This regional center intake checklist lists the records California regional centers use to decide eligibility. Bring copies of evaluation reports, medical and school records, insurance cards, and a short summary of your child’s daily needs. Under state law, initial intake must happen within 15 working days of your request, so start gathering now. Requirements vary by regional center, and missing papers won’t stop the process.
Quick answer
Regional center intake checklist: Bring copies of any diagnosis or evaluation reports, therapy reports, medical records related to the delay or disability, the latest IEP, and insurance or Medi-Cal cards. Add a list of doctors and medications, legal papers if they apply, and a one-page summary of your child’s needs. Each regional center sets its own list.
Last checked: November 10, 2026. This is general information, not legal or medical advice.
What belongs on a regional center intake checklist?
A good checklist covers four kinds of paper: reports that describe your child’s development, medical records, school records, and identity and insurance documents. Add your own notes, because intake forms ask detailed history questions. Westside Regional Center notes that for young children, intake may be the first assessment, with no prior records at all.
Each item below is marked:
- Usually asked: most intake teams want it.
- Sometimes asked: depends on your regional center or situation.
- For you: not required, but it makes intake easier.
Bring copies, never originals. Keep one set for yourself.
1. Evaluations and diagnosis reports
- Autism diagnosis report or developmental evaluation (usually asked)
- All psychological evaluations by a licensed psychologist (usually asked)
- Speech, occupational and physical therapy reports, school or private (usually asked)
- Developmental screening results from your pediatrician (sometimes asked)
- Early Start records and the IFSP, if your child had them (sometimes asked)
2. Medical records
- Records related to the developmental disability, such as genetic testing or a syndrome diagnosis (usually asked)
- Neurology or psychiatry notes (sometimes asked)
- Hospital and NICU discharge summaries (sometimes asked)
- List of current medications, with dose and reason (usually asked)
- List of doctors, psychologists and therapists, with addresses, phone numbers and dates seen (usually asked)
3. School and child care records
- The latest IEP, plus earlier IEPs and triennial reviews (usually asked if your child has one)
- Psychoeducational reports from the school psychologist (usually asked)
- Teacher notes, report cards or child care notes about daily functioning (sometimes asked)
- Any behavior plan (sometimes asked)
4. Identity, insurance and legal papers
- Copies of health coverage cards: private insurance, Medi-Cal, Medicare or TRICARE (usually asked)
- Birth certificate and Social Security number (sometimes asked)
- Proof of address, since each center serves set areas (sometimes asked)
- Letters of guardianship, final adoption papers or conservatorship letters, if they apply (usually asked when relevant)
- Information on other agencies involved, such as CCS, SSI or IHSS (sometimes asked)
5. Your own notes (for you)
- A one-page summary of daily needs: communication, sleep, eating, toileting, safety, behavior and what helps
- Ages, in months, when your child sat, walked, said first words and spoke phrases
- Pregnancy and birth history, including weeks of pregnancy and any hospital stay
- Family health history, such as relatives with autism or other developmental disabilities
- When you first became concerned, and any skills your child has lost
Intake questionnaires ask for this history. Writing it down before the appointment saves you from guessing on the spot.
Why intake asks for each document, and where to get it
Every record helps the eligibility team see whether your child has a qualifying developmental disability and how much it affects daily life. The table shows where each one comes from.
| Document | Why they ask | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis or psychological evaluation | Shows the condition and its impact | The psychologist, developmental pediatrician or clinic that did it |
| Therapy reports | Shows current skills and delays | Your therapists or the school district |
| Medical records | Shows causes, conditions and history | Your doctor’s office or hospital records department; health plan portal |
| IEP and school psych reports | Shows how the disability affects learning | Your school district’s special education office |
| Insurance or Medi-Cal card | Regional centers use other coverage first | Your health plan or county Medi-Cal office |
| Guardianship or adoption papers | Shows who can sign for the child | The court that issued them |
| Your one-page summary | Shows daily needs the reports may miss | You write it |
Not having insurance can’t be used to deny or reduce services, according to the Disability Rights California guide to preparing for intake. For a real example of a center’s list, see the Redwood Coast Regional Center intake packet.
How the intake team uses your documents
Under Welfare and Institutions Code section 4642, initial intake must happen within 15 working days of your request. Since January 1, 2025, by the end of that period the center must either decide eligibility or decide whether to assess your child, and tell you. If it says no, it must send written notice.
- Sign the consent or release. It lets the center request records directly. Sending copies yourself is usually faster.
- Existing reports can count. A recent, thorough evaluation may reduce the testing the center needs.
- Assessment, if needed: for ages 3 and up, Westside Regional Center says intake can take up to 120 days.
- Under 3: children go through the Early Start program for babies and toddlers, with a 45-day timeline.
Our step-by-step guide on how to apply for regional center services covers the intake call and forms. To check the criteria first, see regional center eligibility for autism.
Questions to ask at your intake appointment
Bring a short list of questions, and write down the answers with the date. These cover the points families most often need later.
- Who is my intake coordinator, and how do I reach them?
- Will you use my existing reports, or schedule your own assessment?
- Which records are you still missing?
- When will I get the eligibility decision, and in what form?
- Can I get copies of every report you write?
- Can meetings and documents be in my preferred language?
- If I disagree with the decision, how do I appeal?
If the answer is a denial, our guide to regional center fair hearings and appeals explains the deadlines.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an autism diagnosis before regional center intake?
No. You can request intake based on a concern. If there is no diagnosis or evaluation yet, the regional center can assess your child. Young children often have no prior records, and Westside Regional Center says that is fine.
What if I can’t get all the records in time?
Go to the appointment anyway. Westside Regional Center says collecting records can continue during intake. Sign the release so the center can request what is missing, and tell the intake coordinator which offices still owe you records.
Does regional center intake cost anything?
No. Westside Regional Center states that intake and the assessments done during it are free, regardless of citizenship status. Regional centers may ask about your insurance because other coverage pays first for services later.
Is every regional center’s checklist the same?
No. California has many regional centers, and each uses its own intake form and records list. Use this checklist to prepare, then ask your center for its packet. Some centers, like Redwood Coast, publish theirs online.
Next step
Once your child is found eligible, the next meeting is the Individual Program Plan. Our guide to the regional center IPP meeting shows how to prepare, and your intake folder becomes your IPP folder. For the full path from diagnosis to services, see our family guide to autism services in California.
Need help sorting out where to start? Call the Autism Society of California information line at 1-800-869-7069, or find a parent group through Autism Society affiliates in California.