This page gathers autism and disability resources for families in Arapahoe County, Colorado. You'll find 13 local resources listed here, alongside Colorado statewide programs and nationwide services, all verified and in one place. For children under three, Colorado's starting point is Early Intervention Colorado; 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.
Children's Hospital Colorado provides comprehensive autism and developmental evaluations for kids from infancy through adolescence, with standardized testing and specialty clinics for sleep, behavior, and more. They accept all insurances including Medicaid and offer services in Spanish.
Colorado's free statewide program connects families of children from birth to age 3 who have developmental delays or disabilities with evaluations and therapies like speech, physical, and developmental support. One call gets your family started, and services are built around your child's everyday routines.
This plain-language state guide walks you through what Early Intervention is, who qualifies, and how to make a referral for a child under 3. It's a gentle starting point if you're not sure whether your little one's development needs a closer look.
As Colorado's University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, JFK Partners offers interdisciplinary autism and developmental evaluations for children through adults, including a dedicated adult diagnostic clinic. Their team brings together psychology, speech, occupational therapy, and developmental pediatrics under one roof.
For children age 3 and up in the Cherry Creek School District, Child Find offers free, play-based developmental evaluations when you have concerns about your child's learning, speech, or behavior. If your child qualifies, free preschool services follow.
Developmental Pathways is the Community Centered Board for Arapahoe, Douglas, and Elbert counties, offering free developmental evaluations and early intervention services for children birth to age 3. This is often the first call for local families who have concerns about their little one's development.
Run by the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, this is the statewide gateway to free early intervention for infants and toddlers birth to age 3 with developmental delays or disabilities. Anyone, including a parent, can call the referral line to get an evaluation started close to home.
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.
AdvocacyDenver is a longtime nonprofit whose staff are trained in special education law and IEP advocacy, helping families of children with disabilities navigate the school system. Their referral and intake hotline can connect you with a child and family advocate.
The state education agency's parent hub explains your rights under IDEA, walks you through the IEP process, and lays out your options for resolving disagreements through mediation, state complaints, or due process. Staff can answer non-legal questions directly by phone or email.
Disability Law Colorado is the state's federally designated Protection and Advocacy agency, providing free legal help when a person with a disability's rights are violated, including in special education. They can advise families facing discrimination, denial of services, or seclusion and restraint at school.
PEAK is Colorado's official Parent Training and Information Center, offering free support to families of children with disabilities. Trained parent advisors can help you understand special education, prepare for IEP meetings, and become a confident advocate for your child.
This Aurora-based nonprofit is Colorado's Community Parent Resource Center, offering free coaching, workshops, and one-on-one parent advising to help you understand your child's rights under IDEA and navigate the IEP process. They especially support low-income families and offer help in Spanish.
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.
This statewide nonprofit connects families to therapy options, Medicaid waivers, support groups, and provider information, with a friendly team ready to point you in the right direction. A warm first call when you're figuring out where to turn.
Children's Colorado provides speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy with specialists trained in autism spectrum disorders, plus family-focused programs like Hanen More Than Words. Care is offered at the Anschutz campus and therapy locations across the metro area.
Colorado's Medicaid agency keeps an official, regularly updated list of enrolled pediatric behavioral therapy (ABA) providers by region across the state. It's a reliable way to find covered ABA services near you.
This Aurora-based program supports children ages 4 to 17 with intellectual or developmental disabilities who are facing mental health or behavioral crises, using approaches like ABA and CBT alongside caregiver training. They offer both inpatient and day-treatment care with specially trained staff.
This is the community centered board and single entry point for developmental disability services in Arapahoe County, and your first call for case management, funding, and connecting your child to therapies. They serve families from birth through adulthood across Arapahoe, Douglas, and Elbert counties.
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.
Colorado ABLE lets people with disabilities save and invest money in a tax-advantaged account without losing SSI or Medicaid eligibility. It's a simple way to set aside funds for disability-related expenses now or in the future.
Colorado's Home and Community-Based Services waivers, including the Children's Extensive Support (CES) waiver, help cover therapies, respite, and in-home supports for kids and adults with developmental disabilities. Call the Member Contact Center and they can point you to your local case management agency to start.
The Colorado Respite Coalition helps family caregivers find a break, including a Family Respite Reimbursement Program that can directly help pay for respite care. Their team can walk you through funding sources and local providers.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides monthly cash payments for children under 18 with a qualifying disability in families with limited income and resources. You can start the process and set up an appointment by phone with Social Security.
This statewide program provides vouchers that help family caregivers pay for respite care when other funding isn't available, acting as a payer of last resort. Families direct their own respite, and applications are currently open.
Colorado's Medicaid program offers Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waivers that help pay for supports so your child can stay in your home and community. The Member Contact Center can help you find your case management agency and understand your options.
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.
A Colorado nonprofit that hosts online and in-person support groups for parents, caregivers, teens, and siblings, plus community events like Walk With Autism where families can connect. It is a warm first stop for finding your people and local resources across the state.
A Colorado organization offering personalized autism support from early childhood through adulthood, including family coaching, adult groups, a summer camp, and school partnerships statewide. They welcome autistic individuals of all ages, including adults who often struggle to find services.
This program matches you one-on-one with another trained parent who has been through raising a child with a disability, so you never feel alone. They offer emotional support, resource guides, and help for Spanish-speaking and underserved families.
A long-running Colorado Springs nonprofit providing respite care, day programs, and recreation (including Special Olympics) for children and adults with disabilities and their families. They offer families a trusted place to find care and community across the lifespan.
Developmental Pathways is the community-centered board for Arapahoe County, and its state-funded Family Support Program can help pay for respite so you can take a break from caregiving, plus other extra costs of raising a child with a developmental disability. A coordinator walks alongside your family to connect you with local resources.
South Suburban Parks and Recreation, the public district serving Littleton, Centennial, and parts of Arapahoe County, runs STAR: adaptive recreation like fitness, arts, gym games, dances, and outings designed for children and adults with disabilities. It's a chance for your child to play and belong close to home.
Located in Aurora, this community center offers free support groups for caregivers, teens, and autistic adults, plus social gatherings, workshops, and holiday celebrations open to everyone. Everything is free and no diagnosis is required to attend.
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.
This state agency helps adults with disabilities, including autism, find and keep meaningful work through job training, coaching, and on-the-job support. You don't have to be on disability benefits to work with them, and services are individualized to your loved one's strengths and goals.
A trusted Colorado nonprofit since 1994, CFPD administers pooled and individual special needs trusts that let families set aside money for a loved one without jeopardizing their Medicaid or SSI benefits. They also offer representative payee, ABLE account help, and benefits navigation for long-term planning.
Colorado's Medicaid agency oversees the long-term services that support adults with I/DD, including adult day programs, supported employment, and residential supports through Home and Community-Based Services waivers. Your local Case Management Agency helps determine eligibility and connect your family to these programs.
For young people aging out of children's Medicaid programs, these state Transition Services provide coordination and supports to help your loved one move toward more independent, community-based living. It's a helpful bridge during a major life change into adulthood.
This state entity within the Judicial Department is a trusted place to understand guardianship and, just as importantly, the less-restrictive alternatives like supported decision-making and powers of attorney. They emphasize that guardianship should be a last resort and can help families weigh what's right for an adult child.
DVR is the state agency that helps people with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep a job. They offer job coaching, training, and youth transition support so your young adult can move toward meaningful, paid employment.
A long-running nonprofit program that guides families through the guardianship process for an adult child with disabilities. They offer training classes, petition-filing help, and professional or volunteer guardians when a family needs one.
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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