Autism Resources in Crow Wing County, Minnesota
14 providers in Brainerd, Minneapolis and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in Crow Wing County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in Crow Wing County
Diagnostic clinics
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Essentia Health — Developmental Pediatrics Brainerd
Brainerd, MN · serves several counties
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.
Early Intervention (0–3)
1 providerFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
ISD 181 Brainerd — Early Childhood Special Education
Brainerd, MN
Brainerd Public Schools (ISD 181) provides free Early Childhood Special Education for children birth through age 5 in Crow Wing County. Developmental evaluations, IFSPs, and school-based therapy services under IDEA.
FREE under IDEA Part C/B. Contact the district's special education office to begin.
ABA therapy
2 providersApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
CentraCare — Behavioral Health Brainerd
Brainerd, MN · serves several counties
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.
Minnesota Autism Center — Brainerd
Brainerd, MN · serves several counties
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.
Advocacy & legal
1 providerLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
PACER Center — Statewide Advocacy
Minneapolis, MN · serves several counties
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.
Also serving Crow Wing County
These 21 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list Crow Wing 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
2 providersFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Essentia Health — Grand Rapids Clinic
Grand Rapids, MN · serves several counties
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.
Essentia Health — Telehealth Developmental Services
Walker, MN · serves several counties
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.
ABA therapy
3 providersApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Bluestone Physician Services — Aitkin County
Aitkin, MN · serves several counties
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.
Essentia Health — Telehealth Autism Services
Wadena, MN · serves several counties
Essentia Health offers telehealth and outreach behavioral health services for Wadena County, connecting families to autism specialists in the Brainerd and Duluth regions. In-home support coordination available for waiver-eligible individuals.
Minnesota Autism Center — In-Home ABA
Walker, MN · serves several counties
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.
Respite care
3 providersRespite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
Respite through the DD and CADI waivers — via your county
Statewide, MN · serves several counties
Minnesota funds respite inside its disability waivers, including CADI and the DD waiver, covering short-term care so a family caregiver can have a break or handle an absence. Access is through your county or tribal agency and begins with a MnCHOICES assessment rather than a separate respite application.
Respite has to be written into your support plan with an hours figure. Ask for it explicitly at the MnCHOICES assessment rather than afterwards.
ARCH National Respite Locator
Searchable by state, MN
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, MN
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
1 providerParent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Autism Society of Minnesota — Rural Outreach
St. Paul, MN · serves several counties
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
2 providersLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
PACER Center — Aitkin County & North-Central MN
Aitkin, MN · serves several counties
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.
PACER Center — Morrison County & Central MN
Little Falls, MN · serves several counties
PACER Center serves all Minnesota families including those in Morrison County with free IEP advocacy, training, and remote consultation. Little Falls-area families navigating Morrison County schools benefit from PACER's statewide expertise and CentraCare system connections.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties statewide.
Activities, clubs & recreation
10 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
ACEing Autism
227 programs in 32 states, MN
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, MN
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, MN
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, MN
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.
iCan Shine (iCan Bike)
Camps hosted in different towns each year, MN
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, MN
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.
See all 10 activities, clubs & recreation providersShow fewer
Little League Challenger Division
Through local Little Leagues — use the League Finder, MN
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, MN
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, MN
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, MN
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 Crow Wing County
Crow Wing County — home to Brainerd and Baxter — is a central Minnesota county with a strong tourism economy around the Brainerd Lakes area. Essentia Health Brainerd provides healthcare services. Brainerd Public Schools provides special education programs. Provider availability is limited; families often travel to St. Cloud or the Twin Cities for specialized autism evaluation. PACER Center provides free statewide IEP advocacy.
Helpful guides
Guides for Crow Wing 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 Crow Wing County, Minnesota?
We list 14 providers serving Crow Wing County, covering parent & family support, ABA therapy, diagnostic clinics, early intervention (0–3) and advocacy & legal, 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 Crow Wing County accept Medicaid?
1 of the providers we list for Crow Wing 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 Crow Wing County?
ABA providers serving Crow Wing 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 Crow Wing County families?
Yes — 6 providers serving Crow Wing 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 Crow Wing County?
3 providers serving Crow Wing 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 Crow Wing County?
If none of the Crow Wing County providers is the right fit, these Minnesota counties currently have the most listed providers: Dakota County (21), Hennepin County (20), Morrison County (20), Blue Earth County (19). 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 Crow Wing County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Crow Wing 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 Crow Wing County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Crow Wing 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 Crow Wing 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
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Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
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