in daily functioning may justify reviewing the ONA or ISP. If a service is denied or reduced, request the decision and appeal or hearing instructions in writing. Deadlines on the notice matter.
Ask the services coordinator to explain the service group and information used. Ask how to correct missing information, request reassessment, seek an in-home-hours exception, file a complaint or request a hearing. The right route depends on the decision you are challenging.
Official source: ODHS ONA, exception and complaint resources
If the ONA places a child in service group 5b or 5m, ask whether the child meets the other requirements for Oregon's Children's Extraordinary Needs Program. A parent or guardian can request waitlist placement. Being on the waitlist does not guarantee enrollment.
Official source: ODHS Children's Extraordinary Needs Program
Use this before intake or an ONA meeting. Check boxes and type into the fields, then print or save a PDF before leaving this page.
Replace the brackets, remove anything that does not fit, and keep a copy of what you send.
A conversation about a service is not the same as an active authorization. Read the plan for what is actually written there.
The person or representative chooses, trains, schedules and manages the worker. State systems handle enrollment and payroll functions.
The person helps choose and direct workers while the agency handles more employment administration.
The agency recruits, employs, schedules and supervises staff while services remain person-centered.
Official source: ODHS in-home provider options
Official source: ODHS Professional Behavior Services Worker Guide, updated March 2026
ODDS-funded skills training cannot replace the educational system's responsibility to educate a child. For homeschool, ask the services coordinator and provider to define which time is instruction and which time is disability support before a DSP begins billing. Agency policies may add further limits.
Official source: OAR 411-450, Community Living Supports
Start with the need, not the shopping link. Then make it easy for the coordinator to understand exactly what you are requesting.
Connect the item to safety, communication, personal care, another activity of daily living or a health-related task.
Save the product link, model, size, color, weight limit and any detail needed to order the correct version.
Ask whether an OT, behavior professional, physician or another qualified professional needs to recommend the item or write a Letter of Medical Necessity.
If the item is medical equipment, Oregon generally requires pursuing OHP or private insurance first. Keep a written denial. An item that is not medical equipment but supports an ADL, IADL or health-related task may be requestable through ODDS without an insurance denial first. Ask the services coordinator which route applies before buying anything.
Official source: ODHS assistive-device and technology guide
Record the date, recipient, supporting documents, decision and follow-up date. If the standard route cannot cover it, ask whether an exception process exists.
Fill in what helps, then print or save a PDF before leaving. Use initials or a case number if you do not want a child's name in the file.