Autism Resources in Ravalli County, Montana
9 providers in Hamilton and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in Ravalli County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in Ravalli County
Diagnostic clinics
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital — Pediatric Care
Hamilton, MT
Hamilton's Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital serves the Bitterroot Valley and can provide pediatric care and referrals for developmental evaluation. Most Ravalli County families travel 45 minutes to Missoula for autism evaluations; this hospital is the primary local entry point into the system.
Ask for developmental pediatrics referral to Missoula specialists. Travel to Missoula (45 min) is common for evaluations.
Early Intervention (0–3)
1 providerFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Montana Infants and Toddlers Program — Ravalli County
Hamilton, MT
Free IDEA Part C early intervention services for children under 3 in Ravalli County. Due to proximity to Missoula, some EI service providers cover the Bitterroot Valley. Families in southern Ravalli County face longer travel times.
FREE under IDEA Part C. Ravalli County DPHHS office in Hamilton coordinates EI services.
Occupational therapy & sensory
1 providerOccupational therapy, sensory integration, and sensory diets.
Bitterroot Therapy Services
Hamilton, MT
Occupational and speech therapy services in the Bitterroot Valley serving children with autism and developmental differences. Smaller practice serving Ravalli County families who prefer not to drive to Missoula for routine therapy.
Montana Medicaid and major insurers. Telehealth available. Confirm autism experience when scheduling.
Also serving Ravalli County
These 18 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list Ravalli 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.
Providence St. Patrick Hospital — Pediatric Services
Missoula, MT · serves several counties
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.
Occupational therapy & sensory
1 providerOccupational therapy, sensory integration, and sensory diets.
Stepping Stones Therapy (Missoula)
Missoula, MT · serves several counties
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.
Respite care
3 providersRespite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
Montana Lifespan Respite Coalition — voucher program
Statewide, MT · serves several counties
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.
ARCH National Respite Locator
Searchable by state, MT
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, MT
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.
Montana Empowerment Center
Great Falls, MT · serves several counties
Montana's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free, confidential help for families of children and young adults with disabilities, birth to 26: special education rights, IEPs, 504 plans and the move to adulthood.
UM Rural Institute on Disabilities
Missoula, MT · serves several counties
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.
Activities, clubs & recreation
11 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
Montana Disability and Health Program - recreation resources
Missoula, MT · serves several counties
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.
ACEing Autism
227 programs in 32 states, MT
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, MT
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, MT
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, MT
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, MT
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, MT
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, MT
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, MT
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, MT
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, MT
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 Ravalli County
Ravalli County (Hamilton, Stevensville) is in the Bitterroot Valley south of Missoula. Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital in Hamilton provides some services. Ravalli County school districts provide special education. PLUK is Montana's federally funded PTI providing free statewide IEP advocacy. Families access Missoula's provider network, which is about 30 miles north.
Helpful guides
Guides for Ravalli 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.
See all Montana resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Montana.
Montana state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Ravalli County, Montana?
We list 9 providers serving Ravalli County, covering occupational therapy & sensory, diagnostic clinics, activities, clubs & recreation, advocacy & legal and early intervention (0–3), plus 1 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.
Which autism providers in Ravalli County accept Medicaid?
1 of the providers we list for Ravalli County state that they accept Medicaid, including Stepping Stones Therapy (Missoula). Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Are there telehealth autism services for Ravalli County families?
Yes — 1 provider serving Ravalli County offers telehealth or virtual sessions. This is often the fastest route to support for families in rural areas or on long local waitlists.
Does Medicaid pay for autism services in Montana?
Montana families can apply to the 0208 Comprehensive Waiver, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is About seven years, with roughly 2,095 waiting, 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 Ravalli County?
If none of the Ravalli County providers is the right fit, these Montana counties currently have the most listed providers: Yellowstone County (19), Custer County (17), Dawson County (17), Lewis and Clark County (14). 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 Montana
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Ravalli County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Ravalli 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?
- Where do parents here actually talk to each other?
- Is there a group here where your child has made a friend?
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 Ravalli County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Ravalli 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 Ravalli 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
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