County resource guide
Autism Resources in Missoula County, Montana
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Missoula County. Montana statewide resources also apply.
Missoula County is home to Missoula and the University of Montana, whose Rural Institute on Inclusion and Community is nationally recognized for rural disability services. Providence St. Patrick Hospital provides evaluation capacity. Missoula County Public Schools provides special education. PLUK is Montana's federally funded PTI providing free statewide advocacy. Montana's Comprehensive DD waiver supports eligible residents.
Provider directory
Local Providers12 providers in Missoula 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.
Superior · multi-county
Community Medical Center — Developmental Referrals
Community Medical Center in Missoula serves Mineral County families with developmental evaluations and autism screenings. Superior is approximately 45 miles from Missoula along I-90.
Philipsburg · multi-county
Community Medical Center — Developmental Referrals (Missoula)
Granite County families in Philipsburg access autism evaluations through Missoula (~70 miles north). Community Medical Center and Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula are the primary evaluation hubs for Granite County families.
Missoula · multi-county
Providence St. Patrick Hospital — Pediatric Services
Western Montana's largest hospital provides pediatric specialty care including developmental evaluations in Missoula. Families from Ravalli, Sanders, Mineral, and Lake counties rely on Missoula for specialist access. Referrals from a primary care physician are typically required.
Call pediatric scheduling for developmental evaluation availability. Waits can be 6–12 months.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Missoula
Montana Infants and Toddlers Program — Missoula County
Free IDEA Part C early intervention for children under 3 in Missoula County. Missoula has a relatively stronger EI network than most Montana counties, with home visiting, center-based options, and a broader pool of service providers.
FREE under IDEA Part C. Contact Missoula County DPHHS office to begin the referral.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Missoula
ABA Telehealth — Missoula Area
In-person ABA services in Missoula are limited. Autism Learning Partners and Centria Autism have explored Montana markets but coverage is inconsistent. Many Missoula families access ABA via supervised telehealth or travel to providers in Billings. Montana Medicaid requires ABA authorization through DPHHS.
Montana Medicaid covers ABA therapy when medically authorized. Contact DPHHS at (406) 444-5622 to begin authorization.
Billings · multi-county
Advanced Therapy Clinic — Billings
ABA therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy for children with autism in Billings and Missoula, Montana.
Source: https://www.advancedtherapyclinic.com/aba-therapy/billings
Occupational therapy & sensory
Occupational therapy, sensory integration, and sensory diets.
Missoula · multi-county
Missoula Pediatric Therapy — OT and Speech
Missoula-area pediatric therapy practices provide OT and speech services for Mineral County children. Superior families have I-90 access to Missoula (~45 min) for clinic-based appointments.
Missoula · multi-county
Stepping Stones Therapy (Missoula)
Occupational therapy practice in Missoula serving children with autism, sensory processing differences, and developmental delays. Offers sensory integration therapy, fine motor skills, daily living skills, and feeding therapy.
Montana Medicaid and private insurance accepted. Waitlist common — call to get on their list early.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Superior · multi-county
Autism Society Montana
Autism Society Montana connects Mineral County families to peer support. Missoula chapter events (~45 min from Superior along I-90) are the most accessible in-person option.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
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.
Missoula · multi-county
UM Rural Institute on Disabilities
Based on the University of Montana campus, the Rural Institute is Montana's federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). They provide consultation, training, and referrals — particularly valuable for rural families in western Montana.
Not a direct service provider for families, but an outstanding resource for referrals, training, and systems navigation.
Missoula · multi-county
UM Rural Institute on Disabilities
University of Montana's Rural Institute on Disabilities provides consultation and referrals for Granite County families through its Missoula base. The Rural Institute specializes in rural and frontier disability service models relevant to Granite County's situation.
For providers
Be the first featured provider in Missoula County
Featured listings include your logo, extended description, a direct contact button, and top placement above standard listings. Families searching for help in Missoula County see you first.
Missing a provider? Submit a listing — it’s free →
School districts & government services
Public programs and school district contacts for Missoula County.
School & special education
- Missoula County Public Schools — Special Education
Missoula is home to the University of Montana.
Services & benefits
- MT DPHHS — Missoula County DD Services
Contact MT DPHHS's Missoula office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Adult services
- MT DPHHS — Missoula County DD Services
Contact MT DPHHS's Missoula office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Respite & support
- MT DPHHS — Missoula County DD Services
Contact MT DPHHS's Missoula office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Helpful guides
Guides for Missoula 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 Missoula County
Serving families across Missoula County including Missoula, East Missoula, Lolo, Florence, Stevensville, Hamilton, Darby, Ronan, Polson and Frenchtown and more.
See all Montana resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Montana.
Montana state guide →Nearby counties in Montana
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 Missoula 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 Missoula County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
Add your practice →