Autism Resources in Jefferson County, Kentucky

Louisville · multi-county

Norton Children's Hospital — Autism Evaluation Program

Comprehensive autism evaluations at Norton Children's Hospital, Louisville's premier pediatric hospital. Multi-disciplinary team serving Jefferson County and the greater Louisville metro.

Louisville's dominant pediatric program. Ask about their community-based evaluation referrals.

Shelbyville · multi-county

Norton Children's Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics (Shelby County Referral)

Shelby County families in Shelbyville are 30 miles east of Louisville, giving direct access to Norton Children's Hospital — the premier autism evaluation center in western Kentucky. Ask your pediatrician for a referral.

Taylorsville · multi-county

Norton Children's Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics (Spencer County Referral)

Spencer County families in Taylorsville are within 30 miles of both Louisville and Lexington, giving them access to two major autism evaluation centers. Norton Children's in Louisville is the primary referral destination.

Bedford · multi-county

Norton Children's Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics (Trimble County Referral)

Trimble County families in Bedford are approximately 40 miles northeast of Louisville, making Norton Children's Hospital the most accessible major autism evaluation center. Ask your pediatrician for a referral.

Louisville

Adapt For Life — Louisville

ABA therapy services in Louisville East and Louisville South serving Jefferson County families with autism.

Source: https://aflaba.com/louisville-east/

Louisville

April ABA Therapy — Louisville

Clinician-owned BCBA and RBT team providing ABA therapy in Louisville/Jefferson County.

Source: https://www.aprilaba.com/areas-we-serve/louisville-jefferson-county

Taylorsville · multi-county

Centria Autism — Spencer County

In-home ABA therapy for Spencer County families near Taylorsville Lake. Accepts Kentucky Medicaid. Louisville metro ABA centers are accessible within 30 miles.

Louisville

Cultivate Behavioral Health — Louisville

Outpatient center-based ABA therapy for children with autism in Louisville, Jefferson County. Multiple clinic locations.

Source: https://cultivatebhe.com/locations/kentucky/louisville/

Shelbyville · multi-county

Hopebridge — ABA Therapy (Shelby County / Louisville Metro)

Hopebridge provides center-based and in-home ABA therapy for Shelby County families, with clinics accessible via Louisville metro. BCBA-supervised programs accepted by Kentucky Medicaid and most commercial insurers.

Louisville · multi-county

Hopebridge — Louisville

Center-based ABA therapy with Louisville metro locations. BCBA-supervised with multidisciplinary approach. Accepts most commercial insurance and Kentucky Medicaid.

Kentucky requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.

Louisville

Kid Therapy — Louisville

Pediatric speech, ABA, and occupational therapy in Louisville. Serves children with autism and developmental delays.

Source: https://kidtherapy.org/locations/louisville-pediatric-therapy/

Statewide · multi-county

Hart-Supported Living — respite WITHOUT a Medicaid waiver

This matters more in Kentucky than almost anywhere, because the Michelle P. waiting list runs past 13,000 people and a decade. Hart-Supported Living is a NON-Medicaid state program that funds personal care, respite, home modifications, equipment and skills training so a disabled Kentuckian can stay living at home — no waiver required. Kentucky also publishes a free statewide Respite Provider Directory of independent providers, searchable by location, service and population served.

If you are on the Michelle P. or SCL waiting list, Hart-Supported Living is the thing to ask about now rather than in eight years.

~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.

Louisville · multi-county

Autism Society of Kentucky — Louisville

Kentucky's statewide autism organization with active Louisville programming. Support groups, resource navigation, and family events across Jefferson County.

Louisville · multi-county

Kentucky Special Parent Involvement Network (KY-SPIN)

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

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

Shelbyville · multi-county

KY-SPIN — Shelby County IEP Advocacy

Free IEP advocacy and parent training for Shelby County families. KY-SPIN serves all 120 Kentucky counties; Shelbyville families can also access Louisville-area advocacy resources.

Taylorsville · multi-county

KY-SPIN — Spencer County IEP Advocacy

Free IEP advocacy and parent training for Spencer County families. KY-SPIN serves all of Kentucky; Spencer County's proximity to Louisville also provides access to additional advocacy organizations.

Louisville · multi-county

Lee Specialty Clinic

4501 Louise Underwood Way, Louisville, KY 40216

Not only a dental clinic - a whole healthcare system built for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and one of very few of its kind anywhere. Under one roof: dental, medical, psychiatry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology, nutrition and applied behavior analysis. For an autistic adult whose care is usually scattered across providers who each know a little about disability, a single team that knows a lot is a different proposition entirely.

Best known for serving adults with IDD. Ask what they can take on together rather than booking a single service.

Louisville · multi-county

UofL Special Care Dentistry

The University of Louisville runs Special Care Dentistry for people of ALL ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities, behavioral issues and physical limitations - the all-ages part matters, because most special-care dentistry stops at 18 or 21. A sensory-friendly environment, techniques aimed at lowering anxiety, and sedation where it is genuinely needed. Delivered across several Louisville sites plus a community clinic in Owensboro.

Ask which of the Louisville locations suits your child - they include the Graduate Pediatric Dentistry Practice and the Kosair for Kids Center. Owensboro is a separate community clinic.

Louisville · multi-county

Autism Society of Kentuckiana (ASK)

Serves greater Louisville and southern Indiana with family support and social events. Local chapters usually know about activities that appear in no directory, so worth a call even when their own calendar is not the fit.

Louisville · multi-county

Dreams With Wings

A Louisville nonprofit running a seven-week summer camp for around 50 campers aged 13 to 21 with intellectual disabilities - five days a week, eight hours a day. Full-day, full-summer provision for teenagers is scarce almost everywhere.

Louisville · multi-county

FEAT of Louisville - summer camp

An eight-week educational, therapeutic and recreational summer camp for autistic children and teenagers across the Louisville metro, surrounding counties and southern Indiana. Eight weeks is close to the whole summer, which for a working family is the difference between a camp and a solution.

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.