This page gathers autism and disability resources for families in Boulder County, Colorado. You'll find 18 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.
This is the local single point of entry for Boulder and Broomfield County families to reach Early Intervention services for babies and toddlers, plus a dedicated Autism Spectrum Disorder program for kids ages 5-26. Their intake team can walk you through getting your child connected and evaluated.
A local, parent-friendly nonprofit that offers a resource directory, support groups, and guidance to help Boulder County families understand autism and navigate the diagnosis process. A warm first call when you are just starting out and unsure where to turn.
A Boulder County public health effort that helps families get their young child screened for developmental concerns and connected to evaluations and early intervention. A good local starting point if you have early worries but no diagnosis yet.
Colorado's statewide program provides free developmental evaluations and support for infants and toddlers under age 3 who may have a delay or disability. One call to the referral line gets your child scheduled for an evaluation 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 local Boulder County nonprofit mentors parents through the IEP process, reviews your child's documents with you, and can sit alongside you in school meetings with Boulder Valley or St. Vrain Valley schools. Their free Decoding Special Education video series walks you through evaluations, accommodations, and more.
BVSD's special education department is your first stop if your child attends a Boulder Valley school. The page covers Child Find evaluations, autism supports, transition services, and a parent Welcome Packet in English and Spanish.
The state's official special education office explains the IEP process and your rights under IDEA, with Procedural Safeguards notices available in ten languages. It's the authoritative place to understand what the school is required to provide your child.
If your child attends a St. Vrain Valley school (Longmont and northern Boulder County), this department handles evaluations, IEP staffing, and related services from preschool through the 18–21 transition years. Their team develops and reviews your child's IEP with you each year.
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.
A Boulder-based ABA therapy center for children ages 2 to 15, with an in-house team and options to tour the space before you start. They accept major insurance and offer intake support for new families.
CARD's Boulder location offers center-based and in-home ABA therapy, from early intervention through teen and adult programs, plus social skills groups. They report no current waitlist for ABA services.
Children's Hospital Colorado runs multidisciplinary outpatient autism clinics offering diagnostic evaluations and treatments like the Early Start Denver Model and behavioral therapy. Their Developmental Pediatrics team serves families across the Denver-Boulder region.
Serving Boulder and Broomfield counties for over sixty years, Imagine! provides behavioral services led by board-certified clinicians and mental health therapy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They focus on adults 18 and up.
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.
A&I Avenues is the local agency that helps Boulder, Broomfield, and Gilpin County families enroll in Colorado's Medicaid long-term care waivers (including the developmental disability and autism waivers) and connect to benefits. Their intake team walks you through eligibility for free.
Boulder County's Human Services team helps residents with autism, developmental disabilities, and brain injury navigate Medicaid and waivers, Social Security benefits, and housing, with support funded by the local IDD mill levy. Help is available in English and Spanish.
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.
Boulder's longtime therapeutic recreation program offers adaptive sports, swim lessons, dance, camps, and social activities for kids and adults with disabilities. Certified specialists tailor each activity so your child can build skills, friendships, and confidence.
Founded by Boulder County parents in 1963, Imagine! supports children and adults with developmental disabilities and autism across Boulder and Broomfield counties. They provide after-school and summer programs, respite for caregivers, recreation, and family support.
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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