County resource guide
Autism Resources in Jefferson County, Illinois
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Jefferson County. Illinois statewide resources also apply.
Jefferson County is home to Mount Vernon, Sesser, and Waltonville in southern Illinois. Mount Vernon Township High School District 201 and Jefferson County's K-8 districts provide special education. Provider availability is limited; families often travel to Carbondale or the Metro East region for specialized evaluation and therapy. IDHS's Southern region administers the DD waiver, and the Family Resource Center on Disabilities provides free statewide advocacy.
Provider directory
Local Providers11 providers in Jefferson County
About our listings
Provider listings on Autism Parent Club are submitted by practices or researched from public sources. All listings are reviewed for accuracy before publication. To suggest a correction, use the “Suggest a correction” link below.
Diagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Salem · multi-county
Centralia Mercy Hospital — Marion County Developmental Referral
Marion County families in Salem access autism evaluation referrals through the Centralia/Mt. Vernon health systems and SIU Medicine in southern Illinois. Salem is the county seat of this central-southern Illinois agricultural county, roughly equidistant from St. Louis and Evansville.
SIU Medicine and the St. Louis Children's Hospital network serve Marion County for complex evaluations.
Mount Vernon · multi-county
HSHS Good Samaritan Hospital — Jefferson County Developmental Referrals
HSHS Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon is Jefferson County's primary regional medical facility. Developmental pediatrics and autism diagnostic referrals connect families to SIU Medicine in Springfield or SIH in Carbondale for comprehensive evaluations serving this south-central Illinois hub county.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Mount Vernon · multi-county
Illinois Early Intervention — Jefferson County
Illinois Early Intervention provides free birth-to-3 developmental services and autism-related EI supports for Jefferson County families in Mount Vernon. State-coordinated providers serve this south-central Illinois county, a regional hub for the surrounding rural counties.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Salem · multi-county
Centria Autism — Southern Illinois (Marion County)
In-home ABA therapy for Marion County children and families. BCBA-supervised programming accepting most commercial insurance and Illinois Medicaid under Illinois's ABA insurance mandate.
Illinois requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Mount Vernon · multi-county
Autism Society of Illinois — South-Central Illinois (Jefferson County)
The Autism Society of Illinois connects Jefferson County families in Mount Vernon with virtual peer support and statewide resources. Online programming serves families in this south-central Illinois regional hub and surrounding rural communities.
Benton · multi-county
Autism Society of Illinois — Southern Illinois (Franklin County)
The Autism Society of Illinois connects Franklin County families in Benton, IL, to peer support and resources. The Marion-Carbondale autism community provides regional support group access for families in this SE Illinois county.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Nashville · multi-county
Family Matters PTI — Washington County
Illinois's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center serving Washington County families with free IEP coaching and disability rights training.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all Illinois families outside Cook County.
Salem · multi-county
Family Resource Center on Disabilities — Marion County IL
Illinois's federally funded PTI providing free IEP advocacy, training, and family support for Marion County families navigating southern Illinois school districts.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all Illinois counties.
Benton · multi-county
Family Resource Center on Disabilities — Statewide (Franklin County)
Illinois's federally funded PTI provides free IEP advocacy for Franklin County families in Benton, IL. FRCD advocates help families navigate Franklin County school districts in this former coal-mining SE Illinois community.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Available for SE Illinois families.
Mount Vernon · multi-county
Family Resource Center on Disabilities — Statewide (Jefferson County)
Illinois's federally funded PTI provides free IEP advocacy by phone and virtually for Jefferson County families in Mount Vernon. An important resource for families in this south-central Illinois regional hub county.
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon CHSD 201 — Special Education
Mount Vernon City Schools and Jefferson County school districts coordinate autism evaluations and IEP services for Jefferson County students. Mount Vernon's status as a regional hub means somewhat more service availability than the most rural surrounding counties.
For providers
Be the first featured provider in Jefferson County
Featured listings include your logo, extended description, a direct contact button, and top placement above standard listings. Families searching for help in Jefferson County see you first.
Missing a provider? Submit a listing — it’s free →
Helpful guides
Guides for Jefferson 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 Illinois resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Illinois.
Illinois state guide →Nearby counties in Illinois
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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
Add your practice →