Autism Resources in Oakland County, Michigan

Detroit · multi-county

Children's Hospital of Michigan — Developmental Pediatrics

Comprehensive autism and developmental evaluations at Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit's major pediatric hospital. Multi-disciplinary team serving Wayne County and the greater Detroit metro. Connected to Wayne State University's academic medical system.

Royal Oak · multi-county

Corewell Health Beaumont — Developmental Pediatrics

Developmental pediatric evaluations at Corewell Health (formerly Beaumont) in Oakland County. Serves Oakland and Macomb County families with accessible evaluation services in the northern Detroit suburbs.

Brighton · multi-county

U of M Autism & Communication Disorders Center — Livingston Referrals

Livingston County families have strong access to the University of Michigan Autism & Communication Disorders Center (UMACC) in Ann Arbor, one of the nation's top autism diagnostic programs. UMACC developed the ADOS-2 and ADI-R, the gold-standard diagnostic tools used worldwide. Brighton is approximately 40 minutes from the Ann Arbor campus.

About 40 minutes from Brighton. Worth the drive — UMACC is among the best autism diagnostic programs in the country.

Ann Arbor · multi-county

University of Michigan — Autism & Communication Disorders Center (UMACC)

One of the country's premier autism evaluation and research centers. UMACC at the University of Michigan offers comprehensive assessments and is internationally recognized for developing autism diagnostic tools used worldwide, including the ADOS and ADI-R. An academic gold standard for complex and adult cases.

UMACC developed the ADOS and ADI-R — the gold standard autism diagnostic tools used worldwide. Worth the waitlist.

Ann Arbor · multi-county

University of Michigan — Autism & Communication Disorders Center (UMACC)

UMACC at the University of Michigan is one of the country's premier autism evaluation and research centers, located in Ann Arbor. Developed the ADOS and ADI-R diagnostic tools used worldwide. Offers comprehensive evaluations for all ages, including complex cases and adults seeking a late diagnosis. Worth the waitlist for families who want a gold-standard assessment.

UMACC developed the ADOS and ADI-R — the gold standard autism diagnostic tools used worldwide.

Waterford

Early On Oakland County — Oakland Schools

Michigan's Early On program for Oakland County is administered through Oakland Schools ISD. Free developmental evaluations, IFSPs, and in-home therapy for infants and toddlers under age 3. Serves Pontiac, Royal Oak, Troy, Farmington Hills, and all Oakland County communities.

FREE under IDEA Part C. Self-refer — no physician referral required.

Chesterfield Township · multi-county

Avid ABA Autism Therapy Centers

Professional ABA home health care for children with autism in Macomb, Oakland, Wayne, and St. Clair counties.

Source: https://avidaba.com

Warren · multi-county

Centria Autism — Macomb County

Center-based and in-home ABA therapy serving Macomb County communities including Warren, Sterling Heights, and Clinton Township. BCBA-supervised programs accepting most commercial insurance and Michigan Medicaid. Centria was founded in Michigan and maintains a strong metro Detroit presence.

Michigan requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.

Dearborn · multi-county

Centria Autism — Metro Detroit

In-home and center-based ABA therapy across Wayne and Oakland counties. BCBA-supervised. Accepts most commercial insurance and Michigan Medicaid.

Michigan requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.

Pontiac · multi-county

Centria Autism — Oakland County

Center-based and in-home ABA therapy serving Oakland County communities including Pontiac, Troy, Farmington Hills, and Southfield. BCBA-supervised programs accepting most commercial insurance and Michigan Medicaid. Michigan-founded Centria maintains multiple Oakland County clinic locations.

Michigan requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.

Sterling Heights · multi-county

Early Autism Services — Sterling Heights

ABA therapy in Sterling Heights/Macomb County, also serving Wayne, Oakland, and St. Clair counties.

Source: https://www.earlyautismservices.com/locations/sterling-heights

Sterling Heights · multi-county

Great Lakes ABA — Macomb County

Great Lakes ABA provides center-based and in-home Applied Behavior Analysis therapy for children with autism in Macomb County and the greater Detroit metro. BCBA-supervised programs tailored to each child's individualized treatment plan, accepting most commercial insurance.

Troy · multi-county

Great Lakes ABA — Oakland County

Great Lakes ABA provides center-based and in-home Applied Behavior Analysis therapy for children with autism in Oakland County. BCBA-supervised individualized treatment plans accepting most commercial insurance and Michigan Medicaid. Serves the northern Detroit suburbs.

