Non-educational Community-Based Support Services
The 74th Texas Legislative appropriated funds for families of certain students with disabilities. This money is non-educational community-based support services help them care for their children and to help them better cope with having an individual with a disability at home.
The current support services include the following:
- Attendant Care
- Psychiatric and Psychological Consultation
- Management of Leisure Time
- Peer Support Group
- Parent Support Group
- Socialization Training
- Individual Support
- Family Support
- Family Dynamics Training
- Respite Care
- Transportation to access approved non-educational services
- Generalization Training
For a more detailed explanation of the various allowable support services, please refer to the Non-educational Community-Based Support Services Questions and Answers document.
Allowable and Unallowable Expenditures
The table below shows the allowable and unallowable expenditures.
Allowable and Unallowable Expenditures | |
Allowable Expenditures (Definitions of services can be found in the question and answer document) | Unallowable Expenditures |
| Attendant Care Psychiatric and Psychological Consultation Management of Leisure Time Peer Support Group Parent Support Group Socialization Training Individual Support Family Support Family Dynamics Training Respite Care Transportation to access approved non-educational services (to psychiatric and psychological consult) Generalization Training | Direct payment to parents Equipment Sheltered workshop services Babysitting (this includes attendant care when no family member is available or caring for a child while the parent is at work) Remodeling and construction of the student’s classroom and home Food Transportation to any educational service or any service being provided by another public agency Medicine, medical prescriptions, doctor and dentist visits, medication therapy, evaluations All special education and related services allowable by IDEA in the implementation of a student’s individualized education program (IEP) (including adaptive equipment, art therapy, corrective therapy, music therapy, orientation and mobility training, school health services, recreation therapy) |
For a more detailed explanation of the various allowable support services, please refer to the Non-educational Community-Based Support Services Frequently Asked Questions document.
The only services that can be paid for with these funds for students with autism are respite care or attendant care. In-home training or viable alternatives and parent training that support the student’s IEP must be paid for with educational funds according to 19 Texas Administrative Code §89.1055(e).
Application Process
Parents wishing to access services should contact their child’s school and request a meeting to discuss the need for non-educational services. School districts and charter schools that choose to apply for non-educational funds must have a planning meeting to discuss options for non-educational services. Persons attending and participating in this meeting should include district staff knowledgeable about the student, and representatives from the local mental health agency or the local Community Resource Coordination Groups of Texas, or other service providers, and the parents. The student’s admission, review, and dismissal committee may not serve as this planning group and should not make the decision regarding services.
Once it has been determined what services are needed, the local education agency contacts the regional education service center to obtain directions and procedures for applying.
The program authority can be found at Texas Education Code Chapter 29.013.