Autism Resources in Warren County, Iowa
24 providers in Indianola and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in Warren County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in Warren County
Diagnostic clinics
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Blank Children's Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics
Indianola, IA · serves several counties
Autism and developmental evaluations at Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines, the closest major pediatric center for Warren County families. Provides comprehensive multidisciplinary assessments.
Located in Des Moines (~25 min from Indianola). Referral from primary care recommended.
Early Intervention (0–3)
1 providerFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Warren County Early ACCESS
Indianola, IA · serves several counties
Iowa Part C early intervention for children birth–3 in Warren County. Coordinated by Heartland AEA, delivering in-home therapy, service coordination, and developmental support at no cost.
FREE under IDEA Part C for eligible children birth to age 3.
ABA therapy
1 providerApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Centria Autism — South Des Moines Metro
Indianola, IA · serves several counties
ABA therapy services serving Warren County families, with centers in the Des Moines metro area. BCBA-supervised programming with home and center options. Iowa Medicaid accepted.
Iowa Medicaid covers ABA therapy for eligible children.
Parent & family support
1 providerParent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Autism Society of Iowa — Central Iowa
Indianola, IA · serves several counties
Parent support groups, community events, and statewide resource connections for Warren County autism families. The Autism Society of Iowa covers the Des Moines metro including Indianola.
Advocacy & legal
1 providerLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Iowa PTI — Parent Training and Information Center
Indianola, IA · serves several counties
Free IEP advocacy and special education support from Iowa's federally funded PTI. Available to all Warren County families by phone, video, or in person.
FREE. Statewide service — call before any IEP meeting or school dispute.
Also serving Warren County
These 31 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list Warren 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
4 providersFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Blank Children's Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics
Des Moines, IA · serves several counties
Autism and developmental evaluations at Blank Children's Hospital (UnityPoint Health), Des Moines' primary pediatric center. Serves Polk County and families from Central Iowa.
Blank Children's Hospital — Madison County Referral
Winterset, IA · serves several counties
Madison County families in Winterset (birthplace of John Wayne) access autism evaluations at Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines, approximately 30 miles east. Blank Children's is the primary pediatric hub for the greater Des Moines metro.
Des Moines (~30 miles east) is the primary evaluation hub for Madison County families.
Broadlawns Medical Center — Developmental Pediatrics
Adel, IA · serves several counties
Developmental pediatric services at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines, the primary public hospital serving Dallas County and the greater metro. Provides autism screenings and referrals for comprehensive evaluation at UI Stead Family Children's Hospital.
Broadlawns accepts Iowa Medicaid. Fast-growing suburb — Iowa Methodist and UI Children's also accessible.
Knoxville Hospital & Clinics — Developmental Referrals
Knoxville, IA · serves several counties
Knoxville Hospital & Clinics provides primary care and developmental referrals for Marion County children. For comprehensive autism evaluations, families are referred to Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines (~35 miles) or UI Stead Family Children's Hospital.
Des Moines is ~35 miles from Knoxville — the primary hub for full autism evaluations.
Early Intervention (0–3)
2 providersFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Madison County Early ACCESS
Winterset, IA · serves several counties
Iowa Part C early intervention for children birth–3 in Madison County. Coordinated by Heartland AEA, providing in-home therapy and family support at no cost.
FREE under IDEA Part C.
Marion County Early ACCESS
Knoxville, IA · serves several counties
Iowa Part C early intervention for children birth–3 in Marion County. Coordinated through Heartland AEA, providing in-home developmental therapy and family support at no cost.
FREE under IDEA Part C for eligible children birth to age 3.
ABA therapy
3 providersApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Centria Autism — Madison County
Winterset, IA · serves several counties
ABA therapy for Madison County families. BCBA-supervised home- and community-based programming. Iowa Medicaid and commercial insurance accepted.
Iowa Medicaid covers ABA therapy.
