County resource guide
Autism Resources in Thurston County, Nebraska
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Thurston County. Nebraska statewide resources also apply.
Provider directory
Local Providers10 providers in Thurston 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.
Pender
Indian Health Service — Omaha/Winnebago Service Unit
Thurston County is home to the Omaha Nation and Winnebago Tribe. The IHS Omaha/Winnebago Service Unit in Winnebago provides primary care and developmental referrals for tribal members. For autism evaluations, staff connect families to IHS specialty networks or Children's Nebraska in Omaha.
Tribal families may also access Omaha Nation and Winnebago Tribe health and social services directly.
South Sioux City · multi-county
MercyOne — Developmental & Behavioral Health
MercyOne provides developmental and behavioral health services in the Siouxland area including South Sioux City. Dakota County families can access pediatric evaluations and specialist referrals. Families may also use Sioux City, IA providers just across the state line.
Sioux City, IA providers (just across the river) often serve Dakota County NE families.
South Sioux City · multi-county
UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute — Telehealth (Dakota Co.)
Telehealth consultations from the Munroe-Meyer Institute at UNMC allow Dakota County families to connect with Nebraska's top autism specialists without traveling to Omaha. Telehealth autism consultations and follow-up available for families enrolled in MMI programs.
Telehealth option for rural NE families. Worth calling MMI directly to ask about telehealth intake.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
South Sioux City · multi-county
Early Development Network — Northeast Nebraska
Nebraska Part C Early Intervention for infants and toddlers under 3 in Dakota County. Free evaluations and in-home services. EDN serves the entire northeast Nebraska region including the Siouxland area.
FREE under IDEA Part C. Self-referral accepted.
Pender
Nebraska Early Development Network — Thurston County
Nebraska's EDN provides free early intervention for children birth to age 3 in Thurston County, including families on the Omaha and Winnebago reservations. Services are delivered in natural settings including home and tribal community spaces.
EDN coordinates with tribal health and social services for eligible families.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Pender
Centria Autism — Telehealth ABA (Rural Northeast NE)
Centria Autism's telehealth-first ABA model serves rural Nebraska families including those in Thurston County. Remote BCBA supervision and local technician support can reduce travel time for families in Pender, Walthill, and surrounding communities.
Ask about IHS billing and tribal health insurance coverage.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
South Sioux City · multi-county
Autism Society — Siouxland Chapter
Support group and resource network serving the tri-state Siouxland area including Dakota County, NE and families in neighboring Iowa and South Dakota. Parent meetups, resource sharing, and advocacy events.
Pender
Autism Society of Nebraska — Statewide Support
The Autism Society of Nebraska provides peer support and resource connections for families across Nebraska including Thurston County. Virtual programming helps rural and reservation-community families access the statewide autism network.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
South Sioux City · multi-county
PTI Nebraska — IEP Advocacy (Dakota Co.)
Nebraska's federally funded PTI provides free IEP support and special education advocacy for Dakota County families. Phone and video consultations available statewide.
FREE. Available for any Nebraska IEP, 504, or special ed question.
Pender
PTI Nebraska — Parent Training & Information Center
PTI Nebraska serves all Nebraska families, including those in Thurston County and on tribal lands, with free special education advocacy, IEP support, and disability resource navigation. Remote consultation available.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Thurston 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 Nebraska resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Nebraska.
Nebraska state guide →Nearby counties in Nebraska
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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