County resource guide
Merced County, California
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Merced County. California statewide resources also apply.
Local providers
13 listedDiagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Merced
Mercy Medical Center Merced — Developmental Referrals
Merced County's primary hospital offering pediatric care and developmental referral coordination. Connects families to Central Valley Regional Center and UC Merced-affiliated specialists. Accepts Medi-Cal and serves a large bilingual population.
Bilingual (English/Spanish) services available. Many families also use Valley Children's in Madera for pediatric specialty care.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Madera · multi-county
Acorn Health — Madera County
Center-based and in-home ABA therapy serving Madera County families. BCBA-supervised with Central Valley Regional Center authorization and commercial insurance accepted. Bilingual English/Spanish staff for this largely agricultural community.
Spanish-speaking staff available. Valley Children's Hospital co-located — coordination with medical team is easier here than in most rural CA counties.
Mariposa · multi-county
Acorn Health — Mariposa County (Telehealth)
Telehealth parent coaching and limited in-home ABA therapy for Mariposa County families. BCBA-supervised with Central Valley Regional Center authorization. Mariposa County has essentially no local autism-specific providers — families must rely on telehealth and travel to Fresno or Modesto for in-person services.
One of California's most underserved counties for autism services. Telehealth parent coaching is the realistic starting point. Travel to Fresno or Modesto required for center-based ABA. Regional Center authorization required.
Merced · multi-county
Acorn Health — Merced County
Center-based and in-home ABA therapy serving Merced County families. BCBA-supervised with Regional Center authorization and commercial insurance accepted. Bilingual English/Spanish staff available for this largely agricultural community.
Spanish-speaking staff available. Central Valley Regional Center authorization accepted.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Merced
Merced County Autism Family Alliance
Community peer support for parents and caregivers of autistic individuals in Merced County. Monthly meetings in Merced with resource sharing and connections to Central Valley Regional Center and local therapy providers.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Fresno · multi-county
Central Valley Regional Center — Fresno
California's Regional Center serving Fresno, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, and Merced counties. Coordinates early intervention, service funding, respite, and adult programs for individuals with developmental disabilities.
Apply at diagnosis. Regional Center funding is the primary support system for most Central Valley families.
Hanford · multi-county
Central Valley Regional Center — Kings County
California's Regional Center serving Kings County as part of the Central Valley Regional Center coverage area. Provides Early Start (birth–3), service coordination, respite, and adult programs. Kings County families contact the Fresno main office for intake.
Apply at diagnosis. Hanford families should contact the Fresno main office. Kings County is an agricultural region with limited specialty services.
Madera · multi-county
Central Valley Regional Center — Madera County
California's Regional Center serving Madera County as part of the Central Valley Regional Center coverage area. Provides Early Start (birth–3), service coordination, respite, and adult programs. Madera County families contact the Fresno main office for intake.
Apply at diagnosis. Valley Children's Hospital — based in Madera — is a major advantage for this county.
Mariposa · multi-county
Central Valley Regional Center — Mariposa County
California's Regional Center serving Mariposa County as part of the Central Valley Regional Center coverage area. Provides Early Start (birth–3), service coordination, respite, and adult programs. Mariposa County is small, mountainous, and extremely rural — services require travel to Fresno or Modesto.
Apply at diagnosis. Mariposa is extremely rural — virtually all specialized autism services require travel to Fresno (1.5 hrs) or Modesto (1.5 hrs). Telehealth is the practical first step.
Merced · multi-county
Central Valley Regional Center — Merced County
California's Regional Center serving Merced County as part of the Central Valley Regional Center coverage area. Provides Early Start (birth–3), service coordination, respite, and adult programs. Merced office handles local intakes.
Merced satellite office handles local intakes. Apply at diagnosis.
Madera · multi-county
Matrix Parent Network — Madera County Families
Federally funded PTI offering free IEP advocacy and special education support for Madera County families. Remote and phone-based support in English and Spanish.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Bilingual support available.
Mariposa · multi-county
Matrix Parent Network — Mariposa County Families
Federally funded PTI providing free IEP advocacy and special education support for Mariposa County families via phone and remote services. With limited local resources, Matrix and the Regional Center are the two most important first contacts for Mariposa families.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. All services delivered remotely for Mariposa County.
Merced · multi-county
Matrix Parent Network — Merced County Families
Federally funded PTI providing free IEP support, special education advocacy, and parent training for Merced County families. Remote and phone-based services available in English and Spanish.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Bilingual support available.
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