Autism resources in
Middlesex County.

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.

One of the country's leading pediatric autism centers, offering diagnostic evaluations and ongoing care from developmental pediatricians, neurologists, and psychologists all under one roof. A trusted place for families seeking clear answers and a full team behind their child.

Boston Medical Center's Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics team provides autism evaluations and clinical care for children, alongside a family support program. A welcoming option for families across Greater Boston seeking a diagnosis.

A specialized team in Worcester evaluates infants, toddlers, and preschoolers (birth to age 5) for autism, developmental delays, and behavioral concerns. One of Central Massachusetts' most experienced programs for early diagnosis.

The Lurie Center at Massachusetts General Hospital provides comprehensive autism evaluations and developmental assessments for children and adults, including those with complex needs. A well-established academic center in Lexington offering diagnosis and long-term care.

Massachusetts' free, statewide Early Intervention program serves babies and toddlers from birth to age 3 who have developmental delays or a diagnosis like autism, with evaluations and in-home services. Call the Central Directory to find the local program near you and get started, no referral or diagnosis required.

This free program supports Middlesex County families with children from birth to age 3 who have developmental delays or concerns, including early signs of autism. Their developmental specialists, therapists, and social workers come to your home to evaluate your child and build a plan around your family's everyday routines.

This long-running nonprofit provides free Early Intervention for infants and toddlers with developmental delays across Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, and Westford. Their team evaluates your child and delivers therapy and support right in your home or child care setting.

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.

The Disability Law Center is the federally designated protection and advocacy agency for Massachusetts, offering free information, advice, and sometimes legal representation on disability rights, including special-education issues. If your child's rights at school are being violated, they are a trusted place to turn.

FCSN is Massachusetts' federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, run by parents for parents, and their free helpline can walk you through the IEP process, your child's special-education rights, and what to do at team meetings. They also offer free workshops and a plain-language Parent's Guide to Special Education.

This long-established nonprofit fights for the education rights of Massachusetts children, with dedicated resources on autism and special education, including a Special Education Rights video series, sample letter templates, and a helpline. They were behind the state's Autism IEP Act that requires teams to address your child's full range of needs.

The state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education hosts the official IEP forms, plain-language parent guides, and translated materials to help you prepare for your child's yearly IEP meeting. It's also the home of the Problem Resolution System if you have a dispute with your district.

Based right in Framingham, this free legal-aid office helps low-income Middlesex County families with special education. Their attorneys will sit with you at IEP meetings, negotiate with the school, and represent your child in discipline hearings or special education disputes.

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.

A Western Massachusetts nonprofit offering a searchable directory of autism providers, plus family support, resource navigation, and support groups. Their information and resources line can help you find therapy and services near you.

A comprehensive hospital program offering autism evaluations and diagnosis for children from infancy through adolescence, with specialists in psychology, neurology, speech, and occupational therapy. Their family support team helps connect you to community resources and next steps.

This free UMass Chan Shriver Center program helps you understand and fight for your insurance coverage for ABA and other autism treatments, including MassHealth questions. Their team offers one-on-one help by phone or email at no cost.

A long-established Massachusetts nonprofit and national leader in applied behavior analysis, offering center-based, home-based, and school ABA programs for autistic children and those with other developmental disabilities. Families can reach their ABA centers directly to ask about services.

A free state resource that helps families understand and access insurance coverage for ABA and other autism therapies, including MassHealth. Their navigators can walk you through denials and coverage questions one-on-one.

A pediatric rehab center in Lexington providing occupational, physical, and speech-language therapy for children with autism, developmental delays, and coordination challenges. A convenient local option when your child needs hands-on therapy close to home.

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.

Attainable is Massachusetts's official ABLE savings plan, letting people with disabilities and their families set aside money for disability expenses without losing SSI or MassHealth benefits. It is sponsored by MEFA and managed by Fidelity, with tax-free growth on qualified expenses.

Every DDS area in Massachusetts has Family Support Centers that offer respite care, service navigation, support groups, and other help to relieve the day-to-day stress of caregiving. Any family caring for a child or adult with a developmental disability can reach out for information and referrals.

These Massachusetts Medicaid waivers, run through the Department of Developmental Services, help pay for in-home and community services like ABA, respite, and skill-building so your child can get support at home instead of an institution. There is also a Children's Autism Waiver for kids birth through age 9 with an autism diagnosis.

