County resource guide
Autism Resources in Nicollet County, Minnesota
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Nicollet County. Minnesota statewide resources also apply.
Nicollet County — home to St. Peter and North Mankato — is in south-central Minnesota adjacent to Blue Earth County. Minnesota State University Mankato (in Blue Earth County) and Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter contribute to the regional professional training environment. Nicollet County schools serve students with disabilities. Families benefit from access to Mankato's provider network. PACER Center provides free IEP advocacy statewide.
Provider directory
Local Providers30 providers in Nicollet 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 Nicollet 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.
Le Center · multi-county
Mayo Clinic Health System — Le Sueur County Referral
Le Sueur County families in Le Center access comprehensive autism evaluation referrals through Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato (~25 miles west) and St. Peter. This south-central Minnesota county sits between the Blue Earth and Nicollet county hubs, giving families good access to the Mayo network.
Mankato (~25 miles) is the primary evaluation hub. Northfield (~25 miles) is also accessible for some families.
Mankato · multi-county
Mayo Clinic Health System — Mankato Developmental Services
Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato provides developmental pediatric evaluations and autism referrals for Blue Earth County and south-central Minnesota. Connected to the broader Mayo network including Rochester for complex or specialist cases.
Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato can refer complex cases directly to Mayo's Rochester autism program.
Gaylord · multi-county
Mayo Clinic Health System — Sibley County Referral
Sibley County families in Gaylord and Arlington access autism evaluation referrals through Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato (~35 miles south) or St. Peter. This south-central Minnesota county sits between Mankato and the Twin Cities metro, giving families relatively good access to major medical centers.
Mankato (~35 miles) and the Twin Cities (~60 miles) both accessible for comprehensive evaluations.
St. Peter
Mayo Clinic Health System — St. Peter Developmental Services
Mayo Clinic Health System in St. Peter serves Nicollet County families with primary care and developmental referrals. Connected to the Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato campus (~15 miles south), which provides developmental pediatric evaluations and routes complex autism cases directly to Mayo's Rochester autism program.
Mayo Clinic Health System Mankato (~15 miles) is the primary referral for full autism evaluations. Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter has some community mental health resources.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
St. Peter
Nicollet County Early Childhood Special Education
Nicollet County and St. Peter Public Schools provide free Early Childhood Special Education services for children birth through age 5 under IDEA Part C and B. Developmental evaluations, IFSPs, and therapy services for families in St. Peter and rural Nicollet County.
FREE under IDEA. Contact St. Peter Public Schools or Nicollet County for referrals for children under age 3.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
New Ulm · multi-county
REACH for Resources — Brown County ABA Services
REACH for Resources provides ABA therapy services for Brown County and south-central Minnesota families. In-home and community-based BCBA-supervised programming. Accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance under Minnesota's ABA mandate.
Minnesota requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Le Center · multi-county
REACH for Resources — Le Sueur County ABA
REACH for Resources provides ABA therapy for Le Sueur County families. In-home and community-based BCBA-supervised programming accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance under Minnesota's ABA mandate.
Mankato · multi-county
REACH for Resources — Mankato ABA Services
ABA therapy services in Mankato and Blue Earth County. BCBA-supervised in-home and community-based programming for children and adolescents. Accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance under Minnesota's ABA insurance mandate.
Minnesota requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
St. Peter · multi-county
REACH for Resources — Nicollet County ABA
REACH for Resources provides ABA therapy for Nicollet County and the greater south-central Minnesota region. In-home and community-based BCBA-supervised programming. Accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance under Minnesota's ABA mandate.
Minnesota requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Gaylord · multi-county
REACH for Resources — Sibley County ABA
REACH for Resources provides ABA therapy for Sibley County families. In-home and community-based BCBA-supervised programming accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance under Minnesota's ABA mandate.
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.
Le Center · multi-county
Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) — South-Central MN (Le Sueur County)
AuSM connects Le Sueur County families to statewide autism support, programming, and the STRIDE adult employment program. The Mankato metro provides a solid regional support community for Le Sueur County families.
St. Peter
Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) — South-Central MN (Nicollet)
AuSM connects Nicollet County families in St. Peter to statewide autism support resources, social programming, and the STRIDE adult employment program. Gustavus Adolphus College's academic community enriches the local resource landscape.
Contact AuSM for support group schedules in the St. Peter/Mankato area.
Gaylord · multi-county
Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) — South-Central MN (Sibley County)
AuSM connects Sibley County families to statewide autism support networks and programming. The county's location between Mankato and the Twin Cities gives families access to both metro-area and regional support groups.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Mankato · multi-county
PACER Center — Blue Earth County & South-Central MN
PACER Center serves all Minnesota families statewide, including those in Blue Earth County and Mankato. Free IEP advocacy, training on IDEA rights, and parent-to-parent support for families navigating Mankato Area Public Schools special education.
FREE. Federally funded PTI — serves all 87 MN counties. Call before any IEP dispute.
New Ulm · multi-county
PACER Center — Brown County & South-Central MN
PACER Center serves all Minnesota families including those in Brown County with free IEP advocacy, training, and parent-to-parent support. New Ulm area families navigating Brown County schools benefit from PACER's statewide expertise.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties statewide.
Le Center · multi-county
PACER Center — Le Sueur County Families
PACER Center, Minnesota's federally funded PTI, provides free IEP advocacy and parent training to Le Sueur County families in Le Center and surrounding communities.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties.
St. Peter · multi-county
PACER Center — Nicollet County Families
PACER Center, Minnesota's federally funded PTI, serves all Minnesota counties including Nicollet County. Free IEP advocacy, IDEA training, and parent support for families navigating St. Peter Public Schools and surrounding south-central MN districts.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties.
Gaylord · multi-county
PACER Center — Sibley County Families
PACER Center, Minnesota's federally funded PTI, provides free IEP advocacy and parent training to Sibley County families navigating Gaylord and Arlington school districts.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties.
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 Nicollet 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 Nicollet County, Minnesota?
We list 18 providers serving Nicollet County, covering parent & family support, diagnostic clinics, early intervention (0–3), advocacy & legal and ABA therapy. 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 Nicollet County?
ABA providers serving Nicollet 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 Nicollet County?
5 providers serving Nicollet 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 Nicollet County?
If none of the Nicollet County providers is the right fit, these Minnesota counties currently have the most listed providers: Dakota County (23), Cass County (22), Hennepin County (21), Morrison 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 Nicollet County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Nicollet 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 Nicollet County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Nicollet 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 Nicollet 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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