09/03/2026
The affect on families is devastating and heartbreaking. NDC supports the change of the strict IQ rules in Connecticut’s Medicaid Programs so that individuals be safe and productive and so families don’t have to live in fear of their child’s future.
“When the state denies a young person the support they need, the entire family carries the burden.
That’s how CCA Attorney Jennifer Wheeler describes the impact of Connecticut’s current eligibility system for people with intellectual disabilities.
Now, four Connecticut families are challenging that system in court. At the center of the case is the state’s strict IQ cutoff for accessing critical Department of Developmental Services (DDS) supports.
All four young people have been diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and need support with aspects of everyday life. Yet they were denied DDS eligibility because at least one IQ test score exceeded the state’s numerical threshold. Connecticut is one of only three states that relies exclusively on an IQ threshold to determine eligibility for these services.
CCA, along with Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, PC and attorney Andrew Feinstein, is representing these families to challenge a system that can allow a single test score to outweigh a person’s diagnosis and real-world needs.
Read the CT Examiner’s coverage: https://bit.ly/4xI2pmD