Autism Resources in Dakota County, Minnesota

Burnsville

Gillette Children's — South Metro Developmental Clinic

Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare provides comprehensive autism and developmental evaluations for children in Dakota County and the south metro. Multi-disciplinary team includes developmental pediatricians and neuropsychologists serving the Burnsville and Apple Valley area.

Saint Paul · multi-county

MAC Midwest

Neurodevelopmental care including center-based ABA, outpatient mental health, and diagnostic assessments across Minnesota metro centers.

Source: https://www.mnautism.org

Minneapolis · multi-county

Action Behavior Centers — Minneapolis

Individualized ABA therapy for children with autism in Minneapolis/St. Paul metro including Golden Valley, Plymouth, and Maple Grove. Diagnostic evaluations with no waitlists.

Source: https://www.actionbehavior.com/city/minneapolis

Apple Valley

Behavior Management Systems — Dakota County ABA

Behavior Management Systems (BMS) provides BCBA-supervised Applied Behavior Analysis therapy for autistic children in Dakota County. Services include in-home and clinic-based ABA, parent training, and school consultation for families in the Apple Valley area.

Minneapolis · multi-county

Fraser — Autism Services

One of Minnesota's largest autism service providers. Fraser offers ABA therapy, speech, OT, diagnostic evaluation, and adult day services under one roof. BCBA-supervised with a developmental approach. Major presence across the Twin Cities metro.

One of MN's most comprehensive autism service organizations — serves from early childhood through adulthood.

Red Wing · multi-county

Fraser — Southeast Metro ABA (Goodhue County)

Fraser provides ABA therapy reaching Goodhue County from its southeast metro locations. BCBA-supervised in-home and center-based programming. Accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance under Minnesota's ABA mandate.

Minnesota requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.

Northfield · multi-county

Fraser — Southeast Metro ABA Services (Rice County)

Fraser, one of Minnesota's largest autism service organizations, extends services to Rice County families. BCBA-supervised ABA with in-home and center-based options. Accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance under Minnesota's ABA mandate.

Fraser is one of MN's most comprehensive autism organizations — services from early childhood through adulthood.

Minneapolis · multi-county

Minnesota Autism Center

Center-based ABA therapy with multiple Twin Cities locations. BCBA-supervised programs for children and adolescents. Accepts most commercial insurance and Minnesota Medical Assistance.

Minnesota requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.

Prior Lake · multi-county

REACH for Resources — ABA Services

BCBA-supervised ABA therapy with in-home and center-based options for families in Scott County. Accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and most commercial insurance. Serves the Shakopee, Prior Lake, and Savage area.

Minnesota requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.

Apple Valley

Speech Pathology Group — Apple Valley

The Speech Pathology Group's Apple Valley location serves autistic children and teens with speech-language therapy, AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) support, and social communication skills. Specialists in autism-related language and pragmatic development.

Burnsville

Pediatric Therapeutic Services — Burnsville OT & Sensory

Pediatric Therapeutic Services offers occupational therapy and sensory integration treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder in Burnsville and southern Dakota County. Sensory gym, sensory diet development, and fine motor skill building for all ages.

Statewide · multi-county

Respite through the DD and CADI waivers — via your county

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.

~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.

Minneapolis · multi-county

Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM)

Minnesota's statewide autism organization, headquartered in Minneapolis. Support groups, the Autism Day at the Capitol advocacy event, social programming, adult services, and the STRIDE employment program.

AuSM runs the STRIDE supported employment program — important for adults.

Burnsville

Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) — Dakota County Chapter

AuSM's Dakota County chapter connects Burnsville and Apple Valley families to peer support groups, community events, and statewide autism advocacy resources. Monthly meetings, family retreats, and one-on-one support navigation for caregivers throughout Dakota County.

Minneapolis · multi-county

PACER Center

Minnesota's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center and one of the most respected disability family advocacy organizations in the country. Free IEP advocacy, training, workshops, and one-on-one support. PACER's resources are used nationally. Headquartered in Minneapolis.

FREE. Federally funded PTI. One of the nation's best parent advocacy centers — call before any IEP dispute.

Red Wing · multi-county

PACER Center — Goodhue County Families

PACER Center, Minnesota's nationally recognized federally funded PTI, provides free IEP advocacy, training, and parent support to Goodhue County families navigating Red Wing Public Schools and rural Goodhue County districts.

FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties.

Minneapolis · multi-county

PACER Center — Scott County Families

PACER Center, Minnesota's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, serves all Minnesota families including those in Scott County. Free IEP advocacy, training workshops, and parent-to-parent support. One of the nation's premier disability advocacy organizations.

FREE. Federally funded PTI — serves all MN counties statewide. Call before any IEP dispute.

Minneapolis · multi-county

University of Minnesota — Special Healthcare Needs Clinic

Comprehensive dental care for patients with complex medical conditions, developmental disabilities and physical disabilities, at the University of Minnesota dental clinics. 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.

St. Paul · multi-county

Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) - summer camps

Autism-specific summer camps for young people AND adults, staffed by people trained in autism rather than general camp staff. AuSM also runs an outdoor camp for autistic teenagers held almost entirely outdoors, which suits young people who find indoor group settings hardest.

Minneapolis · multi-county

Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute - Adaptive Sports and Recreation

Recreational and competitive sport for young people and adults across the Twin Cities, north-eastern Minnesota and north-western Wisconsin - one of the largest and longest-running adaptive sports operations in the upper Midwest.

Bloomington · multi-county

PACER Center - inclusive recreation and camp listings

Minnesota's parent training and information center maintains lists of inclusive recreation, adaptive sports and summer camps alongside its special education advocacy - a reliable starting point outside the metro.

Annandale · multi-county

True Friends

Camp, respite, retreats, team building, adaptive horse riding and travel for children AND adults with disabilities, across sites at Annandale, Eden Prairie, Lake George and Maple Lake. The breadth is the point - respite and travel alongside camp means a family can keep using the same trusted organization as circumstances change.

Minneapolis · multi-county

Twin Cities Adaptive Cycling

A bike share for young people and adults with disabilities on the Midtown Greenway in south Minneapolis, with over 30 kinds of adaptive bike and trained staff on hand. Try-before-you-buy for equipment that is otherwise prohibitively expensive.

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.