Autism Resources in Sherburne County, Minnesota
14 providers in Elk River and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in Sherburne County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in Sherburne County
Diagnostic clinics
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Allina Health — Elk River Clinic Pediatrics
Elk River, MN · serves several counties
Allina Health's Elk River clinic provides pediatric care and developmental referrals for Sherburne County families. One of the fastest-growing counties in Minnesota, Sherburne is a northwest Twin Cities exurban county where families often travel to the metro for specialized autism evaluations.
For comprehensive autism evaluations, Allina Elk River typically refers to Children's Minnesota or other Twin Cities specialists.
Early Intervention (0–3)
1 providerFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Sherburne County Early Childhood Special Education
Elk River, MN
Sherburne County and Elk River Area Schools provide free Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) services for children birth through age 5. Developmental evaluations, IFSPs, and therapy under IDEA Part C and B. Rapid county population growth has increased ECSE enrollment and awareness.
FREE under IDEA. Contact Elk River Area Schools or Sherburne County for referrals for children under age 3.
ABA therapy
1 providerApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
REACH for Resources — Sherburne County ABA
Elk River, MN · serves several counties
ABA therapy services for Sherburne County families in Elk River and Becker. In-home and community-based BCBA-supervised programming. Accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance per Minnesota's ABA coverage mandate.
Minnesota requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy. In-home model works well in this rapidly growing exurban county.
Parent & family support
1 providerParent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) — Northwest Metro
Elk River, MN
AuSM supports Sherburne County families with connections to Twin Cities-area support groups, statewide advocacy, and the STRIDE adult employment program. Sherburne County's rapid growth means an expanding autism family community in Elk River and Becker.
Contact AuSM for nearest northwest metro support group to Sherburne County.
Advocacy & legal
1 providerLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
PACER Center — Sherburne County Families
Elk River, MN · serves several counties
PACER Center provides free IEP advocacy, parent training, and one-on-one support to all Minnesota families including those in Sherburne County. Essential resource as fast-growing school districts expand their special education programs.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties.
Also serving Sherburne County
These 21 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list Sherburne 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
3 providersFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
CentraCare — Benton County Pediatric Services
Foley, MN · serves several counties
CentraCare Health serves Benton County families through its St. Cloud-area network, which includes the Foley area. Autism evaluations and developmental pediatric referrals are coordinated through CentraCare's St. Cloud specialists — Benton County's proximity to St. Cloud gives families excellent access to this central Minnesota hub.
CentraCare St. Cloud (~20 miles west) provides full autism evaluation services for Benton County families.
CentraCare — Developmental Pediatrics Referral
Milaca, MN · serves several counties
CentraCare Health in St. Cloud accepts referrals from Mille Lacs County for developmental pediatrics and autism evaluations. Serves the central Minnesota region including Milaca and the Mille Lacs Lake area with both in-person and telehealth consultation.
Children's Minnesota — Autism Evaluation (Cambridge Referral)
Cambridge, MN · serves several counties
Children's Minnesota accepts referrals from Isanti County for comprehensive autism evaluations at its Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses. Accessible from Cambridge via the Twin Cities metro corridor.
ABA therapy
2 providersApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Minnesota Autism Center — In-Home Isanti
Cambridge, MN · serves several counties
Minnesota Autism Center provides BCBA-supervised in-home and community ABA therapy for Isanti County children. Services coordinated from the Twin Cities regional office to reach Cambridge and surrounding rural communities.
REACH for Resources — Benton County ABA
Foley, MN · serves several counties
ABA therapy services for Benton County families in Foley and Sauk Rapids. In-home and community-based BCBA-supervised programming. Accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance under Minnesota's ABA insurance mandate.
Minnesota requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
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.
Advocacy & legal
2 providersLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
PACER Center — Benton County Families
Foley, MN · serves several counties
PACER Center provides free IEP advocacy, parent training, and one-on-one support to Benton County families navigating the Benton/Stearns county school districts and the St. Cloud metro area special education system.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties.
PACER Center — Isanti County Advocacy
Cambridge, MN · serves several counties
PACER Center provides free IEP advocacy and parent training for Isanti County families. Virtual and in-person support helps families understand their rights and navigate the school district's special education process.
FREE. Minnesota's PTI.
Activities, clubs & recreation
11 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
True Friends
Annandale, MN · serves several counties
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.
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.
See all 11 activities, clubs & recreation providersShow fewer
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.
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.
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About autism services in Sherburne County
Sherburne County — home to Elk River, Big Lake, and Becker — is a growing exurban county north of the Twin Cities. Elk River Area School District and St. Francis Area Schools provide special education programs. Families benefit from proximity to the Twin Cities provider network for ABA and evaluation services. Minnesota's Early Intervention program is available, and PACER Center provides free statewide IEP advocacy.
Helpful guides
Guides for Sherburne 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.
Communities served
Cities in Sherburne County
Serving families across Sherburne County including Elk River, Big Lake, Becker, Zimmerman, Clear Lake, Orrock, Baldwin, Santiago, Palmer and Livonia and more.
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 Sherburne County, Minnesota?
We list 14 providers serving Sherburne County, covering diagnostic clinics, parent & family support, ABA therapy, advocacy & legal and respite care, plus 2 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.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Sherburne County?
ABA providers serving Sherburne 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 Sherburne County families?
Yes — 1 provider serving Sherburne County offers 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 Sherburne County?
3 providers serving Sherburne 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 Sherburne County?
If none of the Sherburne 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 Sherburne County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Sherburne 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 Sherburne County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Sherburne 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 Sherburne 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 Sherburne County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
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