SSI is a federal program that provides monthly cash payments to children with qualifying disabilities in families with limited income and resources, starting as early as birth. You can begin an application online or by phone with the Social Security Administration.

DDS is the state agency that opens the door to funding and supports for people with autism and intellectual disabilities, including waiver services and respite. Families in Middlesex County are served through the Central Middlesex Area Office in Acton, which handles eligibility and planning.

This Massachusetts Medicaid (MassHealth) program helps eligible families of children up to age 9 pay for intensive in-home autism services like ABA, even if your income would normally be too high. Enrollment opens once a year, usually each fall, through the state's Department of Developmental Services.

SSI provides monthly cash payments from Social Security to children with a qualifying disability in families with limited income and resources. Approval also usually opens the door to MassHealth (Medicaid) coverage, and you can start an application by phone.

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 long-established Watertown-based nonprofit offering warm, welcoming support groups for autistic teens and adults, parents, spouses, and grandparents, both online and in person. They also offer a free 30-minute call to help you find resources and figure out next steps.

A Massachusetts nonprofit that runs monthly support groups and activities for the whole family, including groups just for dads, moms, and siblings, plus social skills groups for young adults. Their team includes parents of autistic children who help you find your footing after a diagnosis and at every stage after.

A national nonprofit that builds one-to-one friendships between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, plus leadership and family support programs. It's a caring way for your child to form genuine, lasting friendships in the community.

A trusted Boston-based center that connects Massachusetts parents of children with disabilities to a Parent-to-Parent Network, workshops, and one-on-one guidance. It's also home to Massachusetts Family TIES, which matches you with another parent who has been through something similar.

Free year-round sports, recreation, and community for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, with 23 sports and a Young Athletes program for the little ones. It's a joyful way for your child to build friendships, confidence, and skills alongside teammates.

Based in Framingham, this is the designated autism support center for the MetroWest region and runs monthly parent support groups (mornings, evenings, dads-only, singles), sibling SibShops, family outings, and a speaker series. Staff specialists can help you find services and connect with other families across the lifespan.

A free family support center in Burlington for children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families in the Central Middlesex area, including towns like Arlington, Bedford, Lexington, Woburn, and Winchester. They offer respite, social-skills clubs and classes, and free recreational activities like family dances and open houses.

When your child ages out of special education at 22, the Department of Developmental Services' Turning 22 program helps plan the move into adult day, employment, residential, and family supports. A DDS Service Coordinator walks the family through a person-centered plan, and it's best to start the process around age 18.

Exceptional Lives offers free, step-by-step guides that walk Massachusetts families through guardianship and its less-restrictive alternatives, SSI, and the transition to adulthood. Everything is written in plain language for parents figuring out these decisions for the first time.

MassAbility is the state agency that helps adults with disabilities find and keep jobs through vocational counseling, job coaching, training, and placement support. If your young adult is thinking about work, this is the state's front door to employment help.

This DDS-funded center supports autistic adults 18 and older with navigation, workshops, community events, and support groups for both individuals and their families. A good landing spot when a young adult is finding their footing in community life.

The Arc of Massachusetts' After I'm Gone program helps families build a long-term life plan so a loved one is cared for even when parents no longer can. It connects you to guidance on special needs trusts, estate planning, guardianship, benefits, and building lasting relationships.

Bridgewell helps adults with autism and developmental disabilities find and keep jobs through personalized career plans, job coaching, and community-based day programs, with partners across Middlesex County towns like Waltham, Billerica, Chelmsford, and Tewksbury. It is a warm first call when your young adult is aging out of school and ready for work or daytime programming.

Guardian Community Trust is a Massachusetts nonprofit that manages pooled and individual special needs trusts, handling the trustee work and helping families navigate Medicaid and SSI rules. It is a good option if you want professional, affordable trust administration for a loved one who relies on public benefits.

PLAN is a long-established nonprofit that sets up and manages special needs trusts and provides ongoing social support so your loved one can keep public benefits while their assets are protected. They walk families through the money side of long-term planning, which many parents find the most overwhelming part.

Riverside runs day, employment, residential, and individual support programs for adults with autism and developmental disabilities, including families in the Central Middlesex and Middlesex West DDS areas as young people move into adult life. Their Family Support Center can also help you plan the transition and connect to respite.