Who Qualifies for Arizona ESA Funds?

juniperspeechtherapy
Jul 10
2 min read

Updated: Jul 15

*And how to use it to pay for Speech and Myofunctional Therapy.*

Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program gives families access to state education funds that can be used for private services—including Speech Therapy and Myofunctional Therapy provided by a licensed and qualified SLP. Here’s who qualifies and what you need to know:

Universal ESA Eligibility

As of 2022, all Arizona K–12 students who are eligible to attend public school qualify for ESA funding. This includes:

Homeschool students
Private school students
Online school students
Students who withdraw from public or charter school

➡️ No diagnosis, disability, or income requirement needed. If your child is school-aged in Arizona, you can apply.

Special Education ESA Funds (With Additional Support)

Children with a qualifying special education category on an IEP, MET report, or 504 plan may be eligible for ESA funds under the special education category, which often includes a higher funding amount.

These students typically have one or more of the following:

Speech-language impairment
Autism
Developmental delay
Orthopedic impairment
Specific learning disability
Hearing or vision impairment
Multiple disabilities
Other health impairment (e.g., ADHD, anxiety, seizure disorders)

This classification gives access to additional ESA funds that can be used toward:

Speech Therapy
Myofunctional Therapy
Physical Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Specialized curriculum and therapeutic supports

Using ESA for Speech and Myofunctional Therapy

As a licensed and qualified Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), I provide ESA-approved services including:

Traditional Speech and Language Therapy
Myofunctional Therapy (oral rest posture, nasal breathing, swallowing)
Parent education and collaboration with other professionals

When provided by a licensed SLP, Myofunctional Therapy falls fully within the scope of speech therapy and is eligible for ESA reimbursement through ClassWallet.