County resource guide

Autism Resources in Lafourche County, Louisiana

Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Lafourche County. Louisiana statewide resources also apply.

Lafourche Parish (Thibodaux, Raceland, Golden Meadow) is a Louisiana coastal parish extending into the bayous, served by Thibodaux Regional Health System. Families requiring specialized autism evaluations travel to the New Orleans metro. Lafourche Parish School Board provides special education. Families Helping Families Southeast Louisiana provides free IEP advocacy. Louisiana's ABA mandate and NOW/ROW waivers apply statewide.

Provider directory

Local Providers27 providers in Lafourche County

About our listings

Provider listings on Autism Parent Club are submitted by practices or researched from public sources. All listings are reviewed by a person before publication, and no provider has paid to appear here. Read how we verify listings, or use the “Suggest a correction” link below to flag anything inaccurate.

Filter by age

0 providers in Lafourche County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.

Diagnostic clinics

Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.

Houma · multi-county

Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center — Pediatrics

Pediatric care and developmental screenings at Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center (Ochsner), the primary hospital for Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes. Full autism evaluations are typically referred to New Orleans; Chabert coordinates those referrals.

Ages 0–18(985) 873-2200

Full evaluations often require travel to New Orleans (~60 min). Chabert coordinates referrals to Children's Hospital New Orleans.

Napoleonville · multi-county

Thibodaux Regional Health System — Assumption Parish Referral

Assumption Parish families in Napoleonville access developmental and autism evaluation referrals through Thibodaux Regional Health System (~25 min east) or travel to Baton Rouge (~45 min). Assumption is a rural bayou country parish with limited local specialist services.

Ages 0–18(985) 447-5500

Napoleonville families typically travel to Thibodaux or Baton Rouge for specialist evaluations.

Thibodaux · multi-county

Thibodaux Regional Health System — Pediatric Developmental Referral

Thibodaux Regional Health System is the primary hospital for Lafourche Parish, providing developmental screenings and referrals for autism evaluations to New Orleans or Baton Rouge specialists. Lafourche families typically travel to Children's Hospital New Orleans for comprehensive evaluations.

Ages 0–18(985) 447-5500

Full autism evaluations typically referred to New Orleans (~70 min). Thibodaux Regional coordinates referrals.

Early Intervention (0–3)

Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.

Houma · multi-county

First Steps Early Intervention — Terrebonne Region

Louisiana First Steps provides free early intervention for children under age 3 in Terrebonne Parish. Services delivered at home or in childcare settings, important for coastal families far from urban diagnostic centers.

Ages 0–3Accepting new patients(800) 922-3425

FREE under IDEA Part C. No referral needed — call to request an evaluation.

Thibodaux

Louisiana Early Steps — Lafourche Parish

Louisiana Early Steps provides free IDEA Part C early intervention for children under age 3 in Lafourche Parish. Services are delivered in the home and community settings across this bayou country coastal parish.

Ages 0–3Accepting new patientsIn-home(800) 922-3425

FREE under IDEA Part C. No referral needed.

ABA therapy

Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.

Napoleonville · multi-county

Gulf Coast ABA Therapy — Assumption Parish

ABA therapy for Assumption Parish families accessible through south Louisiana network providers. In-home services are the primary option for Napoleonville-area families; center-based services require travel to Thibodaux or Baton Rouge.

Ages 2–18In-home

Louisiana requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.

Houma · multi-county

Gulf Coast ABA Therapy — Houma

ABA therapy serving Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes in south Louisiana. Center-based and in-home services for children in the coastal oil-and-gas community. Accepts commercial insurance under Louisiana's ABA mandate.

Ages 2–18In-home

Louisiana requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.

Thibodaux · multi-county

Gulf Coast ABA Therapy — Lafourche

ABA therapy serving Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes in south Louisiana. Center-based and in-home services for children in Thibodaux, Raceland, and surrounding communities. Accepts commercial insurance under Louisiana's ABA mandate.

Ages 2–18In-home

Louisiana requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.

Respite care

Respite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.

Statewide · multi-county

OCDD individual and family support — including respite

Louisiana's Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities funds individual and family support that covers respite alongside personal assistance, specialized clothing, dental and medical services, equipment, communication services, crisis intervention, nutrition and family education. Respite is also authorised under several HCBS waivers and can be delivered at home, at a licensed facility or in the community, planned or in an emergency.

