ABA therapy in Katy and Cypress: who to call first

If you are looking for ABA therapy in Katy and Cypress, start with the county and school district your home address falls in, because that decides which free public programs you call first. Katy and Cypress addresses cross Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties. A child under 3 goes to one of several Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) programs. A child 3 or older goes to the school district’s special education office. Medicaid ABA and private insurance run on separate tracks, so you can work on all of them at once.

Which ECI program serves Katy and Cypress addresses?

There is no single answer. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) lists several ECI programs under Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties. Its search tool shows the programs but does not say which ZIP codes each one covers.

Here is what each program publishes itself:

• The Harris Center publishes a service-area list dated August 2025. It includes the Cypress ZIP codes 77429, 77433 and 77095, and several Katy-area ZIP codes in Harris County. It also notes that 77079, 77082, 77084, 77094, 77447 and 77449 are shared with other ECI providers.
• Texana Center (Project GROW) serves Waller County in all ZIP codes except portions of 77423 that fall in Katy ISD. For Fort Bend County it lists a long set of ZIP codes. For 77450, 77493 and 77494 it says the address must be zoned to Lamar CISD and not Katy ISD.
• Katy ISD runs its own ECI program, Project TYKE, which HHSC lists under Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties. Katy ISD’s page does not say which addresses it serves, so call before assuming either way.
• Easterseals Greater Houston lists Harris and Fort Bend among the counties it serves. It takes referrals from anyone, including parents, and starts with an in-home or virtual evaluation.

Look up your address in HHSC’s ECI program search, then call the program it returns. If two programs could apply, you can ask both. Evaluation is free to families, and a child who qualifies will not be turned away for inability to pay.

ECI qualifies a child through a qualifying diagnosis, being deaf or hard of hearing or blind or visually impaired, or a developmental delay of at least 25% in one area (33% if the only delay is expressive language). Services end at age 3, so ask your ECI team early about the move to school-district services.

Who handles school evaluations: Katy ISD or Cy-Fair ISD?

Cypress addresses are generally served by Cy-Fair ISD, and many Katy addresses by Katy ISD. Check your actual school zoning, since Katy-area addresses can also sit in other districts such as Lamar CISD.

• Katy ISD says to request a special education evaluation through the administrator at your child’s campus. Its Special Education Department number is (281) 396-2630. The district says Child Find covers birth through age 21.
• Cy-Fair ISD says to call its Special Education Department at 281-897-6400 to describe your concerns and ask about the referral process. Its page says students are eligible for special education services from age 3.

Both districts follow Texas Education Agency (TEA) timelines. If you give a written request to the special education director or any administrator, the district must respond within 15 school days with a written notice that says whether it will evaluate. Once you give written consent, the evaluation is due within 45 school days, with a few exceptions for absences and the end of the school year. A verbal request is valid, but the 15-day response clock does not apply to it. So write it down, date it, and keep a copy.

For a longer walkthrough of districts across the metro, see our guide to Houston school districts and autism services. If your child has not yet been evaluated for autism at all, start with autism evaluation in Houston.

County-by-county: ECI, school contact and waiver authority

Phone numbers come from each program’s or district’s own page. Because the Katy and Cypress boundaries cross county lines, find your row by the county your address is in, then confirm with the program.

A “Katy” mailing address does not tell you the county. Your appraisal district record or school zoning lookup does. Where a row lists more than one ECI program, the programs’ own pages do not say which takes which address, so call the first and ask them to refer you if it is the wrong one.

How do Medicaid and insurance work for ABA here?

Medicaid. HHSC says ABA is a Medicaid service for members age 20 or younger who have an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. It is provided by licensed behavior analysts. Your child needs an evaluation to see whether they qualify. HHSC’s family flyer says to call your child’s primary care provider, the number on your health plan ID card, or the Texas Medicaid & Healthcare Partnership (TMHP) Contact Center at 800-925-9126. You can search for licensed behavior analysts in TMHP’s Online Provider Look-up. Medicaid ABA can be delivered at home, in the community or in a clinic. See our Medicaid ABA filter for profiles that mention Medicaid. For Katy, see centers that list Medicaid (current count: 1) and in-home providers that list Medicaid (current count: 2). Ask each one whether it takes your child’s exact plan, such as Texas Children’s Health Plan or Community Health Choice.

Waivers. HHSC’s Home and Community-based Services (HCS) and Texas Home Living (TxHmL) waivers are different from Medicaid ABA. To get on the interest list, you contact the local intellectual and developmental disability authority for the county you live in. HHSC says your place in line is set by your request date, and an offer is not guaranteed. Join even if you do not expect to need it soon.

Private insurance. Whether your plan is regulated by the state or self-funded by an employer changes who can help you if a claim is denied. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says it cannot handle complaints about self-funded plans. Its Help Line at 800-252-3439, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central, Monday through Friday, can tell you which kind you have. We have not verified current state coverage limits for ABA, so ask your insurer for the benefit details in writing. Ask what diagnosis paperwork, prior authorization and visit limits apply.

What about commute and in-home ABA between Katy and Cypress?

Katy and Cypress are on the west side of metro Houston, and the drive between them can be long at school pickup time. Points to weigh:

• Center-based versus in-home. In-home sessions skip the drive and let the therapist work on routines in your house. Center-based sessions offer a structured space and peers but add travel. Browse in-home ABA and center-based ABA options, or telehealth ABA for parent training. Our guide to in-home vs center-based ABA in Houston compares the two.
• Start times. If your child is in school, ask whether sessions start after school and whether weekends are possible.
• Travel radius. Ask a provider whether your specific address is inside their in-home service area, and whether that changes for a second child or a change of address.
• Nearby profiles. Our directory currently lists 3 providers in Katy and 2 in Cypress, and you can look beyond your own city.

Our directory is not limited by ZIP code, and a profile is not a promise of openings. Always confirm availability with the provider.

Where can Katy and Cypress parents find support and sensory-friendly options?

We only list groups and venues with a current official page.

• Autism Society of Texas lists a Houston Parent/Caregiver Online Connection Group that meets by Zoom and is open to families in other regions. It also runs free Navigating Autism support at 512-479-4199, extension 2, and extension 3 for Spanish. Its page does not list a Katy or Cypress group.
• Harris County Public Library publishes an Adaptive Resources page. Check it and the library events calendar for sensory-friendly programs at your branch. We could not confirm a current Katy or Cypress program, so call the branch before you go.
• Your ECI team or school district can tell you about local parent groups.

We left out groups and venues we could not match to a current official page. If you run one, contact us.

What should you ask a Katy or Cypress ABA provider?

Use the same questions with every provider.

1. Is the supervising clinician a licensed behavior analyst, and how often will they see my child directly?
2. Do you accept my specific plan or Medicaid, and who handles prior authorization?
3. What is the realistic start date, and is there an interest list?
4. Do you offer in-home, center-based or both, and does my address fall inside your service area?
5. What are your session times, and can they start after school or on weekends?
6. How do you involve parents, and how often is training?
7. How do you set goals, and how do I see progress data?
8. Will you coordinate with my child’s school and other therapists?

For red flags and what good answers sound like, see how to choose an ABA provider in Houston. To compare more profiles, browse ABA providers in Houston.