Texas is considering eliminating a program that has given autistic children free or low-cost therapy, and the geek and neurodivergent communities are watching closely.
In its budget request to the Legislature for the 2028-2029 biennium, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission proposed wiping out the Children’s Autism Program (CAP) entirely because of state-ordered spending cuts — a decision that has stunned advocates, providers, and parents.
CAP, a program that started in 2008, contracts with 16 providers across Texas to provide focused applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to autistic children at a reduced cost based on their families’ incomes and insurance coverage. Children are eligible for up to 720 hours of ABA therapy, which advocates have considered the gold standard for autism treatment, over their lifetime.
Over the last two years, the state spent $13.7 million on the program, and this year even expanded the program, extending eligibility to those up to 21 years old and removing a cap on yearly hours. According to a report from the Texas LBB (Legislative Board), in fiscal year 2026, the state autism program funded treatment for 583 children, but contractors report there are at least 1,000 more children on waitlists statewide.
“We were really shocked to see nothing, and it’s just blank where the line item should be, we’re used to having to fight for funding, but to actually have a program just slashed and canceled is pretty shocking.”
Jacquie Benestante, Executive Director of the Autism Society of Texas
In July 2026, Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and House Speaker Dustin Burrows directed state agencies, appellate courts and universities to cut spending by 3% in the next biennium. In response to questions about why the HHSC chose to eliminate the program, officials pointed to HHSC’s 3% budget reduction summary, which says the agency “focused reductions on the lowest direct service impact to clients and minimizing impacts to federal funding.”
In the HHSC’s budget request proposing to axe the program, officials have acknowledged the acute need autism therapy. “The demand for services exceeds the availability of qualified providers especially in rural parts of the state,” per the request. “While private and public insurance now provide coverage for treatment services there are often not providers available in all parts of the state.” if the legislature approves the elimination of this program, children would still receive services through the end of August 2027, HHSC said.
Complexities around Medicaid coverage for ABA therapy also play a role. In 2022, Medicaid began covering ABA therapy for people 20 years old and younger, which made the state’s autism program appear redundant to some. Yet relying solely on Medicaid could still leave many families without access, said Jolene Pohl, advocacy director for the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities.
- The Benefits don’t apply to families without insurance or those on self-funded insurance plans: This leads to an issue where it will not cover ABA therapy.
- Despite new Benefits, it is far from a guarantee for ABA therapy: it has become difficult to find providers willing to take Medicaid clients.
- The only avenue for ABA therapy is CAP: Phol also explained that families that have fallen through gaps to still access the therapy.
“It would make more sense to increase the funding and get those kids off the waitlist and give them the services that they need, because eventually it’s going to cost the state more if we don’t provide the services to these eligible families in a timely manner.”
Jolene Pohl, Advocacy Director for the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities.
Phol’s warning about access gaps underscores a deeper concern. The proposed elimination of Children’s Autism Program (CAP) is not only a Texas budget decision—it carries real consequences for the geek and neurodivergent communities that have long overlapped with autism.
Many autistic and neurodivergent individuals find community, creative expression, and career paths in gaming, technology, fandoms, conventions, and digital spaces. Early access to affordable therapy can make a meaningful difference in developing communication, self-regulation, and daily-living skills that support fuller participation in those worlds. When a state decides to remove one of the few programs that fill the gaps left by private insurance and Medicaid, it risks limiting opportunities for the next generation of neurodivergent creators, players, and professionals in Texas.
The stakes extend beyond one state. Texas is large and influential, and its budget choices often serve as informal signals to other legislatures. Many states maintain their own limited, state-funded autism or developmental-disability programs that operate outside of Medicaid. When a major state cites across-the-board spending cuts and the existence of other coverage options as reasons to eliminate an entire specialized program—especially one it had recently expanded—advocates elsewhere have reason to pay attention. Fiscal pressure is common in statehouses across the country. If Texas decides to accept the proposal, this may embolden other agencies to treat similar support programs as expendable as budgets begin to tighten.
The proposed elimination of the Children’s Autism Program is not merely a local funding dispute. This tests whether specialized services for autistic children will retain priority amid competing budget demands, and it serves as a clear indication that geek and neurodivergent communities in other states may face comparable risks.
Source: The Texas Tribune
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