Autism Resources in Clarke County, Georgia
13 providers in Athens and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in Clarke County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in Clarke County
Diagnostic clinics
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
University of Georgia Psychological Services Center
Athens, GA · serves several counties
The UGA Psychology Department's Psychological Services Center provides evaluations and therapy for Clarke County families. University of Georgia's presence makes Athens a stronger-than-average resource hub for a mid-sized Georgia city.
Early Intervention (0–3)
1 providerFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Georgia Early Intervention Program — Clarke County
Athens, GA
Georgia EIP free IDEA Part C early intervention for Clarke County children under 3. Athens area services coordinated through the northeast Georgia region.
ABA therapy
1 providerApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Autism Spectrum Therapies — Athens
Athens, GA · serves several counties
Center-based and in-home ABA therapy in Athens for Clarke County families. BCBA-supervised programming. Georgia Medicaid and most commercial insurance accepted.
Parent & family support
1 providerParent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Autism Society of Georgia — Athens Chapter
Athens, GA · serves several counties
Autism Society of Georgia peer support and resource network for Clarke County and the Athens area. University town resources create an active autism family advocacy community.
Also serving Clarke County
These 21 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list Clarke County in the area they cover. Worth calling to confirm how far they actually travel, and whether telehealth or in-home visits are an option.
Diagnostic clinics
2 providersFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Piedmont Athens Regional — Oconee County Autism Evaluations
Athens, GA · serves several counties
Oconee County families in Watkinsville are adjacent to Clarke County (Athens). Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center provides developmental pediatric evaluations and access to University of Georgia health resources for autism assessment.
Athens is directly adjacent — Oconee County families have full access to Athens specialists.
Piedmont Athens Regional — Oglethorpe County Developmental Referrals
Athens, GA · serves several counties
Oglethorpe County families in Lexington access autism evaluations through Piedmont Athens Regional in Athens (~30 miles south), the regional hub for Northeast Georgia. Lexington sits in Georgia's classic plantation-era Piedmont.
Athens (30 miles south) is the primary evaluation hub for Oglethorpe County.
Early Intervention (0–3)
2 providersFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Georgia Early Intervention Program — Oconee County
Watkinsville, GA · serves several counties
Free in-home early intervention for Oconee County infants and toddlers (birth–3). Speech, OT, PT, and developmental therapy under IDEA Part C.
FREE for eligible children.
Georgia Early Intervention Program — Oglethorpe County
Lexington, GA · serves several counties
Free in-home early intervention for Oglethorpe County infants and toddlers (birth–3). Speech, OT, PT, and developmental therapy under IDEA Part C.
FREE for eligible children.
ABA therapy
2 providersApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Lighthouse Autism Center — Northeast Georgia In-Home ABA
Lexington, GA · serves several counties
In-home ABA therapy for Oglethorpe County children. BCBA-supervised programming. Accepts Georgia Medicaid and commercial insurance for rural Northeast Georgia families.
In-home model is most practical for rural Oglethorpe County.
Positive Behavior Supports Corp — Athens Area ABA (Oconee County)
Watkinsville, GA · serves several counties
ABA therapy for Oconee County children in Watkinsville and the Athens metro area. BCBA-supervised center-based and in-home options. Accepts Georgia Medicaid and commercial insurance.
Oconee County's Athens-adjacency gives families a wide range of ABA providers.
Respite care
2 providersRespite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
ARCH National Respite Locator
Searchable by state, GA
A free national directory of respite providers and programs, run by ARCH, the National Respite Network and Resource Center. ARCH says it is not a complete list, so it works best alongside…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
ARCH's advice is to contact your State Respite Coalition or Lifespan Respite program first. Before you pay out of pocket, also check what your state's Medicaid waiver funds.
Your state's Lifespan Respite program
39 states and DC have been funded, GA
Lifespan Respite programs are federally funded, state-run programs that help family caregivers of children or adults, regardless of special need, find and pay for respite.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
ARCH lists every state's Lifespan Respite contact and respite coalition on this page. Ask specifically about voucher or stipend programs — that is the part families most often miss.
Parent & family support
2 providersParent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Autism Society of Georgia — Oconee County / Athens Area
Watkinsville, GA · serves several counties
Autism Society of Georgia statewide support for Oconee County families. Peer connection and resource navigation connected to the Athens chapter for this rapidly growing UGA-adjacent community.
Autism Society of Georgia — Oglethorpe County
Lexington, GA · serves several counties
Autism Society of Georgia statewide support for Oglethorpe County families in Lexington. Peer connection and resource navigation for rural northeast Georgia.
Advocacy & legal
1 providerLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Parent to Parent of Georgia
Atlanta, GA · serves several counties
Georgia's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center: a statewide nonprofit supporting families and individuals from birth to 26 affected by disabilities or special health care needs, including help with special education.
