County resource guide
Bent County, Colorado
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Bent County. Colorado statewide resources also apply.
Local providers
11 listedDiagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
La Junta · multi-county
Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center — Developmental Referrals
Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center (AVRMC) in La Junta is the primary hospital for Otero County and the southeast Arkansas River valley. For autism evaluations, AVRMC provides developmental pediatric screenings and refers to Pueblo (~70 miles west) or Children's Hospital Colorado telehealth. La Junta is the regional hub for several surrounding counties.
La Junta is the regional hub for southeast Colorado. Pueblo (UCHealth Memorial) is the nearest major specialist destination (~70 miles west).
Las Animas
Southeast Colorado Hospital — Developmental Referrals
Southeast Colorado Hospital in Springfield is the critical access hospital closest to Bent County (note: Las Animas is the Bent County seat). For autism evaluations, families in Bent County travel to La Junta (~45 miles east, Otero County) or Pueblo (~80 miles north) or use Children's Hospital Colorado telehealth. This is one of Colorado's poorest and most rural counties.
La Junta (AVRMC, ~45 miles east) and Pueblo (~80 miles north) are the nearest regional hubs. Children's Colorado telehealth is recommended.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Las Animas
Bent County Early Intervention
Bent County's IDEA Part C early intervention for children birth to age 3. Free evaluations and home-based services in Las Animas and across this rural southeast Colorado county. No diagnosis required.
FREE under IDEA Part C. Home visits are the primary delivery model for Bent County.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Las Animas · multi-county
Behavioral Innovations — Bent County (Telehealth)
Telehealth and in-home ABA therapy serving Bent County. BCBA-supervised programming accepting Colorado Medicaid and commercial insurance. Given Bent County's extreme poverty rates and rural geography, Medicaid is a critical ABA coverage pathway and telehealth delivery is often the only option.
Bent County has high poverty — many families qualify for Colorado Medicaid ABA coverage.
La Junta · multi-county
Centria Autism — Otero County / La Junta
In-home ABA therapy serving Otero County and the southeast Arkansas River valley. BCBA-supervised programming accepting Colorado Medicaid and commercial insurance. La Junta is an access point for surrounding rural counties including Crowley and Bent. Many families qualify for Medicaid given regional poverty rates.
Colorado requires most commercial plans to cover ABA. Medicaid is a primary coverage pathway for many La Junta-area families.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
La Junta · multi-county
Autism Society of Colorado — Arkansas Valley / Otero County
Otero County autism families connect through the Autism Society of Colorado's statewide network for peer support and resource navigation. La Junta's role as a regional hub means families from surrounding counties also rely on these connections.
Las Animas · multi-county
Autism Society of Colorado — Southeast Plains / Bent County
Bent County autism families connect through the Autism Society of Colorado's statewide network. Virtual and phone-based peer support is essential given the county's geographic and economic isolation.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Las Animas · multi-county
PEAK Parent Center — Bent County Families
Colorado's federally funded PTI serving Bent County. Free IEP advocacy through remote phone and video for families in Las Animas and other Bent County communities. PEAK is often the only accessible advocacy support in this economically challenged southeast plains county. Spanish-language support available.
FREE. Bilingual Spanish available. Essential resource in one of Colorado's most economically challenged counties.
Trinidad · multi-county
PEAK Parent Center — Las Animas County / Trinidad
Colorado's federally funded PTI serving Las Animas County. Free IEP advocacy for families in Trinidad and other Las Animas County school districts. Spanish-language support is important for this historically Hispanic community near the New Mexico border.
FREE. Bilingual Spanish services available — important for Trinidad's predominantly Hispanic community.
La Junta · multi-county
PEAK Parent Center — Otero County / Southeast Colorado
Colorado's federally funded PTI serving Otero County and the southeast Colorado region. Free IEP advocacy — especially important in an area with high poverty and limited local advocacy support. Spanish-language services available for the region's substantial Hispanic population.
FREE. Bilingual Spanish services available — important for the Hispanic majority in Otero County.
Lamar · multi-county
PEAK Parent Center — Southeast Colorado / Prowers County
Colorado's federally funded PTI serving Prowers County and the southeast Colorado plains through remote outreach. Free IEP advocacy — a critical lifeline for families in one of Colorado's most isolated regions with some of the state's highest poverty rates.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Remote support is the primary service model — call regardless of distance from Colorado Springs.
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Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Colorado.
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