Autism Resources in Will County, Illinois

New Lenox

Silver Cross Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics

Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox serves Will County families with developmental pediatrics including autism evaluations. Pediatric specialists collaborate with neuropsychologists and speech therapists for comprehensive diagnostic services.

Ask specifically for developmental pediatrics when scheduling.

Chicago · multi-county

Illinois Early Intervention Program

Illinois's IDEA Part C program provides free developmental services statewide for children under 3. Contact the state EI program to request an evaluation — no diagnosis required. Services can begin within 45 days of referral.

FREE under federal law. No diagnosis required. Act before your child turns 3.

Morris · multi-county

Acorn Health — Grundy County ABA

In-home ABA therapy serving Grundy County and surrounding north-central Illinois communities. BCBA-supervised individualized programs accepting Illinois Medicaid and commercial insurance under the Illinois ABA mandate.

Illinois requires commercial insurers to cover ABA therapy.

Kankakee · multi-county

Acorn Health — Kankakee ABA

Acorn Health provides center-based ABA therapy serving Kankakee County children and adolescents. BCBA-supervised with naturalistic teaching strategies. Accepts Illinois Medicaid and commercial insurance.

Illinois requires commercial insurers to cover ABA therapy.

Naperville · multi-county

Autism Home Support Services — DuPage

In-home ABA therapy for children and teens in DuPage County. BCBA-supervised programs focus on building communication, daily living, and social skills in natural home environments. Accepts commercial insurance under Illinois ABA mandate.

Illinois law requires commercial insurers to cover ABA therapy. In-home model reduces wait for clinic space.

Joliet · multi-county

BlueSprig Autism — Joliet

Center-based ABA therapy in Joliet for children and teens with autism. BlueSprig is a national ABA provider with Illinois locations offering BCBA-supervised programs. Accepts commercial insurance under Illinois mandate and Medicaid.

Insurance accepted; verify in-network status with your specific plan before enrollment.

Chicago · multi-county

Centria Autism — Chicago

In-home and center-based ABA therapy in the Chicago metro. BCBA-supervised. Accepts most commercial insurance and Illinois Medicaid.

Illinois requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.

Yorkville · multi-county

Centria Autism — Kendall County

In-home and center-based ABA therapy serving rapidly growing Kendall County. BCBA-supervised programming accepting Illinois Medicaid and commercial insurance under the Illinois ABA insurance mandate. Kendall County's explosive population growth has outpaced local autism service development — early contact is advised.

Illinois requires commercial insurers to cover ABA therapy.

Downers Grove · multi-county

Easter Seals Midwest — DuPage Speech Therapy

Speech-language pathology services for children with autism and developmental delays across DuPage County. Easter Seals therapists have experience with AAC, feeding, and social communication goals. Accepts Medicaid and most commercial plans.

Accepts Medicaid and commercial insurance. Ask about AAC evaluations specifically.

Joliet

Little Linguists Speech Therapy — Will County

Speech-language pathology practice in the Joliet area specializing in pediatric autism communication needs, including early language, AAC systems, and social pragmatics. Accepts commercial insurance and some Medicaid plans.

Joliet

Pediatric Therapy Network — Will County

Pediatric occupational therapy in Will County with a focus on sensory processing, fine motor development, and daily living skills for children with autism and developmental differences. Sensory gym available at clinic location.

Statewide · multi-county

Illinois DHS respite — five different programs

Illinois funds respite in five distinct forms and families are rarely told about more than one: group respite, in-home respite, residential respite, voucher respite, and the Lifespan Respite Program run with the Illinois Respite Coalition. It covers holidays, rest, errands, family crisis and emergencies, and can be delivered by a personal assistant, homemaker or home health worker. Ask which of the five you qualify for rather than accepting the first answer.

Voucher respite is the one most often missed — it lets you choose and pay your own provider rather than taking an assigned agency.

~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.

Chicago · multi-county

Autism Society of Illinois

Chicago metro chapter with active support groups, family resource events, and legislative advocacy. One of the more active state chapters in the Midwest.

Tinley Park · multi-county

Southwest Special Recreation Association — Will County

SWSRA provides adaptive recreation and leisure programs for individuals with disabilities in Will County, including social skills groups and sensory-friendly community programs. A good complement to clinical services for building peer connections.

Elk Grove Village · multi-county

Family Matters Parent Training & Information Center

Illinois's federally funded PTI serving families outside the Chicago metro, including McHenry County. Free IEP navigation, disability rights training, and one-on-one support for parents of children with disabilities.

FREE. Federally funded PTI for families outside Cook County.

Elk Grove Village · multi-county

Family Matters Parent Training & Information Center — DuPage

Illinois's federally funded PTI serving DuPage County families outside the Chicago metro. Free IEP navigation, disability rights training, and one-on-one support for parents navigating local school districts and state benefit systems.

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Complements FRCD (Cook County PTI) for families in the collar counties.

Elk Grove Village · multi-county

Family Matters PTI — Grundy County

Illinois's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center serving Grundy County families. Free IEP coaching and disability rights training for families in Morris and Coal City area school districts.

FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all Illinois families outside Cook County.

Elk Grove Village · multi-county

Family Matters PTI — Kankakee County

Illinois's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center serving Kankakee County families. Free IEP coaching, disability rights training, and support navigating Kankakee CUSD 111 and surrounding district special education processes.

FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all Illinois families outside Cook County.

Elk Grove Village · multi-county

Family Matters PTI — Kendall County

Illinois's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center serving Kendall County families. Free IEP coaching and disability rights training for families in Yorkville, Oswego, and Plano school districts — all growing rapidly with new developments.

FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all Illinois families outside Cook County.

Chicago · multi-county

UIC Inclusive Care Clinic

801 S. Paulina St., Rm 127, Chicago, IL 60612

Purpose-built for patients who cannot manage an ordinary dental visit - the clinic has a multi-sensory room to bring anxiety down before treatment, noise-cancelling headphones, weighted blankets, personal entertainment tablets and private treatment rooms. It names autism and ADHD explicitly among the conditions it serves, alongside intellectual and physical disabilities. Licensed social workers are on hand for patients and families, and a wheelchair lift means a patient can be treated without leaving their chair.

Ages 15 and up. The sensory room is part of the appointment - say when you call that your child needs it.

Downers Grove · multi-county

SEASPAR — South East Association for Special Parks and Recreation

The Special Recreation Association serving the western and south-western suburbs of Chicago.

Tinley Park · multi-county

South Suburban Special Recreation Association (SSSRA)

A therapeutic recreation program extending seven park districts and three parks and recreation departments across Chicago's south suburbs.

Statewide · multi-county

Special Recreation Association Network of Illinois (SRANI)

Illinois is the only state in the country with legislation allowing two or more park districts or municipalities to join together specifically to run recreation programs for people with disabilities. The result is 29 Special Recreation Associations covering much of the state, offering sports, arts, social events, camps and fitness — year-round, local, and heavily subsidised because they are funded by member park districts rather than fees alone. If you live in Illinois this is almost certainly the best-value option available to you, and most families have never heard of it. Use the SRANI site to find which association covers your town, or ask your local park district.

Scholarships are available through many associations — ask. Your SRA is determined by which town you live in, not by which one you ring first.

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.