County Board Developmental Disabilities Ohio: How to Apply and What Services Are Available

Ohio's long-term developmental disability services are administered locally — not by a single state office, but by 88 individual County Boards of Developmental Disabilities (CBDD), one per county, overseen by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD). This means the services available, the wait times, and even the local program options vary significantly depending on where you live.

For families transitioning a teenager from school-based services to adult supports, the county board is the most critical relationship to establish early. The county board doesn't replace the school, OOD, or Social Security — it fills the space those systems don't cover: ongoing home and community-based supports, adult day services, residential options, and the Medicaid waivers that fund them.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for county board services, the individual must demonstrate a qualifying developmental disability that:

• Manifested before age 22
• Is expected to continue indefinitely
• Is a chronic, severe physical or cognitive impairment (a sole diagnosis of mental illness does not qualify)
• Results in substantial functional limitations in at least three out of seven life activity domains

The seven domains are:

1. Mobility
2. Self-Care
3. Self-Direction
4. Capacity for Independent Living
5. Learning
6. Receptive and Expressive Language
7. Economic Self-Sufficiency (assessed only for individuals 16 and older)

The Age-16 Redetermination

Ohio requires formal eligibility redeterminations at ages 3, 6, and 16. The transition at 16 is particularly significant because the assessment tool changes from the Children's Ohio Eligibility Determination Instrument (COEDI) to the adult version (OEDI).

The adult assessment uses different functional baselines and adds the economic self-sufficiency domain. Some youth who qualified under the children's assessment may be found ineligible at 16 — the OEDI evaluates independence expectations at an adult level, not a child's level.

If your child is found ineligible at the age-16 redetermination, the county board must provide a written denial and information on how to file an administrative appeal. This is worth pursuing: the assessment is based on a point-in-time evaluation, and providing additional documentation (detailed IEP progress reports, therapist evaluations, daily living skills assessments) can change the outcome.

What County Board Services Include

Once eligible, the young adult is assigned a Service and Support Administrator (SSA) who develops an Individual Service Plan (ISP). The SSA is the primary point of contact for coordinating services and navigating the waiver system.

County board services can include:

• Adult day services — Structured daytime programming focused on skill building, socialization, and community participation
• Supported employment — Ongoing job coaching beyond what OOD's time-limited VR services provide
• Residential support — Funding for supervised living arrangements, group homes, or in-home support staff
• Personal care — Assistance with daily living activities like bathing, dressing, and meal preparation
• Respite care — Temporary relief for family caregivers
• Transportation — Rides to and from day programs, employment, and community activities
• Environmental accessibility adaptations — Home modifications to improve accessibility

The specific services available depend on which Medicaid waiver the individual is enrolled in (Level One, SELF, or IO) and the county board's locally funded programs.

Geographic Variation

County boards are funded primarily through local property tax levies, which means funding levels differ dramatically across the state. A young adult in Cuyahoga County has access to a different service landscape than one in a rural Appalachian county.

Some counties have robust local programs that serve individuals who aren't yet on a waiver. Others have minimal non-waiver resources. Your SSA can explain what's available locally, but be aware that the services listed on the state website may not match what's practically accessible in your specific county.

Starting the Process

Don't wait for the age-16 redetermination to make contact. Families can reach out to their local CBDD at any age to begin the intake process. Early contact means you're in the system, you have a relationship with the eligibility team, and you're aware of local timelines and requirements before the high-stakes transition to adult services begins.

Contact information for all 88 county boards is available through the DODD website at dodd.ohio.gov. Look for your county's board, call the intake department, and ask about the eligibility process for a transition-age student.

The Ohio IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide includes a county board application prep worksheet and a waiver comparison matrix that helps families understand which services map to which waiver program.

See more Ohio guides →