PCSing to Maryland With an Autistic Child: Navigating EFMP, TRICARE ACD & Local Schools

When PCS orders bring your family to Maryland and your child is autistic, a few steps before the move can protect a great deal of hard-won progress: confirm your Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) enrollment, talk with your TRICARE autism services navigator about the Autism Care Demonstration (ACD) and ABA authorizations, and gather school and clinical records you can hand-carry. This guide walks through each handoff in order. It is general information, not legal, benefits or medical advice, and rules can change, so confirm details with TRICARE, your EFMP office and your new school system.

Key Takeaways

• EFMP enrollment is mandatory for active duty sponsors with a qualifying family member; confirm yours is current before orders arrive (Military OneSource).
• TRICARE covers ABA through the Autism Care Demonstration, separate from the medical benefit, and requires a referral and pre-authorization on every plan (TRICARE’s Autism Care Demonstration page).
• Active duty families with a child diagnosed with autism must enroll in EFMP, and the child must also enroll in ECHO; ECHO registration is not retroactive.
• Do not assume an ABA authorization carries over unchanged. Ask your autism services navigator and Humana Military what continuing care in Maryland requires.
• A Maryland school must provide services comparable to your child’s current IEP while it adopts that IEP or develops a new one (Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children).

PCS to Maryland With an Autistic Child: What to Expect

Military children often change schools several times, and every move can interrupt therapy, school supports and the routines your child relies on. Three systems are usually involved: EFMP (assignment coordination and family support), TRICARE (the ACD for ABA, plus ECHO for active duty families) and your new Maryland school system (IEP or 504 plan). Each has its own paperwork and timelines, and none of them automatically talks to the others, so a written plan and a hand-carried folder do a lot of the work.

Maryland is in the TRICARE East Region. If your child is under three, the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program provides early intervention through an IFSP; our comparison of the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program and private autism programs explains how the two can fit together. For payer questions, see our guide to funding autism testing and ABA in Maryland.

EFMP Enrollment: Confirm Yours Before Orders Move You

The Exceptional Family Member Program is a Department of Defense program that each service branch runs. According to Military OneSource, EFMP has three parts: identification and enrollment, assignment coordination, and family support. Enrollment is mandatory for active duty service members whose spouse, child or other dependent has qualifying medical or educational needs, so those needs can be considered when assignments are made.

• Ask your EFMP office for the current forms. Medical needs are documented on DD Form 2792, and early intervention or special education needs on DD Form 2792-1.
• Attach recent evaluations, treatment plans and any IEP, IFSP or 504 plan.
• Update enrollment when your child’s needs change and on the schedule your branch sets; outdated paperwork can slow things down.
• Ask the EFMP family support staff at your gaining installation for local resources and referrals. EFMP coordinates and connects; it does not diagnose or provide therapy.

Our page on EFMP and autism support for military spouses and families covers how EFMP, the ACD and ECHO fit together in more detail.

What the Autism Care Demonstration (ACD) Covers

According to TRICARE’s Autism Care Demonstration page, the ACD covers applied behavior analysis (ABA) that targets the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. ABA under the ACD is separate from the TRICARE medical benefit, which covers other clinically necessary services such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, psychological services, psychological testing and prescription drugs. TRICARE says the ACD is currently authorized through December 31, 2028.

Who Qualifies for the ACD

TRICARE says ABA under the ACD is available to qualifying family members of active duty service members, retirees and certain National Guard and Reserve members. Your child must be enrolled in a TRICARE health plan and diagnosed with autism by an approved diagnosing provider. TRICARE lists which provider types qualify, so check before you book an evaluation.

A school’s educational autism classification for an IEP is not the same thing as a medical diagnosis. Our guide to medical autism diagnosis vs. school IEP eligibility in Maryland explains why many families need both.

Referrals, Authorizations and Your Navigator

• A referral to the ACD and pre-authorization are required for all ABA services, on every TRICARE plan.
• Authorizations are generally issued for six months at a time, and a new referral from the diagnosing provider is generally required every two years.
• TRICARE assigns most ACD families an autism services navigator, who coordinates care and builds a comprehensive care plan that includes moving and transition support.
• You pay your plan’s copayment or cost-share for ABA services; TRICARE says there are no yearly or lifetime caps on clinically necessary ABA.

