Autism Resources in St. Louis County, Minnesota
15 providers in Duluth, Minneapolis and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in St. Louis County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in St. Louis County
Diagnostic clinics
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Essentia Health — Pediatric Developmental Services
Duluth, MN
Essentia Health is northeastern Minnesota's primary health system, offering pediatric developmental evaluations including autism assessments in Duluth. Serves St. Louis County and the broader Lake Superior north shore region.
Essentia and St. Luke's are the two primary health systems in Duluth. Expect waitlists — consider University of MN or Mayo for complex cases.
Early Intervention (0–3)
1 providerFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
St. Louis County — Early Intervention Services
Duluth, MN
St. Louis County coordinates early intervention services for children birth through age 5 under IDEA Part C and B. Includes developmental evaluations, IFSPs, speech therapy, OT, and developmental intervention in home and community settings across Duluth and greater St. Louis County.
FREE under IDEA. Entry point for all early intervention in St. Louis County.
ABA therapy
1 providerApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
REACH — Duluth ABA Services
Duluth, MN
Applied behavior analysis services in Duluth and St. Louis County. BCBA-supervised in-home and community-based ABA for children and adolescents. Accepts Minnesota Medical Assistance and commercial insurance per Minnesota's ABA insurance mandate.
Minnesota requires commercial insurers to cover ABA therapy.
Parent & family support
1 providerParent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Autism Society of Minnesota (AuSM) — Northland Chapter
Duluth, MN
AuSM's Northland chapter connects Duluth-area and north shore families to support groups, social programming, and statewide autism advocacy. Active community with events in Duluth and surrounding St. Louis County communities.
AuSM Northland is one of the more active regional chapters — contact for local group schedules.
Advocacy & legal
1 providerLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
PACER Center — St. Louis County & Northland Families
Minneapolis, MN
PACER Center, Minnesota's federally funded PTI, serves families across all 87 Minnesota counties including St. Louis County and the Duluth area. Free IEP advocacy, workshops, and one-on-one support.
FREE. Federally funded — serves all MN counties statewide.
Also serving St. Louis County
These 22 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list St. Louis 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
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Essentia Health — Duluth Developmental Pediatrics
Two Harbors, MN · serves several counties
Essentia Health's Duluth medical campus is the closest comprehensive developmental pediatrics center for Lake County families. Autism evaluations, multi-disciplinary assessments, and autism specialty care are available in Duluth with Lake County referral coordination.
Primary referral center for Lake County — Duluth campus is approximately 25 miles south.
ABA therapy
2 providersApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Minnesota Autism Center — In-Home North Shore
Two Harbors, MN · serves several counties
Minnesota Autism Center provides in-home and community-based ABA therapy for Lake County children, dispatching BCBAs from the Duluth region. In-home service delivery addresses the geographic barriers faced by North Shore families.
In-home model — contact for Duluth-area BCBA availability for Lake County.
REACH for Resources — Carlton County ABA
Cloquet, MN · serves several counties
ABA therapy services for Carlton County families in Cloquet and surrounding communities. 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.
Parent & family support
2 providersParent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Autism Society of Minnesota — Itasca Support
Grand Rapids, MN · serves several counties
Autism Society of Minnesota provides helpline support, family resources, and virtual peer connections for Itasca County families. Resource specialists can help identify local providers, waiver funding, and school advocacy tools.
FREE helpline. Call for personalized northern MN resource navigation.
Autism Society of Minnesota — Lake County Support
Two Harbors, MN · serves several counties
Autism Society of Minnesota provides helpline support and virtual peer groups for Lake County families. Resource specialists assist with waiver applications, school advocacy, and connecting to Duluth-area services.
FREE helpline. Virtual support groups available for North Shore families.
Advocacy & legal
2 providersLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
PACER Center — Carlton County & Arrowhead Region
Cloquet, MN · serves several counties
PACER Center provides free IEP advocacy, parent training, and support to all Minnesota families including those in Carlton County. Carlton County families navigating the Cloquet and Fond du Lac Band school communities benefit from PACER's statewide expertise.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all 87 MN counties. Fond du Lac Reservation is in Carlton County — ask about tribal early intervention coordination.
PACER Center — Koochiching County & Northland Families
International Falls, MN · serves several counties
PACER Center, Minnesota's federally funded PTI, serves all 87 MN counties including Koochiching. Virtual consultations are especially valuable for families in International Falls who are far from urban resources. Free IEP advocacy and parent training.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Virtual consultations are critical for Koochiching County's extreme remoteness.
Activities, clubs & recreation
12 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute - Adaptive Sports and Recreation
Minneapolis, MN · serves several counties
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.
PACER Center - inclusive recreation and camp listings
Bloomington, MN · serves several counties
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.
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.
See all 12 activities, clubs & recreation providersShow fewer
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.
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 St. Louis County
St. Louis County — home to Duluth, Hibbing, and Virginia — is Minnesota's largest county by area. Essentia Health Duluth provides developmental evaluation services. Duluth Public Schools and multiple district cooperatives serve children with disabilities across this geographically large county. Minnesota's Early Intervention program is available through county services. PACER Center provides free IEP advocacy, and the CDCS and other Medicaid waivers apply statewide.
Helpful guides
Guides for St. Louis 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 St. Louis County
Serving families across St. Louis County including Duluth, Hibbing, Virginia, Eveleth, Chisholm, Cloquet, Hermantown, Proctor, Two Harbors and Babbitt 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 St. Louis County, Minnesota?
We list 15 providers serving St. Louis County, covering parent & family support, activities, clubs & recreation, diagnostic clinics, ABA therapy and advocacy & legal, 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 St. Louis County?
ABA providers serving St. Louis 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 St. Louis County families?
Yes — 1 provider serving St. Louis 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 St. Louis County?
4 providers serving St. Louis 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 St. Louis County?
If none of the St. Louis 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 St. Louis County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in St. Louis 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 St. Louis County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in St. Louis 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 St. Louis 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 St. Louis County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
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