This page gathers autism and disability resources for families in Benton County, Arkansas. You'll find 14 local resources listed here, alongside Arkansas statewide programs and nationwide services, all verified and in one place. For children under three, Arkansas's starting point is First Connections; for school-age children, special education and IEPs run through your local school district. Confirm details directly with each provider.
Diagnosis & Early Intervention
Getting an evaluation and accessing early services.
Free CDC milestone checklists and a Milestone Tracker app help you follow your child's development from 2 months to 5 years, so you know what to watch for and when to act. A gentle first step when you're unsure whether to seek an evaluation.
The state's Developmental Disabilities Services division explains how autism diagnosis and services work in Arkansas and can connect your family to evaluations, funding, and support programs. It's a helpful starting point for understanding your options across the state.
A partnership between UAMS and Arkansas DHS that brings autism screening and developmental evaluations to communities across the state, helping families get answers faster and shortening the wait for a diagnosis. Suspected cases are fast-tracked to the Dennis Developmental Center for a full evaluation.
Arkansas's free early intervention program for babies and toddlers from birth to age 3 who have a developmental delay or disability. Evaluations are free, and supports like speech, physical, and occupational therapy happen right in your home or community at little or no cost.
This is Arkansas's primary center for diagnosing autism and other developmental conditions in children, with a team of developmental pediatricians, psychologists, and speech-language pathologists. They offer full evaluations and hold outreach clinics in communities across the state.
A team of developmental pediatricians, psychologists, and speech-language pathologists right here in Northwest Arkansas who do comprehensive autism diagnostic evaluations and developmental assessments for children from birth to 18. This is one of the closest places for a full autism diagnosis if you live in Benton County.
School & IEP Rights
IEPs, 504 plans, special education, and school advocacy.
Every state has a federally funded Parent Training & Information Center offering free help with IEPs, special-education rights, and early intervention. This hub's directory locates the center that serves your state.
A national nonprofit protecting the rights of students with disabilities. Use their member directory to find a special-education attorney or trained advocate near you when you need help with an IEP or a dispute with a school.
Every state has a federally mandated Protection & Advocacy agency that offers free legal help when a school isn't following your child's IEP or evaluating them as required. This directory connects you to the office serving your area.
A state council offering advocacy tools, person-centered planning resources, and training to help families support a loved one with a developmental disability. Their materials cover self-advocacy, supported decision-making, and planning across your child's life.
Arkansas's federally designated protection and advocacy agency, providing free information, guidance, and in some cases legal representation to protect your child's special education rights. Their plain-language guides walk you through IEPs, evaluations, and dispute resolution.
A long-standing Arkansas nonprofit offering advocacy, support groups, and clear guidance on evaluations, eligibility, and school strategies for children with learning disabilities. A helpful place to connect with other parents who understand what you're going through.
Free civil legal help for lower-income Arkansas families, including support with special education disputes, IEP eligibility, and due process when a school isn't meeting your child's needs. Their online guides explain the referral and IEP process step by step.
This is Arkansas's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, offering free help so you can understand your child's rights and feel prepared and confident walking into IEP meetings. They serve families of children from birth through age 26 across the whole state.
The state's special education office is the official place to turn when you and your child's school disagree, offering free options like facilitated IEP meetings, mediation, formal complaints, and due process for parents anywhere in Arkansas. It's also a trusted source for understanding your rights under special education law.
Therapy & Treatment
ABA, speech, OT, and finding the right providers.
You matter too. Psychology Today's therapist finder filters for 'caregiver stress' and 'autism family,' and Open Path Collective offers reduced-cost therapy sessions nationwide. You cannot support your child well without also supporting yourself.
Easterseals Arkansas offers physical, occupational, and speech-language therapy for children from newborn to 18, including those with autism, Down syndrome, and developmental delays. A family service coordinator helps you navigate financial, medical, and educational resources, and teletherapy is available.
UAMS's developmental center in Little Rock evaluates and diagnoses autism and developmental delays in children, with a team of developmental pediatricians, speech-language pathologists, and psychologists. A Family Navigator helps you find services before and after your child's appointment.
A full children's hospital in Springdale serving families throughout Northwest Arkansas, with pediatric specialists in neurology, therapy, and many other areas. It is a trusted place to turn for your child's broader medical and developmental care.
A leading pediatric therapy provider with clinics right in Bentonville, offering ABA, speech, occupational, and physical therapy all under one roof. Families appreciate the range of services and support available in one place close to home.
Northwest Arkansas Pediatrics (part of Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas) keeps a helpful list of local autism evaluation and therapy providers, with contact details for each. It is a good starting point when you are not sure where to begin.
This UAMS Health center in Springdale is the region's go-to place for autism and developmental evaluations, offering developmental-behavioral pediatrics and psychological testing for kids across Northwest Arkansas. If you are seeking a diagnosis or next steps, their team can guide you through the process.