Detroit · multi-county

Illum Therapy

ABA therapy serving Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties in Metro Detroit.

Source: https://illumtherapy.com/michigan

Warren · multi-county

The Healing Haven — Metro Detroit

Full-spectrum behavioral health campus: ABA therapy, speech, OT, diagnostic evaluations, and family counseling under one roof. Serves Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne Counties.

Source: https://healinghavenaba.com/healing-haven-locations/

Detroit · multi-county

Gateway Pediatric Therapy

ABA, OT, and pediatric therapy services for children with autism across Michigan including Metro Detroit.

Source: https://gatewaypediatrictherapy.com

Statewide · multi-county

Respite through your Community Mental Health agency (CMHSP)

In Michigan the door to respite is your local Community Mental Health Services Program rather than a state office. The CMHSP decides eligibility based on the nature and severity of your child's disability, and administers the Children's Waiver Program, which funds respite among other supports to keep a child living at home. Michigan also publishes a family guide to respite specifically for children, which is unusually practical for a state document.

Michigan Alliance for Families is the free, independent help for getting through the CMHSP process — worth calling before you call the CMHSP.

~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.

Warren · multi-county

Autism Alliance of Michigan — Macomb County

Autism Alliance of Michigan provides resource navigation, peer support, and family programming for Macomb County families. AIM's helpline helps families access Medicaid waiver services, appeal insurance denials, and connect with local support groups in metro Detroit's northern suburbs.

Detroit · multi-county

Autism Society of Michigan — Detroit

Michigan's statewide autism organization with active Detroit-area programming. Support groups, resource navigation, family events, and the ASM resource directory.

Detroit · multi-county

CAUSE — Coalition, Advocacy, Unified Systems, Empowerment

Michigan's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center for families of color, serving Detroit and Wayne County. Free IEP advocacy, training, and culturally responsive support. Particularly focused on closing the service gap for Black and minority families in Michigan's special education system.

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Culturally responsive — particularly strong for Detroit families.

Lansing · multi-county

Michigan Alliance for Families

Michigan's primary federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, workshops, and one-on-one support for Michigan families statewide. Knows Michigan's special education rules and procedural requirements.

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Essential before any IEP meeting or dispute.

Howell · multi-county

Michigan Alliance for Families — Southeast Michigan

Michigan Alliance for Families serves Livingston County families through its statewide PTI network. Free IEP advocacy, special education rights training, and one-on-one support navigating Michigan's school districts — particularly relevant as Livingston County's rapidly growing suburban districts expand their special education programs.

FREE. Federally funded PTI.

Ann Arbor · multi-county

University of Michigan School of Dentistry — specialty clinics

The University of Michigan dental school runs specialty clinics including care for patients with special needs. Dental school clinics trade time for expertise: appointments run longer because students do the work under supervision, and there can be a wait for a first visit. In exchange you get a team that treats disabled patients every day, usually at a lower cost, and they generally accept Medicaid.

Southfield · multi-county

Autism Alliance of Michigan - adaptive sports

Statewide autism organization with an adaptive sports program and a navigator service that can point a family to local options - useful outside the Detroit metro, where organized provision thins out.

Detroit · multi-county

Autism Society of Greater Detroit - adaptive sports

Adaptive sports programming plus a maintained listing of adaptive parks and recreation options across the Detroit area - one of the few local organizations that has actually done the work of collecting what exists nearby.

Mount Clemens · multi-county

Macomb County - Move More Macomb adaptive recreation

The county's own adaptive recreation programming. Public provision is the cheapest and closest option and rarely surfaces in an autism search.

Rochester · multi-county

OUCARES - Oakland University Center for Autism

Sports programs for autistic children, teenagers and adults - indoor and outdoor soccer, swimming, bowling, yoga, judo, basketball, volleyball and golf - as part of programming explicitly designed across the whole lifespan rather than stopping at 18. The range means there is a realistic chance of matching an existing interest rather than asking a young person to adopt a new one.

Detroit · multi-county

YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit - Adaptive Social Club

A Saturday social club bringing together peers with disabilities for fitness, games, crafts and community outings. Saturday is exactly when families most often find there is nothing, which makes this more useful than its size suggests.

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.