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County designates April 2026 as Autism Acceptance Month and highlights gaps in IDD service data
Summary
During recognition of Autism Acceptance Month, Harris County leaders and community advocates highlighted service volumes at the Harris Center, long wait lists for early-intervention services, and a lack of up-to-date regional prevalence data for intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Harris County Commissioners Court on Wednesday designated April 2026 as Autism Acceptance Month and heard from health-care and family advocates who urged more resources and updated data for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Dr. Kia Walker, chief nursing officer at the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD, thanked the court for the resolution and said the center served nearly 89,000 people in fiscal year 2025, fielded more than 304 access-and-crisis-line calls and answered 988 calls providing 24/7 support. Walker and other speakers said the county’s diversion efforts have kept many people out of jail and into care: “Over 16,000 individuals have received care instead of jail time,” Walker said.
Parents and volunteers from Autism Moms of Houston described long wait lists for services and the grassroots creation of programs such as the Alex Autism Alliance, which they said has been built largely by volunteers without stable funding. Multiple speakers asked the court to support better early-intervention access, faster diagnostics, and more inclusion in workplaces and recreation.
Judge Lina Hidalgo read background statistics during the resolution, noting that regional IDD prevalence estimates come from older data (the judge cited a 2014 figure and said the county has not had contemporary counts), and that the county has invested federal funds in local mental-health infrastructure. The court adopted the autism/IDD resolution as part of its packet of recognitions; no budgetary appropriation was enacted at the hearing.
The court asked county staff to continue work to update local IDD prevalence estimates and to ensure the Harris Center and partnering providers have needed operational support.
Ending: The resolution honors the community and asks continued county support; county staff indicated follow-up on data and service coordination would continue after the meeting.
