Arizona Disability Plans, Services & Rights for Families | Accessible Hive
Bee LEARN • Arizona

Arizona Disability Plans, Services & Rights

A family guide to IEPs, DDD / ALTCS services, and disability decisions.

Start with the problem in front of you. You do not need to understand every system today.
Reading options
School IEP, evaluation, 504, behavior, AT, or transition Start here for Arizona school supports and special education. DDD / ALTCS PCSP, Habilitation, Attendant Care, HNT, or ECR Start here for Arizona home and community services. A decision was made Something was refused, reduced, denied, or changed Start here to figure out which written notice or next step may fit.
Arizona-specific. State procedures, DDD / ALTCS policies, and implementation dates can differ elsewhere.
Find your starting point

Which system are you dealing with?

Pick one. You can come back for the others later.

Arizona school

IEP, evaluation, 504 plan, behavior support, assistive technology, or transition.

Go to school guides →
Who runs these Arizona systems?
DDD / ALTCS

DES / DDD + AHCCCS

DDD coordinates developmental disability services. AHCCCS administers Arizona Medicaid and ALTCS.

Official Arizona DDD site →
School

Special education & school supports

Choose the guide that matches the school question you have today.

IDEA + Section 504
IEP
Available now

IEP at a Glance

Understand the Arizona IEP process, goals, services, accommodations, progress, parent participation, draft IEP guidance, and Prior Written Notice.

Use it whenYour child has an IEP, is being evaluated for special education, or an IEP meeting is coming up.
Open IEP at a Glance →
504
Coming soon

504 Plan at a Glance

Understand Section 504 in Arizona schools, including evaluation, FAPE, accommodations, and related aids or services.

Use it whenYour child needs disability-related access or support but may not need IDEA special education.
Coming Soon
EVAL
Coming soon

Evaluation at a Glance

Understand how an Arizona special education evaluation moves from concern to testing, eligibility, and educational need.

Arizona timelineAfter a written parent request, the school generally has 15 school days to begin reviewing existing data or issue Prior Written Notice refusing the evaluation. After consent, the evaluation is generally completed within 60 days.
Coming Soon
BIP
Coming soon

FBA + BIP at a Glance

Understand Functional Behavioral Assessments, Behavior Intervention Plans, positive supports, replacement skills, data, and IDEA discipline protections.

ImportantAn FBA or BIP is not automatically required for every behavior. Different IDEA duties apply depending on the situation.
Coming Soon
AT
Coming soon

Assistive Technology + AAC at a Glance

Understand assistive technology, AAC, access tools, services, implementation, and how AT differs from a skill goal.

IEP ruleThe IEP team must consider whether the student needs assistive technology when the IEP is developed, reviewed, or revised.
Coming Soon
18+
Coming soon

Transition at a Glance

Understand postsecondary goals, transition assessment, course of study, coordinated activities, student voice, and connections to adult systems.

Arizona timingTransition services must be in effect when the student completes 9th grade or reaches age 16, whichever comes first, or earlier if the IEP team decides.
Coming Soon
Arizona DDD / ALTCS

Plans, care & skill-building services

Choose the guide that matches the DDD / ALTCS service or planning question in front of you.

Arizona
PCSP
Available now

PCSP / ISP at a Glance

Understand Arizona DDD’s Person-Centered Service Plan: assessed needs, goals, services, informal supports, the Support Coordinator, and planning reviews.

Think of it asThe overall DDD / ALTCS plan. Families may still hear the older term ISP.
Open PCSP / ISP at a Glance →
HAB
Available now

Habilitation at a Glance

Understand Arizona DDD Habilitation: skill-building, teaching strategies, support levels, and progress.

Think of it asWhat skill is being acquired, retained, or improved — and what does the progress data show?
Open Habilitation at a Glance →
ATC
Coming soon

Attendant Care at a Glance

Understand Arizona Attendant Care: personal care, homemaking, general supervision, assessed need, and how ATC differs from Habilitation.

