This page gathers autism and disability resources for families in Nassau County, New York. You'll find 25 local resources listed here, alongside New York statewide programs and nationwide services, all verified and in one place. For children under three, New York's starting point is New York's early intervention program; 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.
Not sure how to reach your local free early intervention program? This CDC page lists the direct contact for every state, including New York, so you can quickly find who to call to get your child evaluated. Publicly funded evaluations are free or low-cost for any eligible child.
This free CDC program helps you track your child's development from 2 months to 5 years with a milestone checklist app, so you know what to look for and what to do if something worries you. It's a gentle, reassuring first step when you're not sure whether to seek an evaluation.
Part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, this clinic provides standardized autism diagnostic evaluations and coordinated, ongoing care from developmental-behavioral pediatricians. Family navigators can also help you understand next steps after a diagnosis.
A collaborative program of NewYork-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell, and Columbia in White Plains offering comprehensive, evidence-based autism diagnostic evaluations. If your child is age 3 or younger, call and select option 1 to ask about getting started.
New York State's Early Intervention Program provides services for children birth to age 3 with developmental delays or disabilities, at no cost to families. Each county runs its own intake, contact your county program to begin the evaluation process.
This Northwell Health office in Mineola offers comprehensive developmental evaluations and autism spectrum diagnoses for children from infancy through the teen years. Their specialists can assess developmental delays, ADHD, and learning differences and help you plan next steps.
Based in Levittown, ELIJA has served Long Island families since 2002. Their outreach program provides autism evaluations, ABA consultation, speech-language assessments, and home-based supervision. Trusted by hundreds of LI families for early and ongoing support.
If you have any concern about your baby or toddler's development, Nassau County's Early Intervention program provides free evaluations and services for children under age 3. It's voluntary and there's no cost to you to find out if your child is eligible.
One of Long Island's primary autism nonprofits, based in Commack. Provides education, treatment programs, parent workshops, consultation to school districts, and transition to adult life programming. Trusted across Nassau and Suffolk for decades.
A well-established Nassau County nonprofit offering Early Intervention for babies and toddlers birth to 3, plus preschool special education and diagnostic evaluations. Services are provided at no direct cost to families and can happen at home, in the community, or at their Seaford center.
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.
AFC leads New York's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center and offers free workshops, know-your-rights resources, and case advocacy to help you get the school services your child needs. Their education helpline can talk you through IEP problems in English or Spanish.
DRNY is New York's federally designated protection and advocacy agency, offering free legal and advocacy help to children and adults with disabilities, including special education disputes. If your child is being denied services or you need someone in your corner, this is a good first call.
Every part of New York is covered by a free, federally funded Parent Training and Information Center that helps you understand your child's rights and participate in their education from birth to age 26. Use this map to find and connect with the center serving your area.
The state's special education division oversees all public school programs. Regional Associates are assigned to specific school districts and serve as a resource to parents when disputes arise. Can be contacted directly when IEP disagreements escalate.
New York's official special education office explains your child's rights, the IEP process, and your options if you disagree with the school, including free mediation and formal complaints. Start here for the state's plain-language Parent's Guide and Procedural Safeguards Notice.
A local nonprofit that helps Nassau families understand and stand up for their child's rights around IEPs, 504 plans, special-education services, and school discipline. Start with their free education intake and an advocate can walk you through what your child is entitled to.
Long Island's federally designated Parent Training and Information Center. Free help navigating IEPs, 504 plans, special education rights, and school advocacy for Nassau and Suffolk families. One of the most valuable first calls you can make, staffed by people who've been through it. Spanish-speaking staff available.
The official state page explaining special-education rights, autism program standards, and where to get help through New York's regional special-education support offices. A good grounding place when you want to know the rules your school district must follow.
They match you with a trained parent who has been through the special-education and disability journey themselves, so you don't have to navigate school meetings and services alone. Their Long Island office serves both Nassau and Suffolk families at no cost.
NYS-approved non-public special education school serving Nassau and Suffolk, preschool through adulthood. Language-based autism programs with locations in Glen Cove, Woodside, Franklin Square, and more. Strong IEP coordination and transition planning built in.
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.
Free, personalized help finding ABA, speech, occupational therapy, and other autism providers near you. Trained specialists can answer your questions by phone and point you to local services, and the online Resource Guide lets you search by location.
A plain-language New York State guide that walks you step-by-step through finding out if your child is eligible for developmental disability services. It links you to the tools and phone support you need to get started.
This is New York State's official starting point for autism and developmental disability services. Call the Information Line and they will connect you to your local Front Door office to check eligibility and set up supports like therapy, care management, and clinical services.
New York State's developmental disabilities agency explains the autism supports it funds, including Applied Behavior Analysis, speech and occupational therapy, social skills groups, and daily living skills. A helpful overview when you are figuring out what kinds of therapy your child may qualify for.
Based in Plainview, this longtime Nassau County nonprofit provides early intervention, preschool, and therapeutic services (speech, OT, PT) for young children with autism, Down syndrome, and other developmental disabilities. A gentle place to begin if your child is little.
A trusted Long Island nonprofit since 1957, ACLD runs an Article 16 clinic in Bethpage offering speech, occupational, and physical therapy plus autism-specific programs for children and adults. A warm, established place to turn for ongoing support.
ELIJA's outreach supervisors travel to families outside the immediate school area to provide in-home ABA supervision and training. They help develop and implement treatment plans and offer supplemental phone consultations, particularly valuable while on waitlists for in-center programs.
NSSA's consultation services share expertise with school districts and families throughout Long Island. Their network connects families with ABA therapists, speech pathologists, and OTs across Nassau and Suffolk, and their parent workshop calendar is one of the best on the Island.