Financial Assistance & Benefits
Medicaid waivers, SSI, ABLE accounts, and legal aid.
ABLE accounts let people with disabilities (onset before age 26) save money tax-free without losing Medicaid or SSI eligibility. This center compares every state's ABLE program so you can pick the best one for your family.
A tax-advantaged savings account that lets your child save money for disability-related expenses without losing SSI or Medicaid. You can open one with as little as $1, and eligibility now extends to disabilities that began before age 46.
Arkansas's Medicaid home- and community-based waiver helps people with autism and other developmental disabilities get support to live in their own home and community instead of an institution. The Developmental Disabilities Services intake team can walk you through applying and joining the waiver list.
This state program reimburses family caregivers up to $300 per quarter (up to $1,200 a year) for a short break, whether that's an in-home helper or a respite center. It's open to Arkansas caregivers of children or adults living in their home, on a first-come basis.
Arkansas's Division of Developmental Disabilities Services runs the Medicaid programs that fund care for kids and adults with autism and developmental disabilities, including the CES Waiver (respite, supportive living, therapies) and TEFRA, which can qualify a child for Medicaid based on the child's income alone, not the parents'. Call DDS Intake and Referral to start an application or ask about the waiting list.
Support Groups & Community
Find your people, in person and online.
The nation's oldest grassroots autism organization. Their National Helpline connects families to information and referrals, and their affiliate finder points you to a local chapter in your area for in-person support and events.
The largest national community-based organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Local chapters offer advocacy, family support, and lifelong services. Use the chapter finder to locate the office nearest you.
Dial 2-1-1 (or visit 211.org) to reach a free, confidential referral line for local health and human services in almost every US community, including disability services, respite, food, housing, and financial assistance.
An Arkansas nonprofit that builds community for autism families through autism-friendly events, workshops, and family resources. They also offer a grants program to help support Arkansans with autism on the path toward independence.
A parent-founded center offering training, guidance, and local community chapters to help Arkansas families understand an autism diagnosis and navigate services. They host support connections, workshops, and community events like their annual Zoo Day.
A long-established nonprofit serving people with developmental disabilities and autism and their families across Arkansas since 1988. Their Children and Family Services program helps families find supports so children can thrive at home and in their community.
rEcess is a free monthly respite night held at local churches in Rogers and Bentonville, giving the whole family a break while trained volunteers care for and play with your child and their siblings. It is a warm, no-cost way to catch your breath and meet other families.
Based in Siloam Springs in Benton County, Ability Tree offers respite nights, after-school care, sports, and art classes in sensory-friendly spaces for children with disabilities and their siblings. Parents get a real break while kids are cared for and included.
A Bentonville-based nonprofit run by local families that supports parents and caregivers of autistic children across Benton and Washington counties. They host family social events, a private moms' group, and parent-education gatherings so you can connect with others walking the same road.
An Arkansas nonprofit with dedicated Northwest Arkansas programming that offers parent support groups (in person and on Zoom), respite events, and adaptive recreation like swimming, soccer, and art for kids with disabilities. It is a friendly place to find both activities for your child and support for yourself.
Adult Transition & Long-Term Planning
Aging out of school, adult services, and long-term planning.
A neurodivergent employment agency offering job support nationwide over Zoom: resume building, mock interviews, and career guidance, plus direct outreach to employers to help secure placements. Supports neurodivergent individuals roughly ages 16 to 50, and has been in business over 15 years.
Arkansas's Division of Developmental Disabilities Services runs the programs that carry your child into adulthood, including the Community and Employment Support (CES) Waiver, Adult Developmental Day Treatment, and job supports. This is the state's main doorway to long-term community-based services and the waiver waitlist.
ARS helps Arkansans with disabilities prepare for and keep a job through vocational rehabilitation, on-the-job training, assistive technology, and school-to-work transition services. With 19 field offices covering all 75 counties, they walk alongside young adults as they move into employment.
The state division that coordinates long-term services for Arkansans with developmental and intellectual disabilities, including adult developmental day treatment and the CES Waiver that funds employment supports and community living. Their Intake and Referral unit is the best place to start when planning adult and lifelong supports.
A Rogers-based nonprofit serving adults with disabilities across Northwest Arkansas since 1975, with adult day training, job placement and coaching, and a high school transition program that helps young people prepare for work and independence after graduation. They also provide accessible transportation to get participants to their programs and jobs.
The Center for Independent Living for Northwest Arkansas, with an office in Rogers and one in Fayetteville, offering free advocacy, information and referral, independent living skills training, peer support, and transition services for people with disabilities. A good first call for adults figuring out how to live more independently as they age out of school-based supports.
A note on these listings. This directory is informational and not an
endorsement. Programs, phone numbers, and eligibility change, so always confirm details
directly with the provider before relying on them. Nothing here is medical or legal advice.
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