County resource guide
Autism Resources in Hartford County, Connecticut
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Hartford County. Connecticut statewide resources also apply.
Hartford County is home to Connecticut Children's Medical Center — the state's only dedicated children's hospital and an Autism Treatment Network site. CPAC (Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center) serves Hartford County families with free IEP advocacy. Families seeking the pinnacle of autism diagnostic expertise can access Yale Child Study Center in New Haven. Connecticut's ABA insurance mandate applies statewide.
Provider directory
Local Providers30 providers in Hartford County
About our listings
Provider listings on Autism Parent Club are submitted by practices or researched from public sources. All listings are reviewed by a person before publication, and no provider has paid to appear here. Read how we verify listings, or use the “Suggest a correction” link below to flag anything inaccurate.
0 providers in Hartford County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Diagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Hartford · multi-county
Connecticut Children's Medical Center — Autism Program
Comprehensive autism evaluations at Connecticut Children's, the state's only dedicated children's hospital. Multi-disciplinary team serving Hartford County and Central Connecticut. An Autism Treatment Network site.
Autism Treatment Network site. Connecticut's only dedicated children's hospital.
Connecticut · multi-county
FamilyWise Behavior Solutions
BHCOE-accredited provider offering autism diagnostic evaluations and ABA therapy across Connecticut.
Source: https://www.familywisebehaviorsolutions.com
Farmington · multi-county
UConn Health — Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics
Developmental and autism evaluations through UConn Health's pediatric program in Farmington, the closest academic medical center to Tolland County families. The UConn Health system is the primary resource for northeast Connecticut families seeking specialty evaluation without traveling to Hartford or New Haven.
Farmington is about 25 minutes from Storrs. Expect a waitlist; Connecticut Children's in Hartford is another option.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Westport · multi-county
ABA Centers of Connecticut
ABA therapy and autism diagnosis serving all of Fairfield and Hartford counties. Offers autism testing, ABA therapy, and accepts most insurance plans.
Source: https://www.abacentersct.com
New Haven · multi-county
Autism Learning Partners — Connecticut
In-home and center-based ABA therapy in New Haven and Hartford counties. BCBA-supervised. Accepts most commercial insurance under Connecticut's ABA insurance mandate.
Connecticut requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Torrington · multi-county
Autism Learning Partners — Northwest CT Coverage
In-home ABA therapy serving Litchfield County families. Home-based services are the primary model for rural northwest CT given limited center-based options in the county. BCBA-supervised, accepts commercial insurance under Connecticut's ABA mandate.
In-home model is best fit for rural Litchfield County. Confirm service area coverage for specific towns.
Rocky Hill
InBloom Autism Services — Rocky Hill
ABA therapy learning center in Rocky Hill serving Hartford County families. Autism diagnostic evaluations also available.
Source: https://inbloomautism.com/aba-therapy-learning-centers/aba-therapy-connecticut/
Vernon · multi-county
Milestones Behavioral Services
Center-based and in-home ABA therapy serving Tolland County and surrounding northeast Connecticut. BCBA-supervised programs for children and young adults. Accepts commercial insurance under Connecticut's ABA mandate.
Connecticut's ABA insurance mandate applies to all commercial plans.
Respite care
Respite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
Statewide · multi-county
DDS Respite Centers — state-run overnight respite
Connecticut is one of very few states that operates its own respite centers: DDS staffs and runs several across the state offering 24-hour care over extended weekends in home-like settings, for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. DDS also funds temporary care for any child receiving Birth to Three services and for anyone aged three and over eligible for DDS. Both overnight and hourly respite are available to people on the HCBS waivers.
State-operated respite centers are unusual — ask which is nearest and what the booking lead time is, since extended weekends fill.
~3,000 providers nationwide
ARCH National Respite Locator
A free national database of respite providers searchable by state and locality — home care agencies, community-based organizations and state programs. The single best starting point for finding respite anywhere in the country, and it is the tool state agencies themselves point families toward.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Before you pay out of pocket, check what your state's Medicaid waiver funds — respite is covered by nearly every state waiver, and many families never think to ask.
Most states run one
Your state's Lifespan Respite Care Program
Lifespan Respite Care Programs are federally seeded, state-run programs that help families of any age and any disability find and pay for respite — often including vouchers or subsidies that do not depend on having a Medicaid waiver. Most states have one, they are chronically under-used, and they are rarely mentioned by anyone else in the system.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Search for "[your state] Lifespan Respite" or use the ARCH directory. Ask specifically about voucher or subsidy programs — that is the part families most often miss.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
New Haven · multi-county
Autism Society of Connecticut
Connecticut's statewide autism organization with programming across the state. Support groups, resource navigation, family events, and advocacy.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Niantic · multi-county
Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC)
Connecticut's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support for CT families statewide. Knows Connecticut's special education regulations and PPT (Planning and Placement Team) process inside out.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Essential before any PPT meeting or dispute in Connecticut.