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.
Tax-advantaged savings accounts for New Yorkers with disabilities diagnosed before age 26. Funds can be used for education, housing, transportation, health and wellness, without affecting Medicaid or SSI eligibility. An underused resource families consistently wish they'd known about sooner.
New York's Children's Waiver brings six older Medicaid waivers (including the former Bridges to Health) into one program of Home and Community Based Services for kids under 21 with developmental disabilities, serious emotional/behavioral needs, or medical fragility. It can cover respite, community habilitation, care coordination, and family services so your child can thrive at home.
New York's Home and Community-Based Services Waiver, administered by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, funds respite care, community habilitation, supported employment, and more. Apply through the OPWDD 'Front Door' process. Waitlists exist, apply early.
New York's Office for People With Developmental Disabilities runs the Medicaid waiver that funds respite, day services, and in-home supports for children and adults with autism or other developmental disabilities. Start with OPWDD's Front Door to find out if your family qualifies and to begin the application.
This OPWDD page walks you through how Medicaid pays for most developmental-disability services in New York, from care coordination to the children's waiver and residential supports. It's a good first stop to understand what financial help is available before you apply.
SSI provides monthly cash payments to children with disabilities, including autism, in families with limited income and resources. Call Social Security to make an appointment and apply, and know that approved benefits can go back to the date you first applied.
This nonprofit law firm gives free civil legal help to low-income and disabled Long Islanders, including appealing denied SSI and Social Security Disability claims and protecting your child's special-education and disability-service rights. Nassau families can call the Hempstead office to see if they qualify for representation.
Free legal aid for Long Island residents navigating disability rights, SSI/SSDI applications, and discrimination cases. Handles disability rights (PAIR program), SSI/SSD for low-income families, and advocacy for those in adult care settings. A vital resource when the system pushes back.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides monthly cash payments to children and adults with disabilities who have limited income, and in New York it usually opens the door to Medicaid too. You can begin an application online or by phone, and staff will guide you through the disability and financial review.
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.
The nation's oldest autism organization connects you to real people who can point you toward support groups, services, and local affiliates near you. Reach an Information & Referral Specialist by phone or email whenever you need a place to start.
New York's state agency for people with developmental disabilities helps families caring for a relative at home, connecting you to respite, family support groups, and local advocacy networks. Call the Front Door line to get started and find services near you.
A statewide network that connects you with other NY parents who care for a child with a developmental disability or special healthcare need, so you never have to navigate the system alone. Trained volunteers and staff offer one-to-one support, training, and help finding services.
Free, year-round sports, recreation, and community for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities across all of New York State. It's a joyful way to build friendships, confidence, and connection for your whole family at no cost.
One of Nassau County's largest nonprofits for people with autism and developmental disabilities, offering family respite, sibling support, seminars, and a family reimbursement program to give caregivers a break. Call the main line and ask about Family Support to get connected to the right program.
ELIJA's Special Education Advocacy Support Group meets periodically to share information, host guest speakers, and help parents become stronger advocates. Focused on IEP strategies, new research, and community. Free to join, open to all Long Island families navigating the system.
A large Long Island nonprofit offering respite, day programs, and community support for children and adults with autism and developmental disabilities across Nassau County. Their Resource and Referral team is a good first call to help match your family with the right services.
A parent-run organization serving over 4,000 Long Island families. Free social and recreational events, bowling nights, movie screenings, rollerskating, restaurant outings, for individuals with autism and their families in a no-judgment environment. No membership required. This is where Long Island families find each other.
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 long-running New York nonprofit sets up and manages special needs and pooled trusts so your loved one can hold money without losing Medicaid or SSI eligibility. They serve families in every county of the state and can help you plan for your child's financial future.
Once your child ages out of school services, OPWDD is the primary pathway to adult supports: day habilitation, supported employment, residential options, and community integration. Apply via the Front Door process before age 18, the earlier you engage, the better positioned you are.
If your adult child wants to work or stay active in the community, OPWDD funds programs like Pathway to Employment, Supported Employment, and day habilitation. Ask your Care Manager which of these fits your family's goals.
When your child is aging into adulthood, the state's Office for People With Developmental Disabilities is the starting point for eligibility, care coordination, and adult day, employment, and residential supports. Call the statewide line or reach out to your regional Front Door office to begin the process.
This state guide walks you through moving your teen from school services to adult supports, ideally starting before age 15 as part of the IEP so services are ready when your child needs them. It includes a school transition toolkit, consent forms, and next steps to connect with OPWDD.
Planning for your child's financial future without disqualifying them from public benefits requires a Special Needs Trust. The Special Needs Alliance and Academy of Special Needs Planners both maintain directories of New York attorneys who specialize in this, often the single most important legal document a family of a disabled adult can create.
A long-established Long Island nonprofit that supports adults 21 and older after they age out of school, with day habilitation, supported employment and job coaching, travel training, and residential options across Nassau and Suffolk. Door-to-door transportation is included with their day programs.
AHRC Nassau helps families plan for their loved one's future, including guardianship and supplemental (special) needs trusts, so you can protect benefits and put long-term care in place. Ask for the family supports team, or reach their guardianship coordinator directly to get started.
SILO helps individuals with disabilities live independently in the community, providing advocacy, information, referrals, and direct support. Also connects families to NY Connects, which matches individuals to long-term supports and services.
Adult programs for individuals with developmental disabilities in Nassau and Suffolk, day habilitation, supported employment (SEMP), community habilitation, and residential services. Their Programs Without Walls model takes individuals into the real community rather than keeping them in center-based settings.
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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