This page gathers autism and disability resources for families in Providence County, Rhode Island. You'll find 9 local resources listed here, alongside Rhode Island statewide programs and nationwide services, all verified and in one place. For children under three, Rhode Island's starting point is Rhode Island'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.
Part of Brown University Health, this Providence center is Rhode Island's leading program for evaluating and diagnosing autism, developmental delays, and related conditions in children. Their team brings together developmental pediatricians, psychologists, and therapists under one roof.
This Brown University Health division provides comprehensive, family-centered diagnostic evaluations for children with autism spectrum disorders, developmental delays, and learning or language differences. Developmental pediatricians work alongside psychologists, speech, and other specialists to guide your family's next steps.
Rhode Island's free, statewide program supports babies and toddlers under age 3 who may have a developmental delay or disability, offering evaluations and therapies right where your child plays and learns. There is no cost to families, and you don't need Medicaid to qualify.
RIPIN's peer professionals, many of them parents of children with special needs themselves, help families navigate Early Intervention, evaluations, IEPs, and healthcare from the very start of the journey. Their Early Childhood Parent Consultants offer free care coordination for children birth to three.
A Rhode Island collaboration of parents, professionals, and autistic individuals that helps families find developmental screenings, evaluations, and the right Early Intervention or Child Outreach referrals. They also offer family navigation, parent education, and welcoming community programs.
Located in East Providence and affiliated with Brown University, CADD offers one of the country's most comprehensive ranges of care for children and young adults with autism who also face mental health or behavioral challenges. Services span outpatient evaluation and therapy through more intensive support.
A trusted Providence-based nonprofit offering Early Intervention for infants and toddlers birth to three who are at risk of or already showing developmental delays. Services and coaching happen right in your home, and they serve Providence, Pawtucket, Cranston, and many nearby towns.
A long-established Rhode Island nonprofit providing Early Intervention across Providence County, including developmental assessment, an individualized family plan, home visits, and small playgroups. They also offer parent education and support groups so you're not navigating this alone.
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.
Disability Rights Rhode Island is the state's independent, federally mandated protection and advocacy organization for people with disabilities. They protect the legal rights of students and families, including access to a free and appropriate public education, and offer plain-language guides on your education rights.
The Rhode Island Department of Education oversees special education statewide, ensuring schools follow IDEA and provide every eligible student an appropriate education. Their office can explain IEP and 504 processes, dispute resolution, and transition services for students ages 3 through 21.
Rhode Island's statewide self-advocacy organization, led by people with developmental disabilities, helps families and self-advocates understand their rights and find their voice at school and in the community. They offer trainings, resources, and a welcoming peer community.
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 hospital program offers one of the most comprehensive continuums of autism care in the country, from outpatient and family therapy at the Verrecchia Clinic to partial-hospital, home-based, and residential treatment for kids with autism and co-occurring behavioral needs. Call to learn which program fits your child.
The state health department's special-needs hub points families of children with autism and other conditions to resource guides, care coordination, and programs like the Special Needs Emergency Registry. It's a helpful government starting point when you're figuring out what's available in Rhode Island.
A beloved Providence institution since 1946 offering outpatient speech, occupational, and physical therapy plus early intervention for children of all abilities from birth to 21. They welcome every child and can see families in-clinic, at home, in school, or by teletherapy.
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.
The state's main free civil legal aid firm for low-income Rhode Islanders, with a Public Benefits Group that helps with government benefits including SSI and SSDI denials and appeals. Call their intake line to see if you qualify for representation.
Rhode Island's state agency that determines eligibility for Medicaid-funded long-term services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including residential help, case management, transportation, and daily living support. Their eligibility unit can walk your family through applying.
A state-sponsored savings program that lets people with disabilities and their families set money aside for disability-related expenses without losing SSI or Medicaid. Accounts can be opened online with as little as $25, and balances under $100,000 don't count against SSI limits.
The state agency that decides the medical eligibility of Rhode Island children and adults who apply for SSI or SSDI cash benefits. If you've applied for Social Security disability benefits, this is the office reviewing your child's medical records.
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.
Rhode Island's state agency for developmental disabilities, connecting families to community resources, family support, and self-directed services. Their community resources page is a trustworthy starting point for finding vetted local organizations.
A Newport-based adaptive sailing program that gets children and adults with disabilities out on specially designed sailboats at Fort Adams State Park each summer. First-timers are welcome, and no family is ever turned away for financial reasons, with scholarships available.
Year-round sports training and friendly competition for more than 4,000 Rhode Island children and adults with intellectual disabilities, including a Young Athletes program for little ones. It's a warm, welcoming way for your child to build skills, confidence, and friendships.
Best Buddies builds one-to-one friendships between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, easing the isolation many families feel. Operating in Rhode Island since 2010, their programs create real social connection and belonging for your child.
A university center at Rhode Island College in Providence that connects families with information, training, and support around developmental disabilities. If you are unsure where to turn, their staff can help point you toward the right services.
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.
A nonprofit that sets up and manages special needs trusts and provides social-work support so your loved one's savings don't jeopardize Medicaid or SSI. Their Rhode Island team can help you plan for a secure financial future with professional trustee and fiduciary services.
Run by the statewide Community Provider Network of Rhode Island, this pooled special needs trust lets families set aside money for a loved one with a disability without risking Medicaid or Social Security eligibility. Legal fees start around $200, making it a far more affordable option than a traditional trust.
Rhode Island's state agency that helps youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities move from school into adult services, with a Youth in Transition program that supports families from ages 14 through 22. They can even join your child's IEP meetings and help you apply for adult services as early as age 16 years 10 months.
The state's vocational rehabilitation program helps Rhode Islanders with disabilities choose, prepare for, obtain, and keep a job, covering things like training, evaluations, and job supports. If your young adult receives SSDI or SSI, they're generally presumed eligible.
Based at Rhode Island College, the Sherlock Center guides families through the move from school to work and adult life, with programs like Project SEARCH, benefits counseling, and person-centered planning. It's a trusted statewide hub connecting you to the right agencies and supports.
This long-established nonprofit sets up and manages special needs trusts so families can set money aside for a loved one's future without risking Medicaid or SSI. Their Rhode Island office is in Providence, and they handle the ongoing trust management so you don't have to navigate it alone.
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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