Autism Resources in Ada County, Idaho

Boise · multi-county

Northwest Neurobehavioral Health — Autism Diagnostic Clinic

Autism Diagnostic Clinic providing early diagnosis and intervention for children with ASD. Diagnostic evaluations, treatment planning, and referrals.

Source: https://www.nnhidaho.com/our-services/autism-diagnostic-clinic/

Murphy · multi-county

St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center — Owyhee County Referral

Owyhee County is one of the largest counties by area in the continental US with one of Idaho's smallest populations. The county seat is Murphy (pop. ~100). Most healthcare services, including autism evaluations, require travel to Boise (~60+ min, depending on location) or Nampa.

Owyhee County is vast and sparsely populated. Nampa (~1 hr from most areas) and Boise are the nearest evaluation centers. Caldwell and Nampa Canyon County providers also serve this region.

Emmett · multi-county

St. Luke's Children's — Boise (Gem County Referral)

Gem County families typically access autism evaluations at St. Luke's Children's Hospital in Boise (~45 min). The Treasure Valley location makes Boise and Nampa providers the most practical options for Emmett-area families.

No dedicated autism diagnostic clinic in Gem County. Boise (45 min) and Nampa (30 min) are the closest options.

Idaho City · multi-county

St. Luke's Children's Hospital — Boise (Boise County Families)

Boise County (county seat: Idaho City) is a small mountainous county ~45 minutes northeast of Boise. Families access full autism evaluations at St. Luke's Children's Hospital in Boise, Idaho's premier pediatric program. The drive is manageable for most families in good weather.

Mountain road from Idaho City to Boise can be affected by winter conditions. Telehealth initial consultations help avoid unnecessary trips.

Boise · multi-county

St. Luke's Children's Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics

Autism and developmental evaluations at St. Luke's Children's Hospital, the dominant pediatric program in Idaho. Multi-disciplinary team serving Ada County and the broader Treasure Valley region.

Idaho's largest pediatric program. Expect waitlists — ask about telehealth options for rural families.

Nampa · multi-county

St. Luke's Nampa — Developmental Pediatrics

St. Luke's outpatient pediatric clinic in Nampa offers developmental evaluations for Canyon County families, closely linked to the main Children's Hospital program in Boise. Part of the same multi-disciplinary team.

Closer option for Canyon County families than the main Boise campus. Same waitlist system.

Boise · multi-county

Infant Toddler Program — Southwest Idaho

Idaho's IDEA Part C early intervention program for children birth to age 3. Free evaluations and services including speech, OT, and developmental support for families in Ada County and surrounding Treasure Valley communities.

FREE under IDEA Part C. Ask your pediatrician for a referral or self-refer by calling the regional office.

Idaho City · multi-county

Infant Toddler Program — Southwest Idaho (Boise County)

Idaho's IDEA Part C early intervention program covers Boise County. Free evaluations and in-home services for children under 3. Boise County shares the southwest Idaho regional office with Ada and Canyon counties.

FREE under IDEA Part C. In-home service delivery. Boise County is mountainous — providers may travel from Boise.

Mountain Home · multi-county

Infant Toddler Program — Southwest Idaho (Elmore County)

Idaho's IDEA Part C early intervention program covers Elmore County. Free evaluations and in-home services for children under 3. Military families at Mountain Home AFB are eligible regardless of TRICARE status.

FREE under IDEA Part C. Military families eligible regardless of insurance status. In-home service delivery.

Emmett · multi-county

Infant Toddler Program — Southwest Idaho (Gem County)

Idaho's IDEA Part C early intervention program covers Gem County. Free evaluations and in-home services for children under 3. Same regional office as Ada and Canyon counties.

FREE under IDEA Part C. Services delivered in your home in Gem County.

Boise

Autism Behavior Services Inc — Boise

1:1 ABA therapy for children in Boise and surrounding areas. In-home, school, community, and telehealth services.

