🌱 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.
A partnership with UNLV Medicine, this Las Vegas center offers autism diagnosis, therapy, and family support all in one place, with nurse practitioners trained to evaluate and diagnose developmental concerns. They serve children and young adults from infancy through the transition into adulthood.
Once your child has an autism diagnosis, this statewide program helps pay for evidence-based treatment for children and young adults under age 20. ATAP funds ongoing intervention hours and treatment planning based on your child's individual needs.
If you're worried about how your baby or toddler is developing, this free state program evaluates children from birth to age 3 and provides speech, physical, and developmental support right in your home. There are no co-pays or out-of-pocket costs to families.
Based at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, UCAN's team of psychologists, therapists, and specialists provides diagnostic evaluations to confirm or rule out autism in children and adolescents. Evaluations are offered at no cost to families across Northern Nevada.
If you're worried about how your baby or toddler is growing, learning, or talking, this state program gives free developmental evaluations for children from birth to age 3 in Washoe County. A service coordinator walks alongside you through every step, and there's no cost to your family.
⚖️ 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.
This free program helps families navigate special education, from eligibility evaluations to building an IEP and resolving disagreements with the school district. If you're feeling stuck advocating for your child, their team can guide you.
This is the state office that oversees special education and IDEA for all Nevada students with disabilities, ages 3 to 21. It's a good place to turn for questions about your rights, the state complaint process, and how special education works across Nevada.
NDALC is Nevada's federally mandated protection and advocacy organization, providing free legal help and advocacy for people with disabilities, including special education disputes with schools. Reach out if your child's rights under IDEA aren't being honored.
Nevada PEP is the state's official Parent Training and Information Center, offering free help and workshops so you can understand your child's special education rights and take an active role in IEP meetings. Their staff can walk you through evaluations, dispute resolution, and every step of the process.
Based at the University of Nevada, Reno, this center offers advocacy, family support, and help with the education of children with disabilities across Washoe County and the state. It's a warm first call if you're navigating school services and want guidance from a trusted university program.
This is your child's own school district office for special education, where you can find help with IEPs, evaluations, services, and family resources right here in Washoe County. Reach out to your child's Special Education Case Manager or the district team with any questions about your rights.
🧩 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.
A Nevada nonprofit coalition that maintains a statewide Autism Provider & Services Directory, helping families find ABA, therapy, and support providers across the state. A helpful starting point when you're looking for local treatment options.
Housed at the University of Nevada, Reno, this center provides individualized ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) services for children with autism from preschool through high school, ages 2 to 17. Care is delivered by trained clinicians rooted in evidence-based practice.
A multidisciplinary clinic at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine that provides comprehensive autism diagnostic evaluations for children and adolescents at no cost to families. A referral from a medical or licensed professional is needed to begin.
A local Reno provider offering individualized ABA therapy for children and young adults ages 2 to 22, with early-intervention programs at their center and in-home services for older kids. They accept many insurance plans and welcome new families to their waitlist.
💰 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.
Run by the Nevada State Treasurer, ABLE accounts let people with disabilities save and invest money tax-free for everyday and disability-related costs without losing SSI or Medicaid. You can open one online for as little as $25, and friends and family can chip in too.
Nevada's three Regional Centers are the front door to Medicaid-funded services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including respite care, family support, service coordination, and the home and community-based waiver. Call the center for your area to open a case and start the eligibility process.
This state council offers plain-language guidance for families on protecting benefits, opening ABLE accounts, guardianship alternatives, and self-advocacy. It's a helpful starting point when you're trying to understand how a program might affect your child's SSI or Medicaid.
SSI provides monthly cash payments to children with disabilities in families with limited income and resources, and it often opens the door to Medicaid coverage. You can start an application by phone or online, and Social Security staff will walk you through the medical and financial requirements.
A local nonprofit in Reno offering free civil legal help to Washoe County families, including adult guardianship for a child who is turning 18, plus housing and consumer matters. A good place to call when a benefits or legal question feels overwhelming.
This is the state office that opens the door to Nevada's Medicaid home-and-community-based waiver and services for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities right here in Washoe County. A service coordinator helps your family apply and connect to funding, respite care, and support at no cost to start.
🤗 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.
For 30 years, Family Respite Care of Nevada has been Northern Nevada's center-based respite program, caring for children and young adults with disabilities (and their siblings) so parents can rest and recharge. Scholarships are available for families facing financial hardship.
FEAT is a community of autism families in Southern Nevada offering free membership, parent support meetings (including groups for newly diagnosed families, dads, siblings, and Spanish speakers), and social events like Parents Night Out. It's a welcoming place to learn, connect, and feel less alone.
This state program from Nevada's Aging and Disability Services Division helps families caring for a loved one with an intellectual or developmental disability at home, offering respite vouchers and emergency financial help for eligible families. Call the office or a Regional Center near you to apply.
Opportunity Village has empowered people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the Las Vegas area since 1954, offering day programs, arts and social recreation, employment support, and respite that gives families a break. It's a longtime anchor for the Southern Nevada IDD community.
Serving Reno and northern Nevada, Amplify Life runs Camp Lotsafun and year-round social and recreational activities for children and adults with autism and other disabilities. It's a joyful place to make friends and belong.
This free program matches you one-on-one with a trained parent who has raised a child with a similar diagnosis, so you never have to feel alone. You share what you're facing and they pair you with someone who truly gets it.
🚀 Adult Transition & Long-Term Planning
Aging out of school, adult services, and long-term planning.
Nevada's state agency runs three Regional Centers (Desert, Sierra, and Rural) that coordinate lifelong services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including residential support, day programs, and case management as your child ages out of school. Reach out to find the center that serves your county.
This state program helps teens and adults with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep meaningful jobs through coaching, training, internships, and long-term follow-up. It also offers student transition services to bridge the move from high school into employment.
A friendly single point of entry for Northern Nevada families sorting out long-term services and supports, from benefits and Medicaid to caregiver help and future planning. A resource navigator will talk things through with you one-on-one, free of charge.
The state's vocational rehabilitation program helps adults with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep a job through assessments, counseling, training, and assistive technology. The Reno office holds monthly orientations to get you started.
When a young adult cannot make their own financial or medical decisions, the Washoe County court's guardianship program offers a Resource Center with self-help packets and guidance. Staff cannot give legal advice but can walk you through starting a case.
When an adult with disabilities has no family or friend able to serve as guardian, this county office can be court-appointed to manage their personal, medical, and financial affairs. It serves vulnerable Washoe County residents aged 18 and older.
A note on these listings. This directory is informational and not an
endorsement. Programs, phone numbers, and eligibility change — always confirm details
directly with the provider before relying on them. Nothing here is medical or legal advice.
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