Niantic · multi-county
CPAC — Litchfield County Families
Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC) serves Litchfield County families navigating the PPT (Planning and Placement Team) process and IEP advocacy. Rural northwest CT districts can vary widely in special education resources — CPAC helps families understand their rights and advocate effectively.
FREE. Covers all CT counties. Essential for navigating smaller rural Litchfield school districts.
Niantic · multi-county
CPAC — Tolland County Families
Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC) is Connecticut's federally funded PTI and serves all CT counties including Tolland. Free IEP and PPT advocacy, training, and one-on-one support. Particularly helpful for rural families navigating smaller school districts that may have fewer special education resources.
FREE. The same federally funded PTI that covers all of Connecticut.
Niantic · multi-county
CPAC — Windham County Families
Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center (CPAC) is especially critical for Windham County families, where smaller, rural school districts may have fewer autism-specific resources and special education expertise. Free IEP and PPT advocacy in a county with significant service gaps.
FREE. Windham County has notable service gaps — CPAC advocacy is particularly valuable here.
Activities, clubs & recreation
Clubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
Connecticut · multi-county
Connecticut Family Support Network
A statewide family advocacy organization running parent support groups, networking and socialising for families raising disabled children, plus training and referrals. The social side is often what families actually need and rarely what they go looking for.
New Britain · multi-county
Ivan Lendl Adaptive Sports Camp - Hospital for Special Care
An adaptive sports camp that runs a dedicated Neurodiverse Track for autistic children, with programming built for them rather than adapted from the physical-disability track. A camp that has bothered to separate those two things has thought properly about who it is serving.
New Hartford · multi-county
Ski Sundown - adaptive ski program
Adaptive ski lessons at New Hartford for people with developmental and physical disabilities and for deaf and vision-impaired skiers. Skiing is intensely physical, individual and highly structured, which suits a lot of autistic people better than team sport.
Torrington · multi-county
Torrington Area Families for Autism
Support for autistic people and their families in north-west Connecticut, including adaptive dance classes and a summer program. Small local organizations like this are usually the only organized provision outside the Hartford and New Haven corridors.
200+ locations nationwide
ACEing Autism
Weekly Saturday tennis clinics built specifically for autistic children aged 5 to 18, run by volunteers at more than 200 locations across the country, serving over 7,000 players. Sessions run in six-week blocks of an hour. This is the clearest example of the interest-based model working: the sport supplies the structure, the turn-taking and the reason to be there, so the social side happens sideways rather than being the task.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Cost varies by location — around $120 for a six-week session at some sites, with scholarships available. Use the map on their site to find your nearest program, schedule and local contact.
~4,000 camps nationwide
American Camp Association — camp finder
A free searchable directory of close to 4,000 summer camps that can be filtered for camps serving autistic campers, by distance, session length, activities and cost. The best single starting point for finding a day or overnight camp anywhere in the country.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Registration for specialized camps typically opens December–February and popular overnight camps fill within days. Start the funding conversation in autumn.
Nationwide — find your local chapter
Best Buddies
One-to-one friendship matching between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, plus employment, leadership and inclusive living programs. Over 4,000 chapters across all 50 states, serving school-age through adult. If what your family wants is a friend rather than an activity, this is the most direct answer in the country.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
A national organization, not a local listing — use the finder on their site, or call 1-800-89BUDDY, to locate your nearest chapter.
Local affiliates across most of the country
Easterseals — camps and recreation
Day and overnight camps run through local Easterseals affiliates, several of them autism-specific, with weekend respite and family camp sessions as well. Many affiliates operate sliding-scale fees, and several camps serve adults alongside children.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Programs vary a great deal between affiliates — check what your nearest one actually runs rather than assuming the national description applies.
Week-long camps hosted nationwide
iCan Shine (iCan Bike)
Teaches people with disabilities to ride a conventional two-wheeled bicycle, using adapted roller bikes over a week-long camp that gradually transfers balance to the rider. Learning to ride a bike is a milestone a lot of autistic children are quietly written off for, and this is the program that most reliably delivers it. Camps are hosted by local organizations across the country, so availability is by host town rather than by chapter.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Check their site for host locations and dates — camps run in different towns each year, so somewhere near you may host this year and not next.
Local chapters in a number of US cities
KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now)
Volunteer-led one-to-one recreation for children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities, at no cost to families or carers. The one-to-one model is the point: a volunteer is paired with your child for the session, which makes it workable for people who cannot manage a group setting unsupported.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Free to families. Runs through local chapters in a number of US cities rather than everywhere — check whether yours has one.
900+ divisions nationwide
Little League Challenger Division
Baseball for children and adults with a physical or intellectual disability, across more than 900 divisions. The main division serves ages 4–18, or up to 22 if still enrolled in school; the Senior League Challenger Division serves 15 and above with no upper age limit.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Use the league finder on their site to locate the nearest Challenger division, or ask about starting one.
200+ communities
Miracle League
Baseball on purpose-built accessible fields in more than 200 communities. Every player bats and every player scores, so ability differences do not decide the game.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Check their location list for the nearest field — coverage is good but not universal.