Centria Autism — Waukee
Waukee, IA · serves several counties
Center-based ABA therapy in Waukee for children with autism. Centria offers BCBA-supervised programming with individualized treatment plans. Iowa Medicaid and most commercial insurance accepted.
Iowa Medicaid covers ABA therapy for eligible children.
Hopebridge — Des Moines
Des Moines, IA · serves several counties
Center-based ABA therapy in the Des Moines metro. BCBA-supervised. Accepts most commercial insurance and Iowa Medicaid.
Iowa requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Respite care
3 providersRespite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
Children at Home — Iowa Family Support Network
Statewide, IA · serves several counties
Iowa's Children at Home program helps families buy what they actually need to keep a child at home, including respite alongside equipment, supplies and assistive technology. Respite is also a covered service under Iowa's HCBS waivers. Given that Iowa does not pre-screen eligibility before putting families on a waiver waiting list, this is the route that does not depend on that queue.
Ask about Children at Home separately from waiver respite — different funding, different application, and families are usually told about only one.
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
3 providersParent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Autism Society of Iowa — Central Iowa
Winterset, IA · serves several counties
Statewide parent support and resource connections for Madison County autism families through the Autism Society of Iowa.
Autism Society of Iowa — Central Iowa Chapter
Adel, IA · serves several counties
Parent support, resource sharing, and community events for autism families in Dallas County and the greater Des Moines metro. The Autism Society of Iowa connects families to local and statewide networks.
Autism Society of Iowa — South Central Iowa
Knoxville, IA · serves several counties
Parent support and statewide resource connections for Marion County autism families through the Autism Society of Iowa. Connects Knoxville families to Des Moines metro and statewide support networks.
Advocacy & legal
4 providersLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Iowa PTI — Parent Training and Information Center
Des Moines, IA · serves several counties
Iowa's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support for Iowa families statewide.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Essential before any IEP meeting or dispute in Iowa.
Iowa PTI — Parent Training and Information Center
Adel, IA · serves several counties
Iowa's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center offers free IEP advocacy, training, and individualized support for Dallas County families navigating special education.
FREE. Statewide service — call before any IEP meeting or school dispute.
Iowa PTI — Parent Training and Information Center
Knoxville, IA · serves several counties
Free IEP advocacy and special education support for Marion 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
Winterset, IA · serves several counties
Free IEP advocacy and special education support for Madison County families from Iowa's federally funded PTI.
FREE. Statewide service.
Activities, clubs & recreation
12 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
Camp Sunnyside
Des Moines, IA · serves several counties
An Easterseals Iowa camp in Des Moines for people aged four and over, with and without disabilities together - summer day camps, adaptive recreation, fitness and team sport across ages and ability levels.
Can Play
Des Moines, IA · serves several counties
Adaptive sport and activities for children AND adults with disabilities through its Courage program - tennis, baseball, track and field, tumbling, group games and music, as classes and camps.
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.
See all 12 activities, clubs & recreation providersShow fewer
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.
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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About autism services in Warren County
Warren County is home to Indianola and Norwalk in the Des Moines metro area. Indianola Community School District and Norwalk Community School District provide special education. Families have convenient access to the Des Moines metro's provider network. Iowa Compass (PTI) provides free statewide IEP advocacy.
Helpful guides
Guides for Warren 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 Warren County, Iowa?
We list 24 providers serving Warren County, covering parent & family support, diagnostic clinics, activities, clubs & recreation, ABA therapy and respite care, plus 2 more. 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 Warren County accept Medicaid?
4 of the providers we list for Warren County state that they accept Medicaid, including Broadlawns Medical Center — Developmental Pediatrics, Centria Autism — Madison County, Centria Autism — South Des Moines Metro and Hopebridge — Des Moines. Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Warren County?
ABA providers serving Warren 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 Warren County?
3 providers serving Warren 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 Warren County?
If none of the Warren 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), Monroe County (23). 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 Warren County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Warren 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 Warren County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Warren 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 Warren 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 Warren County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
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