Activities, clubs & recreation
10 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
ACEing Autism
227 programs in 32 states, GA
Tennis clinics for kids, teens and, in some locations, adults on the autism spectrum.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Cost varies by location and scholarships are available. Use the Find a Program search on their site with your zip code.
American Camp Association — camp finder
About 3,900 camps, GA
A free searchable directory of about 3,900 camps, with a filter for disabilities and other special needs alongside distance, activities, session length and cost. A good single starting…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Choose day or overnight, then use the "Disabilities and Other Special Needs" filter. Specialized camps can fill early, so start looking in the winter before.
Best Buddies
All 50 states — find your local program, GA
One-to-one friendship matching between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, with programs from elementary school through college and adulthood, plus…
A national program 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 1-800-89-BUDDY, to locate your nearest program.
Easterseals — camps and recreation
Local Easterseals across the country, GA
Day and residential camps for children and adults with disabilities, plus sports, social activities and community outings run by local Easterseals.
A national program 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 locations — use the Find your Easterseals search on the page and check what yours actually runs.
iCan Shine (iCan Bike)
Camps hosted in different towns each year, GA
Teaches people with disabilities to ride a conventional two-wheeled bicycle over a five-day camp, 75 minutes a day. iCan Shine says about 80% of participants ride independently by the end…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Check their Camp Locations page for dates — camps run in different towns each year, so somewhere near you may host this year and not next.
KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now)
Six cities only: Chicago, DC–Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, St. Louis, GA
Free, non-competitive, one-to-one recreation for youth ages 5 to 21 with physical or developmental disabilities, led by trained volunteer coaches.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Free to families. KEEN runs in six cities plus two university campus chapters (Vanderbilt and the University of Virginia) — outside those, it is not available yet.
See all 10 activities, clubs & recreation providersShow fewer
Little League Challenger Division
Through local Little Leagues — use the League Finder, GA
Little League's adaptive baseball program for anyone with a physical or intellectual challenge.
A national program 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. Little League's rule is that a player who can take part in regular Little League with reasonable accommodations should do so.
Miracle League
300 leagues — check for one near you, GA
Baseball for children and adults with physical or mental disabilities, played on custom-designed rubberized turf fields that accommodate wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Use the Find a Miracle League page on their site — there are 300 leagues, so coverage is good but not universal.
Special Olympics
Nationwide — find your local program, GA
Year-round sports training and competition for children and adults.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Eligibility requires an intellectual disability, a cognitive delay measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay, identified by an agency or professional. If your child is autistic without a cognitive delay, have a direct conversation about fit before signing up rather than after. Ask your local program about any costs.
TOPSoccer (US Youth Soccer)
Through local soccer clubs, GA
The Outreach Program for Soccer — recreational soccer for children and adults with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities, offered through local US Youth Soccer clubs.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Find your state association's TOPSoccer clubs through the link on their page, or ask your state association office directly — it is often not advertised on the club's own website.
Not sure which kind of therapy you need?
Start with our plain-language guide to ABA, speech and OT — what each one is, and questions to ask on the first call.
Read the guideFor providers
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About autism services in Clarke County
Clarke County — home to Athens — is home to the University of Georgia, which has strong speech-language pathology and special education training programs that support local provider development. Piedmont Athens Regional provides medical services. The community service board network coordinates DD services and NOW/COMP waiver access. Georgia's Babies Can't Wait provides EI for children under 3, and Parent to Parent of Georgia offers free statewide IEP advocacy.
Helpful guides
Guides for Clarke 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.
See all Georgia resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Georgia.
Georgia state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Clarke County, Georgia?
We list 13 providers serving Clarke County, covering parent & family support, ABA therapy, early intervention (0–3), advocacy & legal and diagnostic clinics. Some are based in the county and others serve it from nearby areas. Every listing is reviewed by a person before it is published.
Which autism providers in Clarke County accept Medicaid?
2 of the providers we list for Clarke County state that they accept Medicaid, including Lighthouse Autism Center — Northeast Georgia In-Home ABA and Positive Behavior Supports Corp — Athens Area ABA (Oconee County). Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Clarke County?
ABA providers serving Clarke 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 Clarke County?
5 providers serving Clarke 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 Georgia?
Georgia families can apply to the New Options (NOW) and Comprehensive Supports (COMP) Waivers, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is Needs-based, not date-based — position depends on assessed need, 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 Clarke County?
If none of the Clarke County providers is the right fit, these Georgia counties currently have the most listed providers: Bibb County (23), Carroll County (19), Cobb County (17), Dawson County (17). 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 Georgia
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Clarke County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Clarke 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 Clarke County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Clarke 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 Clarke 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
Are you a provider serving Clarke County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
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