Source: https://autismbehaviorservices.com/offices/boise-office/

Boise · multi-county

Caravel Autism Health — Boise

Diagnostic evaluations and personalized ABA therapy for children 12+ months in Boise, Ada County. BCBA-supervised with Medicaid and insurance accepted.

Source: https://caravelautism.com/autism-center/boise/

Nampa · multi-county

Centria Autism — Nampa

Centria Autism offers center-based and in-home ABA therapy in the Nampa area. BCBA and RBT-staffed. Works with Idaho Medicaid and private insurance.

Idaho Medicaid covers ABA. Centria can assist with prior authorization.

Nampa · multi-county

Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Nampa

Hopebridge provides center-based ABA therapy in Nampa for children with autism. BCBA-supervised with integrated speech and OT services available on-site. Accepts Idaho Medicaid and major commercial insurance.

Idaho Medicaid covers ABA therapy. Hopebridge accepts most major plans.

Meridian · multi-county

Opal Autism Centers — Meridian

Personalized autism services in Treasure Valley with diagnostic evaluations, home-based therapy, and school collaboration with West Ada District.

Source: https://opalautism.com/contact/meridian-idaho/

Nampa · multi-county

Therapy Works — Nampa

Outpatient speech-language pathology serving Canyon County children, including autism-specific language delays, AAC, and pragmatic language. Pediatric-focused clinic.

Nampa · multi-county

Developing Minds Therapy — Nampa

Pediatric OT clinic in Nampa offering sensory integration therapy, fine motor, and self-care skill building for autistic children. Uses a sensory gym and DIR/Floortime alongside traditional OT.

Statewide · multi-county

Idaho respite — including the vouchered program

Idaho's Vouchered Respite Care Program gives parents and guardians financial relief for care provided by someone already in the child's natural support network, though it is aimed at families of children with serious emotional disturbance rather than at autism specifically — ask whether your child qualifies rather than assuming either way. Respite is also available through children's developmental disability services and the Area Agencies on Aging family caregiver program. Idaho Parents Unlimited publishes a guide to respite options for families raising disabled children.

Because Idaho delivers children's services through the state plan rather than a capped waiver, ask your Children's DD Agency what respite is available that way — there is no queue for state plan services.

~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.

Boise · multi-county

Idaho Parents Unlimited (IPUL)

Idaho's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support for Idaho families statewide. Knows Idaho's special education regulations inside out.

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Call before any IEP meeting or dispute in Idaho.

Emmett · multi-county

Idaho Parents Unlimited (IPUL)

IPUL provides statewide IEP advocacy and parent training, including Gem County school districts. Free phone and virtual consultations.

FREE. Call before any IEP meeting in Gem County school districts.

Mountain Home · multi-county

Idaho Parents Unlimited (IPUL)

IPUL serves Elmore County families with free IEP advocacy. Mountain Home School District and AFB-area schools — IPUL can help military families navigate special education continuity across moves and local district processes.

FREE. Military families moving to Mountain Home AFB: IPUL can help with IEP transfer and continuity of services.

Idaho City · multi-county

Idaho Parents Unlimited (IPUL)

IPUL provides free IEP advocacy for Boise County School District families. Phone and virtual consultations are convenient for Idaho City area families who would otherwise need to travel to Boise.

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Idaho City is a small historic gold rush town — IPUL understands small rural school district dynamics.

Idaho · multi-county

Camp Partnerships

An annual overnight camp for ADULTS with developmental disabilities from across Idaho, aimed at life skills alongside a traditional camp experience. Adult camping barely exists in the mountain west, which makes this one worth traveling for.

Boise · multi-county

City of Boise - Adaptive Recreation

Recreational, social and educational programs for young people AND adults with disabilities, including the Adventure Seeker program. Municipal provision that carries on past 18 is unusual and cheap.

Boise · multi-county

LINC Idaho - recreation

South-west Idaho's center for independent living maintains recreation listings and runs community activities for disabled people - a useful route outside Boise's municipal program.

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.