Every state — county-level programs
Special Olympics
Year-round sports training and competition at no cost to the athlete or their family, for children and adults alike. Programs run at county level in every state.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Eligibility centers on intellectual disability or a closely related developmental disability. If your child is autistic without an intellectual disability, have a direct conversation about fit before signing up rather than after.
Through local clubs and state associations
TOPSoccer (US Youth Soccer)
The Outreach Program for Soccer — recreational soccer for children and adults with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities, usually with buddy support on the pitch. Run through ordinary local soccer clubs rather than as a separate organization.
A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Ask your state youth soccer association which local clubs run TOPSoccer — it is often not advertised on the club's own website.
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School districts & government services
Public programs and school district contacts for Hartford County.
School & special education
- Hartford Public Schools — Special Education
Hartford is the county seat and largest city in Hartford County. CT has no county government — contact your town's school district.
Services & benefits
- CT DDS — North Region Office
Contact CT DDS's North Region office (serving Hartford County) for waiver enrollment.
Adult services
- CT DDS — North Region Office
Contact CT DDS's North Region office (serving Hartford County) for waiver enrollment.
Respite & support
- CT DDS — North Region Office
Contact CT DDS's North Region office (serving Hartford County) for waiver enrollment.
Helpful guides
Guides for Hartford County families
Step-by-step help on the topics that matter most.
School & IEP
Navigating the IEP process
Your rights under IDEA, how evaluations work, and what every IEP section means.
Finding help
ABA, OT, speech and waitlists
How to find qualified providers, navigate insurance, and get off waitlists faster.
Getting started
Where to start after diagnosis
A week-by-week checklist for the first 90 days — from evaluation to early intervention.
Benefits & money
SSI, Medicaid waivers, ABLE accounts
Federal benefits your child may qualify for and how to apply without losing your spot.
Mental health
Co-occurring conditions and support
Managing anxiety, ADHD, and depression alongside an autism diagnosis.
Daily life
Sensory processing and OT
Understanding sensory needs, sensory diets, and how occupational therapy helps.
Adulthood
Employment, housing, legal planning
Supported employment, housing options, guardianship alternatives, and ABLE accounts.
Communities served
Cities in Hartford County
Serving families across Hartford County including Hartford, West Hartford, Bloomfield, Windsor, East Hartford, Manchester, Glastonbury, Newington, Wethersfield and Rocky Hill and more.
See all Connecticut resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Connecticut.
Connecticut state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Hartford County, Connecticut?
We list 18 providers serving Hartford County, covering ABA therapy, parent & family support, diagnostic clinics, activities, clubs & recreation and advocacy & legal, plus 1 more. Some are based in the county and others serve it from nearby areas. Every listing is reviewed by a person before it is published.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Hartford County?
ABA providers serving Hartford County are listed in the ABA therapy section of this page, with phone numbers and websites. Many deliver services in the family's home or at school as well as in a clinic. Ask about waitlists when you call — they vary widely and change month to month.
Can autism therapy happen at home in Hartford County?
3 providers serving Hartford County deliver services in the family's home. Many children do better in a familiar setting than in an unfamiliar clinic room, and in-home visits remove the travel burden.
Does Medicaid pay for autism services in Connecticut?
Connecticut families can apply to the DSS Waiver for Persons with Autism, plus the DDS Individual and Family Supports Waiver, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is Around 2,000 autistic people waiting; no general I/DD waiting list, and your place is usually set by the date you apply — so applying early matters even if you are unsure what services you need. Many waivers also disregard parental income, so families who don't qualify for regular Medicaid often still qualify here.
What if I can't find an autism provider in Hartford County?
If none of the Hartford County providers is the right fit, these Connecticut counties currently have the most listed providers: Fairfield County (16), Middlesex County (14), New Haven County (14), Tolland County (14). Many providers travel or offer telehealth, so it is worth calling even if they are not based nearby. You can also tell us about a provider we are missing.
Nearby counties in Connecticut
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Hartford County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Hartford Countygets an afternoon back. It takes about a minute and you don’t need to know the business details — a name and a rough location is enough for us to check.
- Which dentist here has managed a cleaning without it becoming a fight?
- Who cuts your child's hair without a meltdown?
- Is there a group here where your child has made a friend?
- Which pediatrician here actually listens, and doesn't rush the appointment?
We check everything before it goes up, and nobody pays to be listed. How we verify.
Get told when this page changes
New provider in Hartford County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Hartford County — no newsletter, no digest, nothing else. Some counties hear from us a few times a year and some stay quiet for months; we would rather send you nothing than send you filler.
We store your address and county, and nothing else. How we handle it.
See something that needs fixing?
Providers move, phone numbers change, and links break — it happens. If anything on this page is out of date, wrong, or no longer working, please tell us and we’ll fix it. Keeping this accurate for autism families is the whole reason we’re here.
Report a correction →Help the community
Know a great provider in Hartford County?
If a therapist, clinic, or specialist helped your family, tell us about them and we’ll add them to the directory so other families can find them too.
Tell us about a provider →For providers
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