Autism Resources in Howard County, Iowa
14 providers in Cresco and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in Howard County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in Howard County
Diagnostic clinics
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
MercyOne North Iowa — Howard County Referral
Cresco, IA · serves several counties
Howard County families in Cresco access developmental and autism evaluation referrals through MercyOne North Iowa in Mason City (~40 miles west) or Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, WI (~35 miles east). Cresco sits near the Minnesota and Wisconsin borders.
Rural tri-state region. Families may also access Wisconsin or Minnesota resources given proximity.
Early Intervention (0–3)
1 providerFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Howard County Early ACCESS
Cresco, IA · serves several counties
Iowa Part C early intervention for children birth–3 in Howard County. Coordinated by AEA 267, providing in-home therapy and developmental support at no cost.
FREE under IDEA Part C.
Parent & family support
1 providerParent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Autism Society of Iowa — Northeast Iowa
Cresco, IA · serves several counties
Statewide parent support and resource connections for Howard County autism families through the Autism Society of Iowa.
Advocacy & legal
1 providerLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Iowa PTI — Parent Training and Information Center
Cresco, IA · serves several counties
Free IEP advocacy and special education support for Howard County families from Iowa's federally funded PTI.
FREE. Statewide service.
Also serving Howard County
These 22 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list Howard 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
3 providersFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
MercyOne North Iowa — Developmental Referrals (Chickasaw County)
New Hampton, IA · serves several counties
MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center in Mason City serves as the primary referral hub for Chickasaw County families seeking autism evaluations. New Hampton is approximately 40 miles from Mason City, giving Chickasaw County families access to north Iowa's specialist services.
Mason City (~40 miles) is the primary hub for developmental and autism evaluation services in NE Iowa.
MercyOne North Iowa — Mitchell County Referral
Osage, IA · serves several counties
Mitchell County families in Osage access developmental and autism evaluation referrals through MercyOne North Iowa in Mason City (~25 miles west). Mason City is the regional hub for north-central Iowa.
Mason City (~25 miles west) is the primary evaluation hub.
Winneshiek Medical Center — Developmental Referrals
Decorah, IA · serves several counties
Winneshiek Medical Center in Decorah provides primary care and developmental referrals for Winneshiek County. For comprehensive autism evaluations, families access UI Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City (~2 hrs) or providers in La Crosse, WI (~1 hr).
Luther College campus community may provide additional support networks for Decorah families.
Early Intervention (0–3)
2 providersFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Mitchell County Early ACCESS
Osage, IA · serves several counties
Iowa Part C early intervention for children birth–3 in Mitchell County. Coordinated by AEA 267, providing in-home therapy and family support at no cost.
FREE under IDEA Part C.
Winneshiek County Early ACCESS
Decorah, IA · serves several counties
Iowa Part C early intervention for children birth–3 in Winneshiek County. Coordinated through the local AEA, providing in-home developmental therapy and family support at no cost.
FREE under IDEA Part C for eligible children birth to age 3.
Respite care
2 providersRespite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
ARCH National Respite Locator
Searchable by state, IA
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, IA
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 Iowa — North Iowa
Osage, IA · serves several counties
Statewide parent support and resource connections for Mitchell County autism families. Connects Osage families to Mason City area resources.
Autism Society of Iowa — Northeast Iowa
Decorah, IA · serves several counties
Parent support and statewide resource connections for Winneshiek County autism families through the Autism Society of Iowa. Connects Decorah families to statewide resources and the Norwegian-American heritage community.
Advocacy & legal
3 providersLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Iowa PTI — Parent Training and Information Center
Decorah, IA · serves several counties
Free IEP advocacy and special education support for Winneshiek County families from Iowa's federally funded PTI. Phone, video, and in-person consultations available statewide.
FREE. Statewide service — call before any IEP meeting or school dispute.
Iowa PTI — Parent Training and Information Center
New Hampton, IA · serves several counties
Free IEP advocacy and special education support for Chickasaw County families from Iowa's federally funded PTI. Phone, video, and in-person consultations available statewide.
FREE. Statewide service — call before any IEP meeting or school dispute.
Iowa PTI — Parent Training and Information Center
Osage, IA · serves several counties
Free IEP advocacy and special education support for Mitchell County families from Iowa's federally funded PTI.
FREE. Statewide service.
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, IA
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, IA
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, IA
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, IA
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, IA
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, IA
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, IA
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, IA
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, IA
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, IA
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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Helpful guides
Guides for Howard 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 Iowa resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Iowa.
Iowa state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Howard County, Iowa?
We list 14 providers serving Howard County, covering parent & family support, 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.
Can autism therapy happen at home in Howard County?
3 providers serving Howard 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 Iowa?
Iowa families can apply to the Intellectual Disability, Children's Mental Health and Health & Disability waivers — moving to the HOME system, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is Years — some applicants have been waiting since 2020, 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 Howard County?
If none of the Howard County providers is the right fit, these Iowa counties currently have the most listed providers: Polk County (28), Pottawattamie County (26), Cerro Gordo County (25), Warren County (24). 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 Iowa
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Howard County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Howard 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 Howard County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Howard 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 Howard 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 Howard County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
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