Wichita's autism-related public systems combine statewide Kansas programs with two homegrown institutions: Rainbows United, a Wichita nonprofit serving children with disabilities since 1972, and Wichita State University's psychology clinic, which runs its own autism diagnostic service. Sedgwick County's CDDO is the single point of entry for Kansas's longer-term developmental disability waivers.

This guide lists the specific phone numbers and referral rules behind those systems: the early-intervention network covering Sedgwick County, two area school districts' Child Find contacts, two evaluation pathways based in the city, and the county office that opens Kansas's Medicaid waiver system.

Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the Kansas page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Wichita metro (Sedgwick County).

Early intervention under 3: Infant Toddler Services of Kansas (tiny-k)

Every Kansas child from birth to age 3 with a developmental delay or disability is entitled to a free evaluation through the state's Part C system, built on a network of 29 local early intervention programs coordinated by the tiny-k Alliance and overseen by Kansas Early Childhood Developmental Services within the Department of Health and Environment. A Sedgwick County family can find their local network through the statewide Infant Toddler Services of Kansas site by entering their county or zip code, and referrals are accepted from parents, doctors, or anyone else concerned about a child's development. Services are delivered at no cost, in natural settings like the home, and the system transitions a child to school-based special education at age 3.

• Infant Toddler Services of Kansas (tiny-k)

New to early intervention? Read the plain-language guide first.

School districts and special education

Kansas Child Find requires every district to identify children who may need special education, from birth through age 21, regardless of where they're enrolled. For a school-age child, a parent's written request to the district triggers a response within 15 school days and a full evaluation-to-IEP process within 60 school days. Wichita Public Schools (USD 259) is the city's primary district, while Derby Public Schools, immediately southeast, runs a separate process for its own attendance area.

• Wichita Public Schools (USD 259) — Special Education — 903 S. Edgemoor, Wichita, KS 67218; main line 316-973-4000
• Derby Public Schools (USD 260) — Special Education — 1550 E. Walnut Grove Rd, Derby, KS 67037; 316-554-8004; offers preschool screening clinics

IEP or 504 · If you disagree with the school

Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Wichita

These are hospital and university programs with public intake information. Listing here is informational — it is not a recommendation, and it is not medical advice. Public school evaluation is free and does not require any of these.

• Rainbows United — Connecting Point — developmental screening for children birth to 5, applied behavior analysis therapy, and mental health services, delivered by a Wichita nonprofit that has served Kansas children since 1972 · 316-260-4673
• Wichita State University — ASPIRE Autism Spectrum Services — diagnostic evaluation for ages 1 to 26 using empirically supported tools including the ADOS-2, with individualized recommendations for education planning and services · 316-978-3212

How assessment works · What to do while you wait

Disability services and waivers: Sedgwick County Community Developmental Disability Organization (CDDO)

Kansas requires every region of the state to designate a Community Developmental Disability Organization as the single point of entry for intellectual and developmental disability services, and the Sedgwick County CDDO fills that role for Wichita. Any family seeking Kansas's HCBS-IDD waiver — which serves individuals age 5 and older who meet the state's definition of intellectual disability or a related developmental disability — starts here for eligibility determination and waiting-list placement, a process separate from both Infant Toddler Services and school-based special education. Families of a child under 6 with an autism diagnosis may separately qualify for Kansas's Medicaid Autism Waiver, which funds parent training and respite rather than ABA itself, administered through the state's KDADS agency.

• Sedgwick County Community Developmental Disability Organization (CDDO)
• Phone: 316-660-5221

Local organizations that help Wichita families

• Families Together, Inc. — Wichita — Kansas's federally designated Parent Training and Information Center, with a dedicated Wichita office (316-945-7747) and Spanish-language line (800-499-9443)
• Disability Rights Center of Kansas — the state's federally designated protection-and-advocacy agency (785-273-9661, toll-free 877-776-1541)
• Kansas Family Support Center — statewide program at the University of Kansas Medical Center supporting families of autistic children and children with related disabilities (913-945-6619)
• Miracle League of Wichita — city-run adaptive baseball, basketball, bowling, kickball, and swimming for ages 5 to 25 with a volunteer 'buddy' system (316-268-4129)
• Special Olympics Kansas — Air Capital Flyers — Wichita's local Special Olympics program, including a Young Athletes track for children ages 2 to 7 (913-236-9290)

Documented waits and access notes

Wait times change. Each note below links to the public source it came from — confirm current status directly with the program.

• KSDE's official process handbook confirms the numbers USD 259 and Derby work under: 60 school days from consent to an eligibility decision, and then up to 30 additional days for the district to finalize an IEP. (source)
• The tiny-k network serving Sedgwick County has 45 calendar days from the date a family's referral is received to complete evaluation, assessment, and the first IFSP meeting, under Kansas's statewide Part C rules. (source)
• Testimony to the state legislature put Kansas's HCBS I/DD waiver waitlist at roughly 4,300 people statewide, with wait times cited at eight to nine years before a slot opens through the Sedgwick County CDDO's process. (source)