County resource guide
Autism Resources in Cass County, Minnesota
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Cass County. Minnesota statewide resources also apply.
Cass County — home to Walker and Backus — is a large, sparsely populated county in north-central Minnesota known for its lakes and forests. Cass Lake-Bena, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, and other district cooperatives serve students with disabilities across this large rural county. Provider availability is very limited; families typically travel to Brainerd, St. Cloud, or the Twin Cities for specialized autism services. PACER Center provides free IEP advocacy statewide.
Provider directory
Local Providers34 providers in Cass 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.
0 providers in Cass 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.
Brainerd · multi-county
Essentia Health — Developmental Pediatrics Brainerd
Essentia Health's Brainerd clinic provides developmental pediatrics and autism evaluations for Crow Wing County and the surrounding lakes region. Connected to Essentia's northern Minnesota network with telehealth links to Duluth specialists.
Park Rapids · multi-county
Essentia Health — Developmental Pediatrics Referral
Essentia Health coordinates developmental pediatrics and autism evaluations for Hubbard County through its Brainerd and Duluth campuses. Telehealth intake available to reduce travel for Park Rapids-area families.
Grand Rapids · multi-county
Essentia Health — Grand Rapids Clinic
Essentia Health's Grand Rapids clinic serves Itasca County with developmental pediatrics consultations and referrals to autism diagnostic specialists. Telehealth access to Duluth's multi-disciplinary evaluation teams is available for complex cases.
Walker · multi-county
Essentia Health — Telehealth Developmental Services
Essentia Health provides telehealth-based developmental pediatrics evaluations for Cass County families, connecting rural residents with Duluth and Brainerd specialists. Serves Walker and the broader Leech Lake area with remote consultation and referral support.
Bemidji · multi-county
Sanford Health Bemidji — Pediatric Developmental Services
Sanford Health Bemidji is the primary regional medical center for north-central Minnesota, providing pediatric care and developmental referrals for Beltrami County families. Sanford's network reaches families across the greater Bemidji lake-country region and the nearby Red Lake and Leech Lake tribal communities.
Rural northern Minnesota — comprehensive autism evaluations may require travel to Twin Cities or Duluth. Ask about telehealth evaluation options.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Walker
Cass County Schools — Early Childhood Special Education
Local school districts in Cass County coordinate free Early Childhood Special Education services under IDEA for children birth through age 5. Evaluations, IFSPs, and home-based therapies are available through the regional special education cooperative.
FREE under IDEA Part C/B. Contact your local school district to initiate an evaluation.
Cass Lake
Leech Lake Band — Tribal Early Childhood Program
The Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe provides tribally operated early intervention and special education services for eligible children in Cass County. Developmental evaluations and family support services are available through the Tribal Family Services department.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Aitkin · multi-county
Bluestone Physician Services — Aitkin County
Bluestone Physician Services provides integrated behavioral health and ABA-aligned services reaching Aitkin County. In-home and telehealth-supported programming for children with autism in rural north-central Minnesota. Accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance.
Minnesota requires commercial insurance to cover ABA. Telehealth is critical in this rural lake-country county.
Brainerd · multi-county
CentraCare — Behavioral Health Brainerd
CentraCare Behavioral Health provides applied behavior analysis and autism support services in Brainerd, serving Crow Wing and neighboring central Minnesota counties. BCBA-supervised programming with in-clinic and community-based options.
Brainerd · multi-county
Minnesota Autism Center — Brainerd
Minnesota Autism Center operates a clinic in Brainerd serving Crow Wing County with comprehensive ABA therapy. BCBA-led programming for children and teens with Medicaid and private insurance accepted.
Walker · multi-county
Minnesota Autism Center — In-Home ABA
Minnesota Autism Center offers in-home and community-based ABA therapy for Cass County children who cannot access a clinic site. BCBA-supervised services with coordination through the Brainerd regional office.
Park Rapids · multi-county
Minnesota Autism Center — In-Home Hubbard County
Minnesota Autism Center offers in-home ABA therapy for Hubbard County children, dispatching BCBAs from northern Minnesota regional offices. Community-based services for families in Park Rapids and rural Hubbard County.
