Why Orvana exists
When your child is newly diagnosed, the help you need is scattered across a dozen agencies, acronyms, and dead-end web pages. Orvana pulls the trustworthy ones into one place, organized by where you actually live.
It's free, open to everyone, and takes no account to use. It covers all 50 states across the six areas families ask about most: diagnosis & early intervention, school & IEP rights, therapy, financial help and Medicaid, support groups, and adult transition.
How we verify every listing
A listing that's wrong is worse than none — so before anything is published:
- Authoritative sources first. We prioritize government agencies, 211, hospital and university programs, and established nonprofits (Autism Society, The Arc, your state's Parent Center).
- Every link is loaded and checked — not just found. We confirm the page is live, belongs to the real organization, and still serves families in that area.
- Dead links are removed, not published. Each listing shows the date it was last verified and a link to its source.
- We re-check over time, because programs, phone numbers, and eligibility change.
Even so, details change. Listings are informational, not endorsements — always confirm with the provider before you rely on them, and nothing here is medical or legal advice. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it →
Who's behind Orvana
Orvana is built by Nelvin Johnson with a simple belief: no parent of an autistic child should have to figure this out alone. The resource directory is the first piece — a warm, private community for autism parents is coming next.