Autism Resources in Lewis and Clark County, Montana

Great Falls · multi-county

Benefis Health System — Developmental Pediatrics

Benefis Health in Great Falls provides developmental evaluations for Meagher County families. White Sulphur Springs is approximately 75 miles from Great Falls; telehealth available for many appointments.

Helena · multi-county

Big Sky Pediatrics (Helena)

Helena-based pediatric practice that can provide developmental screenings and referrals to evaluation specialists. As Montana's capital city, Helena has modest specialty access relative to Billings and Missoula, but families may still face waits of several months.

Ask specifically about developmental evaluation referrals and whether they coordinate with Shodair.

Townsend · multi-county

Broadwater Health Center — Developmental Referrals

Broadwater Health Center in Townsend connects families to Helena specialists for autism evaluations. Located midway between Helena and Bozeman, families have access to two regional specialty hubs.

White Sulphur Springs · multi-county

Meagher County Health Center — Developmental Referrals

Meagher County Health Center in White Sulphur Springs connects families to Great Falls and Helena specialists for autism evaluations. Telehealth widely used in this sparsely populated mountain county.

Deer Lodge · multi-county

Powell County Medical Center — Developmental Referrals

Powell County Medical Center in Deer Lodge connects families to Missoula and Helena specialists for autism evaluations. Deer Lodge is centrally located between both cities along I-90.

Helena · multi-county

Shodair Children's Hospital — Autism & Developmental Services

Helena's Shodair Children's Hospital is one of Montana's most important resources for autism evaluation and genetic testing. Offers comprehensive developmental evaluations, neuropsychological testing, and Montana's only inpatient psychiatric program for children and teens.

Priority resource for Helena families — genetic testing and comprehensive autism evaluations. Telehealth available.

Helena · multi-county

Shodair Children's Hospital — Autism Evaluation

Shodair Children's Hospital in Helena provides comprehensive autism evaluations for Broadwater County families. Helena is approximately 40 miles from Townsend, making it the most accessible specialist hub.

Helena · multi-county

Shodair Children's Hospital — Autism Evaluation

Shodair Children's Hospital in Helena provides comprehensive autism evaluations for Jefferson County families. Boulder is approximately 30 miles from Helena, making Shodair the primary evaluation center.

Helena · multi-county

Shodair Children's Hospital — Autism Evaluation

Shodair Children's Hospital in Helena provides comprehensive autism evaluations for Powell County families. Deer Lodge is approximately 45 miles from Helena along I-90.

Helena · multi-county

Montana Infants and Toddlers Program — Lewis and Clark County

Free IDEA Part C early intervention for children under 3 in Lewis and Clark County. Helena's location as the state capital means somewhat better coordination with state DPHHS early intervention programs than many rural Montana counties.

FREE under IDEA Part C. Helena DPHHS office coordinates EI services.

Statewide · multi-county

Montana Lifespan Respite Coalition — voucher program

The Coalition exists to build a statewide system of accessible, affordable respite for Montana caregivers regardless of the person's needs, and runs a respite voucher program. In a state where Montana states plainly that waiver services are limited and not entitled — with roughly 2,095 people waiting about seven years — a voucher that does not depend on the waiver is the practical route.

Area Agencies on Aging handle caregiver resources locally, including for families of children — do not be put off by the name.

~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.

Townsend · multi-county

Autism Society Montana

Autism Society Montana connects Broadwater County families to peer support. Helena and Bozeman events are both within 1–1.5 hours of Townsend, giving families multiple in-person options.

Boulder · multi-county

Autism Society Montana

Autism Society Montana connects Jefferson County families to peer support. Helena events (~30 min from Boulder) offer the most accessible in-person programming, with Butte events also nearby.

Missoula · multi-county

UM Rural Institute on Disabilities

University of Montana's federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, with a unique focus on rural and frontier disability services. Offers consultation, training, and connection to resources across Montana's vast rural landscape.

Montana's UCEDD — nationally recognized for rural and frontier disability service models.

Bozeman · multi-county

Eagle Mount Bozeman

Therapeutic recreation for people of all ages with physical, developmental or cognitive disabilities - golf, horticulture, ice skating, aquatics, cycling, fishing, kayaking and camps. The breadth means there is a realistic chance of matching an existing interest, which is the whole point in a state where choice is otherwise limited.

Missoula · multi-county

Montana Disability and Health Program - recreation resources

The University of Montana Rural Institute maintains recreation and exercise resources for disabled Montanans - the most useful statewide index in a state where organized provision is extremely sparse outside Bozeman, Missoula and Billings.

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.