County resource guide
Autism Resources in Rice County, Minnesota
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Rice County. Minnesota statewide resources also apply.
Rice County — home to Faribault and Northfield — is in southern Minnesota south of the Twin Cities. Faribault Public Schools and Northfield Public Schools provide special education programs. Families benefit from reasonable access to the Twin Cities provider network. Minnesota's Early Intervention program is available through county services. PACER Center provides free IEP advocacy statewide.
Provider directory
Local Providers6 providers in Rice County
About our listings
Provider listings on Autism Parent Club are submitted by practices or researched from public sources. All listings are reviewed for accuracy before publication. To suggest a correction, use the “Suggest a correction” link below.
Diagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Northfield · multi-county
District Medical Group — Rice County Pediatrics
Pediatric practices in Northfield and Faribault coordinate developmental screenings and autism referrals for Rice County families. Rice County is home to two college towns — Northfield (Carleton and St. Olaf colleges) and Faribault — creating an educated advocacy community for autism families.
For comprehensive autism evaluations, Northfield Hospital typically refers to Mayo Clinic in Rochester (~45 miles) or Children's Minnesota in the Twin Cities.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Faribault
Rice County Early Childhood Special Education
Rice County and its school districts provide free Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services for children birth through age 5. Free developmental evaluations, IFSPs, and therapy services for eligible children. Entry point for early intervention in Northfield, Faribault, and surrounding Rice County communities.
FREE under IDEA Part C/B. Contact your local school district or Rice County Public Health for referrals.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
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.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Northfield
Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) — Southeast MN
AuSM connects Rice County families in Northfield and Faribault to statewide autism support networks and social programming. Northfield's college-town culture contributes to an engaged parent advocacy community.
Contact AuSM for Rice County support group schedules and community connections.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Northfield · multi-county
PACER Center — Rice County Families
PACER Center, Minnesota's nationally recognized federally funded PTI, provides free IEP advocacy, parent training, and one-on-one support to Rice County families in Northfield and Faribault.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties statewide.
Owatonna · multi-county
PACER Center — Steele County Families
PACER Center, Minnesota's federally funded PTI, provides free IEP advocacy, parent training, and one-on-one support to Steele County families navigating Owatonna Public Schools and surrounding rural districts.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties statewide.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Rice 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 →Nearby counties in Minnesota
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.
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