El Paso is served by Emergence Health Network, which state and federal regulators formally designate as both the county's mental-health authority and its Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability Authority — meaning the same organization that helps families reach the HCS and Texas Home Living Medicaid waivers also runs much of the county's broader disability-services system.

Two large independent school districts, El Paso ISD and Ysleta ISD, cover most of the city and each run their own federally required Child Find process, so confirming which district serves your address is a useful first step.

Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the Texas page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to El Paso metro (El Paso County).

Early intervention under 3: Texas Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)

Children younger than three living in Texas qualify for Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) screening on the basis of a developmental delay or qualifying condition, and no formal diagnosis is needed before a parent, doctor, or caregiver makes the referral. ECI is contracted out locally rather than run by one statewide office, and we could not independently confirm a single named contractor covering all of El Paso County; the Texas Health and Human Services Commission's own ECI Program Search tool is the authoritative way to look up the current provider for a specific address. Once referred, state rule gives the local ECI program 45 calendar days to complete the evaluation and write an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), with services starting within 28 days of a parent's signature, and the initial evaluation is free regardless of income.

• Texas Early Childhood Intervention (ECI)

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

School districts and special education

Every Texas public school district and charter is required under Child Find to actively look for, identify, and evaluate students it suspects have a disability, from birth through age 21, and the family is never charged for the process. Requesting an evaluation in writing to your child's school or the special education department starts the district's timeline. El Paso is served by several independent school districts rather than one single system, so families should confirm which district covers their address before sending a request.

• El Paso ISD — the district's dedicated special education information page
• Ysleta ISD — publishes separate pages for special education, updates in special education, and Section 504

IEP or 504 · If you disagree with the school

Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in El Paso

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.

• El Paso Children's Hospital — Developmental and Rehabilitative Services — feeding therapy, pediatric occupational therapy, pediatric physical therapy, and speech-language therapy; this is a therapy program rather than a diagnostic evaluation clinic · 915-298-5445

How assessment works · What to do while you wait

Disability services and waivers: Emergence Health Network — El Paso County's LIDDA

Emergence Health Network states directly that it is designated as both the Local Mental Health Authority and the Local Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Authority (LIDDA) for El Paso County. Families reach general Developmental Disabilities services through Centralized Scheduling at (915) 242-0555 or Program Selection at (915) 887-3410 (toll-free 844-600-3410), while a separate line, (915) 599-6645, handles Home and Community-based Services (HCS) and Texas Home Living (TxHmL) specifically, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The CLASS, DBMD, and MDCP interest lists are not handled by Emergence Health Network at all — those go through the state's own toll-free line, 877-438-5658.

• Emergence Health Network — El Paso County's LIDDA
• Phone: (915) 599-6645 (HCS/TxHmL) · 877-438-5658 (state interest list line)

Local organizations that help El Paso families

• Autism Society of Texas — El Paso — dedicated El Paso chapter page; reachable at elpaso@texasautismsociety.org
• United Way of El Paso County — regional United Way affiliate and part of the statewide 2-1-1 Texas referral network
• SPEDTex — the state's special education parent helpline: 1-855-773-3839, weekdays, with email and live chat
• Disability Rights Texas — the state's federally designated protection-and-advocacy agency; direct legal help when rights are violated
• Navigate Life Texas — state-supported plain-language resource site for Texas families of children with disabilities

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.

• El Paso's independent school districts have 45 school days from signed parental consent to finish the full individual evaluation, a deadline that stretches out for absences of three or more school days running. (source)
• Once that evaluation report is done, Texas law requires El Paso districts to convene the Admission, Review, and Dismissal committee — the state's equivalent of an IEP team — within 30 calendar days. (source)
• The state's autism insurance mandate lets commercial plans cap ABA reimbursement at $36,000 annually for El Paso children 10 and older, while coverage for younger children carries no such limit. (source)