Think of it asWhat everyday help or supervision does the person still need at home and in the community?
Coming Soon
HNT
Coming soon

HNT + ECR at a Glance

Understand Arizona’s HCBS Needs Tool and when Extraordinary Care Review can apply for an ALTCS child under 18.

Current Arizona statusRevised HNT / ECR implementation is planned for December 1, 2026. Recheck the final policy before publishing this guide.
Coming Soon
The quick distinction:
PCSP = What needs, goals, services, and supports are in the overall person-centered plan?
Habilitation = What skill is being acquired, retained, or improved?
Attendant Care = What personal-care, homemaking, or supervision help is still needed?
Rights + decisions

When something is denied or changed

Start with three questions: Who made the decision? What changed? What written notice did you receive?

School

Proposal or refusal

For IDEA decisions in Arizona schools, look at the IEP process and Prior Written Notice (PWN). Arizona Department of Education guidance emphasizes that PWN should clearly explain the actual proposal or refusal and the reasons for it.

DDD / ALTCS

Service decision

For Arizona DDD/ALTCS, a denial, reduction, suspension, or termination can trigger a Notice of Adverse Benefit Determination (NOABD). DDD states that an appeal generally must be requested within 60 calendar days of the notice. A grievance, reassessment, or ECR may fit other issues; ECR is limited to the child HNT age/cap situation and does not replace appeal rights.

Start with the document

What exactly happened?

Save the date, request, decision, reason, data relied on, written notice, and implementation date. Those details usually tell you which next step fits.

NO
Coming soon

When They Say No at a Glance

Figure out which route may fit when a school or Arizona service system refuses, reduces, denies, or changes something.

Use it whenYou know a decision was made but are not sure whether the next step is PWN, an IEP review, grievance, reassessment, ECR, appeal, or another process.
Coming Soon
Accessible Hive method

Understand it. Prepare. Bring it to the team.

Bee LEARN explains the system. Bee PRACTICE helps you organize information for the real meeting or decision.

01
UnderstandUse Bee LEARN to understand the plan, service, assessment, or right.
02
NoticeLook at what is actually happening at school, home, therapy, or in daily life.
03
PrepareUse Bee PRACTICE tools to organize goals, progress, needs, questions, and meeting notes.
04
Bring it backUse the information with the team to make the next individualized decision.
Official Arizona sources

Official Arizona sources

Use these primary Arizona and federal sources when a decision depends on a current rule, timeline, or policy.

How this gateway was checked: legal and policy statements are based primarily on current Arizona Department of Education, Arizona DES/DDD, AHCCCS, U.S. Department of Education, and IDEA regulatory sources. Accessibility choices are informed by WCAG 2.2, including readable contrast, text resizing/reflow, visible keyboard focus, and adequately sized controls. This is a navigation and education page, not a substitute for an individualized legal or benefits determination.
Content verification date: August 31, 2026. Recheck time-sensitive Arizona policies before publishing updates.
Show official sources used for this page
Arizona Department of Education — Special Education → Arizona ADE — Special Education Timelines → Arizona ADE — IEP FAQs → Arizona ADE — IEP Practical Suggestions → Arizona DES — Division of Developmental Disabilities → Arizona DDD — Planning Meeting & PPCG Updates → AHCCCS — ALTCS / HNT / ECR Updates → IDEA §300.320 — IEP Content & Progress Reporting → IDEA §300.324 — IEP Development, Behavior & AT Consideration → IDEA §300.503 — Prior Written Notice → U.S. Department of Education — Section 504 FAQs → W3C — Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 →
Start small

Start with one guide.

Choose the plan, service, or decision you are dealing with now. When you are ready to prepare, track, or organize information for a meeting, move into Bee PRACTICE.

Choose a guide Explore Bee PRACTICE →

Accessible Hive resources are educational and are not legal, medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. This page is written for Arizona. Federal and Arizona laws, agency policies, forms, and implementation dates can change. Verify time-sensitive decisions with the current Arizona agency source.

Accessible Hive • Arizona Disability Plans, Services & Rights for Families • Bee LEARN
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