Innovative Services for Students with Autism

The 2026–2027 Innovative Services for Students with Autism, Cycle 3, Year 1 grant program is administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and authorized by the General Appropriations Act, Article III, Rider 13(f)(5), passed by the 89th Texas Legislature. This state-funded initiative provides nearly $9.73 million in funding to support the implementation of innovative educational services by Texas school systems, targeting improvements in functional and academic outcomes for students with autism. The overarching aim is to generate effective, scalable models of support that can be replicated throughout the state, contributing to long-term systemic improvements in educational approaches for autistic students. Eligible applicants include school districts and open-enrollment charter schools in Texas that have been pre-approved for application following a competitive selection process administered by Education Service Center (ESC) Region 13. These institutions are expected to apply via TEA’s Standard Application System (SAS), which requires submission of both narrative and budget components. Additionally, participation in Shared Services Arrangements (SSAs) is permitted under this grant, allowing for collaborative proposals and broader service coverage across regions. Funding under this grant may be used for a wide variety of activities directly supporting the education of students with autism. These include payroll costs for staff dedicated to grant implementation, including program directors and credentialed personnel, substitute pay to facilitate training attendance, contracted services for training and professional development, and costs for consumable and durable instructional supplies. Technology, instructional resources, curriculum development, community-based instruction (CBI), and related transportation costs are all allowable expenses. Specialized services such as interpreter support for parent engagement and stipends to non-employee participants are also permitted when directly aligned with grant goals. Importantly, all allowable costs must be clearly tied to program goals, as outlined in each applicant’s grant proposal. Certain activities require specific approval within the application, such as travel for students to conferences and costs for non-employees attending autism-related training. However, many other uses are explicitly disallowed, including out-of-state travel, field trips, purchase of vehicles, and hosting of conferences. Pre-award costs are also not permitted under this program. Applicants are expected to meet programmatic requirements established by TEA, such as full compliance with approved goals, submission of proposed change requests before amendments, and active participation in program events and reporting. Grantees will collect data on performance metrics and provide mid-year and end-of-year reports on outcomes, implementation, and potential for replication. Fingerprinting requirements for staff apply as per Texas Education Code Section 22.0834, and administrative costs are limited to 8% for direct costs and the grantee’s approved restricted indirect rate. Applications opened on March 25, 2026, and will close on April 24, 2026. No cost-sharing or matching requirement applies to this funding opportunity, and it is not classified as recurring. Contact information for program inquiries includes Nathan Pullen, Program Manager at TEA’s Special Education Technical Assistance Division, who can be reached at [email protected] or (512) 463-8859. The full program guidelines are available in the PDF provided by TEA.