The ECHO Requirement for Active Duty Families

TRICARE says active duty sponsors with a child diagnosed with autism must enroll in their branch’s EFMP, and the child must also enroll in the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO). ECHO offers supplemental services for active duty family members and some other beneficiaries with qualifying conditions. Families generally register with a case manager in their TRICARE region and need pre-authorization for ECHO services. ECHO registration is not retroactive, so registering early helps, and monthly cost-shares and coverage limits apply.

Before you move, ask your case manager to confirm your child’s ECHO registration in writing and keep a copy in your hand-carry folder.

Your 60-Day Pre-PCS Checklist

The timing below is a suggestion, not a TRICARE rule. Start earlier if you can, and log every call with the date, the person you spoke with and what they told you.

Will Your ABA Authorization Survive the Move?

It may, but do not assume it will. An ABA authorization lists a specific provider, services, units and dates, and changing ABA providers after a move generally means new authorization steps. TRICARE suggests talking with your child’s case manager and regional contractor before you move so they can help you find new providers and keep care going with fewer gaps.

Contact TRICARE East Early

In Maryland, Humana Military is the TRICARE East Region contractor. Call 800-444-5445 or use your secure account to ask:

• Whether your child’s current referral and authorization appear in East Region records, and when they expire.
• What your new Maryland ABA provider needs before the first session, including any new assessment or treatment plan.
• How to confirm ECHO registration and update your address and plan in DEERS after you arrive.

Ask for written confirmation of anything that affects authorizations. TRICARE also notes that if you are not offered care within its 28-day specialty care access standard, you can contact your regional contractor for help. Our TRICARE East behavioral health referral rules guide covers related referral questions for family members.

Records to Hand-Carry Before the Movers Arrive

Anything packed in a shipment can be out of reach for weeks. Keep these in a folder that travels with you, with digital copies as a backup:

• The diagnostic evaluation and the referral from your child’s diagnosing provider.
• Current ABA authorization letter, treatment plan, progress reports and outcome measures.
• EFMP paperwork (DD Form 2792 / 2792-1) and ECHO registration confirmation.
• The current IEP, IFSP or 504 plan, eligibility evaluation, progress reports and any behavior or communication supports.
• A current medication list with dosing instructions, and enough refills to bridge the move.
• Signed releases so current and future providers can share records.

Finding ABA and Evaluations After You Arrive

Availability changes often and varies across Maryland, so treat any list of providers as a starting point. When you call an ABA practice near your new installation, ask:

• Is the practice TRICARE-authorized for the ACD, and is the supervising behavior analyst (BCBA) named on your child’s authorization?
• Which settings are offered (home, clinic or community), and what is the current waitlist and expected start date?
• Which records and assessments do they need from you before intake?

If your child still needs a diagnosis, ask each evaluator whether they meet TRICARE’s diagnosing-provider requirements and how long written reports take. Our guide to preparing for an ADOS-2 evaluation explains what a structured assessment can involve. Separately, public school systems have a duty under federal law to identify and evaluate children who may need special education (34 CFR 300.111), so you can ask your county school system about an evaluation even before your child’s first day.

How to Transfer an Out-of-State IEP to Maryland Schools

Your child’s IEP does not lose its force at the state line. Under federal rules (34 CFR 300.323(f)), when a child with an IEP transfers from another state within the same school year, the new school must provide a free appropriate public education, including services comparable to the current IEP, in consultation with you, until it conducts any evaluation it needs and develops a new IEP if appropriate. The Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children likewise calls for comparable services while the receiving school reviews the IEP; it does not replace federal special education law, and “comparable” does not mean identical.

Which County School Office Gets Your First Call?

In Maryland, special education is run by the county school system (or Baltimore City Public Schools) for your home address, not by the installation. Call that system’s enrollment or special education office, share your move date and your child’s current IEP, and ask who coordinates incoming students with IEPs. Each local system also has a family support resource, often called a Partners for Success center, that is part of the Maryland State Department of Education’s family support network. These centers help families understand the IEP process and prepare for meetings.