Bemidji · multi-county
REACH for Resources — Bemidji ABA Services
ABA therapy services for Beltrami County and the Bemidji region. In-home and community-based BCBA-supervised programming. Accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance under Minnesota's ABA mandate. In-home model is particularly important in this rural northern region.
Minnesota requires commercial insurance to cover ABA. In-home model is especially practical in rural northern MN.
Grand Rapids · multi-county
Trumpet Behavioral Health — Northern MN
Trumpet Behavioral Health provides BCBA-supervised ABA therapy across northern Minnesota including Itasca County. In-home and community-based services available for families in Grand Rapids and the surrounding region.
Mental health
Therapists and psychiatrists experienced with autistic children and adults.
Park Rapids · multi-county
Lakeland Mental Health Center — Hubbard County
Lakeland Mental Health Center offers outpatient mental health services including therapy and psychiatric evaluation for Hubbard County residents. Services support children and adults with autism and co-occurring conditions such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD.
Respite care
Respite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
~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.
Grand Rapids · multi-county
Autism Society of Minnesota — Itasca Support
Autism Society of Minnesota provides helpline support, family resources, and virtual peer connections for Itasca County families. Resource specialists can help identify local providers, waiver funding, and school advocacy tools.
FREE helpline. Call for personalized northern MN resource navigation.
St. Paul · multi-county
Autism Society of Minnesota — Rural Outreach
Autism Society of Minnesota provides statewide support including resource navigation, peer support, and family connections. Rural Cass County families can access virtual support groups and one-on-one resource specialists.
FREE. Call the helpline for resource navigation specific to rural northern MN.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Grand Rapids · multi-county
Northeast Metro 916 / Northland Special Ed Cooperative
The Northland Special Education Cooperative serves Itasca County school districts, providing special education evaluation, consultation, and programming for students with autism. Works alongside local IEP teams to deliver appropriate services.
Aitkin · multi-county
PACER Center — Aitkin County & North-Central MN
PACER Center, Minnesota's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, provides free IEP advocacy, training, and remote consultation for Aitkin County families navigating local school districts and rural north-central Minnesota special education.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties statewide.
Bemidji · multi-county
PACER Center — Beltrami County & Northern MN Families
PACER Center, Minnesota's federally funded PTI, provides free IEP advocacy, training, and parent support to families across all 87 counties including Beltrami County. Remote consultations are especially valuable for families in rural northern Minnesota far from metro resources.
FREE. Federally funded — serves all MN counties. Virtual consultations available and especially useful in rural northern MN.
Park Rapids · multi-county
PACER Center — Hubbard Advocacy
PACER Center supports Hubbard County families with free IEP advocacy, parent workshops, and special education rights information. Virtual consultations serve Park Rapids and rural Hubbard County families navigating school services.
FREE. Minnesota's PTI.
Minneapolis · multi-county
PACER Center — Statewide Advocacy
PACER Center is Minnesota's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, offering free IEP advocacy, workshops, and one-on-one support. Crow Wing County families can access virtual sessions and on-site assistance for school disputes and rights navigation.
FREE. Minnesota's PTI — serves all 87 counties virtually.
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.
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.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Cass 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 Minnesota resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Minnesota.
Minnesota state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Cass County, Minnesota?
We list 22 providers serving Cass County, covering parent & family support, ABA therapy, early intervention (0–3), diagnostic clinics and mental health, plus 1 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 Cass County accept Medicaid?
1 of the providers we list for Cass County state that they accept Medicaid, including Minnesota Autism Center — Brainerd. Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Cass County?
ABA providers serving Cass 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.
Are there telehealth autism services for Cass County families?
Yes — 9 providers serving Cass County offer telehealth or virtual sessions. This is often the fastest route to support for families in rural areas or on long local waitlists.
Can autism therapy happen at home in Cass County?
6 providers serving Cass 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 Minnesota?
Minnesota families can apply to the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver and Community Access for Disability Inclusion (CADI), a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is No statewide queue, but county allocations create local delays, 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 Cass County?
If none of the Cass County providers is the right fit, these Minnesota counties currently have the most listed providers: Dakota County (23), Hennepin County (21), Morrison County (21), Polk County (21). 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 Minnesota
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Cass County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Cass 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 Cass County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Cass 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 Cass 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 Cass County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
Add your practice →