Monongalia County's WV Birth to Three referrals go to Regional Administrative Unit I, a Wheeling-based office that covers most of the state's northern panhandle and north-central region, including Morgantown.

Once a child turns 3, Monongalia County Schools takes over evaluation duties, and WVU Medicine's children's hospital gives Morgantown families a rare in-town option for a full diagnostic workup — this page walks through each.

Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the West Virginia page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Morgantown (Monongalia County).

Early intervention under 3: WV Birth to Three — Regional Administrative Unit I (RAU I)

Monongalia County is one of eight counties assigned to Regional Administrative Unit I, which Catholic Charities West Virginia operates from Wheeling to also cover Brooke, Hancock, Marion, Marshall, Ohio, Tyler, and Wetzel counties. A concerned parent, physician, or caregiver can call in a referral without a diagnosis in hand; the referral line is 1-800-619-5697, and the Wheeling office direct line is 304-214-5775. West Virginia's Part C system writes an Individualized Family Service Plan within 45 days of referral, and, as everywhere else in the state, the evaluation and resulting services cost the family nothing.

• WV Birth to Three — Regional Administrative Unit I (RAU I)
• Referral phone: 304-214-5775

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

School districts and special education

Special education in West Virginia is organized by county, and each county board follows the state's Policy 2419 once a family requests an evaluation for a suspected disability. A written request to the child's school or the district office is the standard way to open that process, and it costs the family nothing.

• Monongalia County Schools — Department of Student Services and Exceptional Student Education, 1715 Earl L. Core Rd., 304-291-9210

Other places to ask — not a substitute for the district

An evaluation request has to go to the school district itself; only the district can start the legal timeline. These are for asking questions about the process, or for when the district has not responded.

• West Virginia Parent Training and Information (WVPTI) — statewide parent center that helps families in any county work through an IEP or a stalled evaluation; 800-281-1436

IEP or 504 · If you disagree with the school

Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Morgantown

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.

• WVU Medicine Children's — Neurodevelopmental Center — multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation for autism and related developmental concerns, with a team that includes a pediatric neurologist, a neurodevelopmental specialist, an educational psychologist, and a social worker; children roughly ages 1-8 are seen for autism concerns · 304-598-4300
• WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities — Intensive Autism Service Delivery Clinic — clinical services for autistic children through WVU's university center on developmental disabilities

How assessment works · What to do while you wait

Disability services and waivers: WV Bureau for Medical Services — Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) Waiver Program

West Virginia runs one statewide Medicaid I/DD Waiver rather than separate regional programs, so a Morgantown family applies through the same Bureau for Medical Services office that every other county uses, with Acentra Health handling case-level utilization review under contract to the state. Autism is among the diagnoses the waiver most commonly covers, alongside cerebral palsy and spina bifida, and eligibility depends on documented medical need, Medicaid's financial rules, and West Virginia residency. Children can qualify starting at age 3.

• WV Bureau for Medical Services — Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) Waiver Program
• Phone: 304-558-1700

Local organizations that help Morgantown families

We have not yet verified a local parent organization in Morgantown. Statewide help still covers you: the West Virginia guide lists the federally funded parent center and the free disability rights organization for the whole state, and both take calls from families anywhere in West Virginia.

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.

• After Monongalia County Schools receives your written evaluation request, the district has 80 calendar days to complete evaluation and convene the Eligibility Committee to determine qualification. (source)
• WV Birth to Three's Regional Administrative Unit I must complete the initial evaluation, family assessment, and first IFSP meeting within 45 calendar days of your referral. (source)
• As of October 2025, West Virginia's I/DD Waiver program held 1,031 individuals on its waiting list, with the majority of those under 18 years old. (source)