Ask for an IEP Meeting Before Day One

Follow that first call with a written request for an IEP team meeting, ideally before your child’s first school day. Ask the team to:

• Document which comparable services will start, with frequency, setting and start dates.
• Review the hand-carried records: signed IEP, evaluations, progress reports and accommodations.
• Plan arrival, dismissal, transportation and how schedule changes will be explained to your child.
• Explain any new evaluation they propose and its timeline.

Keep copies of everything and put concerns in writing. For younger children moving from an early-intervention program into school, our guide to transitioning from an early-intervention autism program to Maryland public schools covers the timeline in more depth.

School Support vs. TRICARE ABA: Who Pays for What?

The two systems have different jobs. Your Maryland school provides the special education and related services in the IEP that your child needs for a free appropriate public education, at no cost to you. TRICARE’s ACD covers clinically necessary ABA that targets the core symptoms of autism, with a referral and pre-authorization. ABA in a school setting under the ACD has its own rules and approvals, so ask your regional contractor before planning it, and share the IEP with your ABA team so goals support each other rather than overlap.

Who to Call When the Moving Truck Leaves

Maryland’s Autism Waiver offers home and community-based services for eligible children through a registry, and the wait can be long. If you expect to be in Maryland for a while, ask the program how a military move affects your child’s place on the registry.

How Blue Sails Counseling Can Help

Blue Sails offers autism evaluations with a PsyD clinician, where the ADOS-2 may be one part, plus ABA therapy with BCBA oversight, an early-intervention autism program for young children and parent coaching and family training to practice strategies during everyday routines. Our autism services accept Maryland Medicaid and TRICARE. Coverage, referrals and authorizations depend on your child’s plan and the service, so ask intake to check your benefits before care starts, including whether a specific service, such as ABA under the ACD, is available for your child. See insurance and billing for details.

Moves are hard on parents too. Counseling for parents, spouses and couples is available in Rockville, in Lusby or by telehealth across Maryland, and psychiatric medication management is also available when clinically appropriate. Our pages on care for Maryland veterans and military families, active duty TRICARE East behavioral health and couples and family counseling explain more.

If you are moving to Maryland, you can contact our team before you arrive to ask which records help and what the next steps are. Call (410) 231-0488 or use our client intake form; please do not email clinical details.

If you are in crisis, call 911, go to the nearest ER, or call or text 988. Service members, veterans and their families can also press 1 after calling 988 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. Blue Sails is not an emergency service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my child’s ABA authorization transfer when we PCS to Maryland?

Not automatically. An authorization lists a provider, services and dates, and a new Maryland ABA provider generally needs its own authorization steps. Tell your autism services navigator as soon as you have orders and ask Humana Military, the TRICARE East contractor, what continuing care in Maryland requires.

Do we need ECHO for ABA if we are an active duty family?

TRICARE says active duty sponsors with a child diagnosed with autism must enroll in EFMP and the child must also enroll in ECHO. ECHO registration is not retroactive, so confirm it before you move and keep written confirmation.

Will a Maryland school honor my child’s out-of-state IEP?

Under federal rules and the Interstate Compact for military children, the new school must provide services comparable to the current IEP, in consultation with you, until it adopts that IEP or develops a new one. It may evaluate your child first, and comparable does not mean identical.

Does TRICARE pay for supports my child receives at school?

Services in the IEP are provided by the school system at no cost to families. TRICARE’s Autism Care Demonstration covers clinically necessary ABA with a referral and pre-authorization, and ABA in a school setting has its own approval rules, so check with your regional contractor.

Can Blue Sails help after we arrive in Maryland?

Yes. Blue Sails offers autism evaluations, ABA therapy with BCBA oversight, an early-intervention autism program, parent coaching and counseling for parents and families. Our autism services accept Maryland Medicaid and TRICARE; intake can check your benefits and whether a specific service is available for your child before care starts.

Sources: TRICARE Autism Care Demonstration, TRICARE ECHO, Military OneSource EFMP, Military OneSource Interstate Compact, 34 CFR 300.323, 34 CFR 300.111, MSDE Family Support. Information is current as of November 2026 and may change.