County resource guide
Autism Resources in Jones County, Mississippi
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Jones County. Mississippi statewide resources also apply.
Jones County (Laurel, Ellisville) is a regional hub in southeast Mississippi. South Central Regional Medical Center provides services. Jones County School District and Laurel School District provide special education. Parent Partners (MS PTI) provides free statewide IEP advocacy.
Provider directory
Local Providers6 providers in Jones 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.
Hattiesburg · multi-county
Forrest General Hospital — Pediatric Services
Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg serves as the regional medical hub for south-central Mississippi. Pediatric specialists here can initiate developmental screenings and referrals for autism evaluations. Families needing comprehensive diagnostic evaluations are typically referred to UMMC Blair E. Batson in Jackson.
Regional hospital. Comprehensive autism evaluations typically require referral to UMMC in Jackson (~90 miles north).
Laurel
South Central Regional Medical Center — Developmental Pediatrics
South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel is the primary hospital for Jones County in south-central Mississippi. Pediatric developmental screenings and referrals for autism evaluation. Hattiesburg (~55 miles west) provides comprehensive pediatric services. Laurel is also known for the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, reflecting the community's cultural resources.
South-central MS. Hattiesburg (~55 miles west) is the primary comprehensive specialist destination for Jones County families.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Hattiesburg · multi-county
First Steps — South Mississippi Regional Office
Mississippi's First Steps early intervention program provides free developmental services for children under 3 with disabilities, including autism. The south Mississippi regional office coordinates services for Forrest, Lamar, and surrounding counties.
FREE under IDEA Part C. No income requirement. Refer any child under 3 with developmental concerns.
Laurel
Mississippi First Steps — Jones County
Mississippi First Steps IDEA Part C early intervention for Jones County children under 3. Free speech, OT, and developmental services delivered in the home in the Laurel area.
FREE. Call as soon as developmental concerns arise — early intervention is the most critical first step.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Laurel
Centria Autism — ABA Therapy (Jones County)
Centria Autism provides in-home and telehealth ABA therapy for Jones County families. BCBA-supervised programming. Hattiesburg-area ABA centers are accessible at ~55 miles. Accepts Mississippi Medicaid.
Mississippi Medicaid covers ABA. Hattiesburg ABA providers are the nearest in-person option for Laurel-area families.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Laurel
MPACT — IEP Advocacy for Jones County
MPACT, Mississippi's federally funded PTI, provides free IEP advocacy and special education support for Jones County families navigating Laurel and Jones County school districts.
FREE. Statewide by phone and video.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Jones 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 Jones County
Serving families across Jones County including Laurel, Ellisville, Moselle, Ovett, Heidelberg, Bay Springs, Soso, Sandersville, Leaf and Taylorsville and more.
See all Mississippi resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Mississippi.
Mississippi state guide →Nearby counties in Mississippi
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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