Ask your local governing entity or Human Services Authority about family support funds separately from waiver respite — they are different pots.

~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.

Parent & family support

Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.

Thibodaux

Lafourche Parish Autism Family Alliance

Peer support and resource network for autism families in Thibodaux, Raceland, and across Lafourche Parish. Connects bayou country families with New Orleans-area specialists and statewide autism resources.

Ages All ages

Contact Autism Society Louisiana for current meeting schedule.

Advocacy & legal

Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.

Metairie · multi-county

Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans

Louisiana's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, southeastern Louisiana region. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support for New Orleans area families. One of nine FHF centers operating statewide.

Ages All agesAccepting new patients(504) 888-9111

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Louisiana's FHF network is regionally distributed — call your closest center.

Metairie · multi-county

Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans (Assumption)

Louisiana's federally funded PTI for the GNO region covers Assumption Parish. Free IEP advocacy and family support for Napoleonville families navigating special education in this rural south Louisiana parish.

Ages All agesAccepting new patients(504) 888-9111

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Assumption Parish covered by GNO FHF center.

Metairie · multi-county

Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans (Lafourche)

Louisiana's federally funded PTI for the GNO region covers Lafourche Parish. Free IEP advocacy, training, and family support for Thibodaux and Raceland families navigating special education in this south Louisiana coastal parish.

Ages All agesAccepting new patients(504) 888-9111

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Lafourche Parish is covered by the GNO FHF center.

Houma · multi-county

Families Helping Families of Greater New Orleans (Terrebonne)

Louisiana's federally funded PTI for the greater New Orleans region, which covers Terrebonne Parish. Free IEP advocacy, training, and support for Houma families. Terrebonne is part of the FHF GNO service area.

Ages All agesAccepting new patients(504) 888-9111

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Terrebonne families are served by the GNO FHF center.

Autism-friendly dentists

Dentists experienced with autistic patients — desensitisation visits, sensory accommodations, and staff who take the time it takes.

New Orleans · multi-county

LSU School of Dentistry - Pediatric Dentistry Advanced Education Clinic

1100 Florida Avenue, 4th floor Clinic Building, New Orleans, LA 70119

LSU's pediatric dental clinic takes children with special health care needs - complex medical problems, behavioral problems and developmental problems - with the pediatric dentists consulting other medical specialists rather than treating the mouth in isolation. It accepts new patients from birth through 17 all year round, which is more open than most academic clinics manage.

For an adult, or for a case needing general anesthesia, ask about LSU's General Practice Residency clinic in Baton Rouge instead - it takes special needs and medically compromised patients from across Louisiana.

Activities, clubs & recreation

Clubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.

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.

Ages 5–18

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.

Ages Middle school through adult1-800-892-8339

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.

Ages Children and young adults

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.

Ages 4–18, or 15+ with no upper limit in Senior League

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.

Ages 8+

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.

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Helpful guides

Guides for Lafourche County families

Step-by-step help on the topics that matter most.

Communities served

Cities in Lafourche County

Serving families across Lafourche County including Thibodaux, Houma, Raceland, Lockport, Cut Off, Larose, Golden Meadow, Galliano, Mathews and Chackbay and more.

ThibodauxHoumaRacelandLockportCut OffLaroseGolden MeadowGallianoMathewsChackbay

See all Louisiana resources

Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Louisiana.

Louisiana state guide →

Common questions

Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.

How many autism providers serve Lafourche County, Louisiana?

We list 15 providers serving Lafourche County, covering advocacy & legal, early intervention (0–3), ABA therapy, parent & family support and diagnostic clinics, 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.

Where can I find ABA therapy in Lafourche County?

ABA providers serving Lafourche 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 Lafourche County?

4 providers serving Lafourche 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 Louisiana?

Louisiana families can apply to the New Opportunities Waiver (NOW), Children's Choice and Supports Waivers, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is Years — but urgency of need outranks your date on the registry, 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 Lafourche County?

If none of the Lafourche County providers is the right fit, these Louisiana counties currently have the most listed providers: Jefferson County (26), East Baton Rouge County (24), St. Tammany County (24), Morehouse 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 Louisiana

You know things we don’t

Still missing from Lafourche County

These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Lafourche 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.

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 Lafourche County? We'll email you.

One email when we verify a new provider in Lafourche 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 Lafourche 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.

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For providers

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