Maryland adult-service starting points
Confirm DDA priority and any Transitioning Youth timing
Confirm DDA eligibility and priority next steps; if school exit is upcoming or recent, also check Transitioning Youth timing.
Official sources checked 2026-09-08Start here
Review DDA eligibility and priorityBefore you start
- Any DDA eligibility or priority letter and current application correspondence.
- If school exit is upcoming or recent: date of birth, actual or expected graduation date, and any DDA eligibility decision.
Who to contact
DDA Regional Office for the person’s county
Step by step
- Ask the Regional Office how eligibility and priority will be determined, or which written determination currently applies.
- If school exit is upcoming or recent, compare the dates with the official Transitioning Youth page. DDA describes the Transitioning Youth window as the 21st birthday until the 22nd birthday. If graduation is after the 21st birthday, the window extends to one year after graduation. An age of 22 or older alone does not settle whether that exception applies.
- Where that timing may apply, ask DDA to confirm both the dates and full developmental-disability eligibility. If the person is outside that window, ask about the ordinary DDA eligibility and priority process.
- Keep the response and any eligibility or priority determination, including applicable reconsideration or appeal information.
Expected next
A named outstanding eligibility or priority step, or the applicable written determination; confirmation of Transitioning Youth timing when relevant.
Save this proof
Save correspondence, relevant graduation dates, pending items, and the written eligibility or priority determination.
If this stalls or the answer is no
Ask the Regional Office to identify the outstanding item or controlling written decision and any applicable reconsideration or appeal instructions.
Official resources
Limits
Transitioning Youth requires full developmental-disability eligibility and the applicable timing. It is not automatic from an autism diagnosis, an IEP, or an age selection. DDA describes the Transitioning Youth window as the 21st birthday until the 22nd birthday. If graduation is after the 21st birthday, the window extends to one year after graduation. An age of 22 or older alone does not settle whether that exception applies.
Beyond Childhood’s checklists and prompts are planning aids derived from the linked sources. They are not official forms, legal advice, eligibility decisions, or guarantees of funding, capacity, or service.