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Agencies & benefits

California Regional Centers: intake, eligibility and the IPP

In California, services for people with developmental disabilities are coordinated by 21 nonprofit Regional Centers, overseen by the Department of Developmental Services (DDS). For many families of autistic children, the Regional Center is the second pillar next to the school.

Updated · 3 min read

Who qualifies

Under the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act, a person qualifies if they have a developmental disability that began before age 18, is expected to continue, and is a substantial disability: intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or a condition closely related to intellectual disability or needing similar treatment.

Babies and toddlers under 3 with a developmental delay or risk may qualify for Early Start instead (see our early intervention guide).

Intake and assessment

  1. Call the Regional Center that serves your area and ask for an intake.
  2. Intake should start within 15 working days of your request.
  3. The assessment (records, evaluations, interviews) should be completed within 120 days of intake, and faster when a delay would put the person at risk.
  4. You receive a written eligibility decision. If you disagree, you have the right to appeal through a fair hearing; the deadline is in the notice.

The Individual Program Plan (IPP)

Once eligible, you meet with a service coordinator to write the IPP: your child's goals and the services the Regional Center will fund or help you find (respite, behavioral services, parent training, social skills…). The IPP is reviewed regularly; you can ask for a meeting whenever needs change.

Regional Centers are often the door to the Medi-Cal home and community-based waiver: ask your service coordinator about it.

The process in Lumina

How Lumina helps, step by step

  1. 1

    Save your service coordinator

    Add them in Contacts (type Agencies / Admin) with your client ID in the notes: you'll have it during every call.

  2. 2

    Track intake and IPP dates

    Create “Agency / benefits” deadlines for the end of the 120-day assessment window and for the next IPP review. Agency deadlines also remind you 3 months ahead.

  3. 3

    Log every call

    An “IEP & agencies” note after each call: who, when, what was promised. Very useful if you ever need to appeal.

  4. 4

    Keep the paperwork

    Eligibility letter, IPP, notices of action: upload them to Documents (Agencies / Insurance).

Everything you write stays encrypted on your device: neither Lumina nor anyone else can read it.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Regional Center the same as the school district?+

No. The school district handles special education (IEP). The Regional Center coordinates developmental services outside school. Many children use both.

Does Lumina contact the Regional Center?+

No. Lumina helps you keep track of dates, contacts and documents; you stay in charge of every exchange.

Everything about your child's care, finally in one place

Care notes, deadlines with reminders, an encrypted document vault and PDF summaries. Free during the beta, no credit card.

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This guide gives general information, not legal or medical advice. Rules and timelines vary by state and district and can change: check with your school district, your state agency or the official websites. Lumina is not a medical device.