County resource guide
Autism Resources in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Rio Arriba County. New Mexico statewide resources also apply.
Rio Arriba County (Española, Chama) is in northern New Mexico with significant Hispanic and Native American population. Española Valley Health Center provides some services. Española Public Schools provides special education. EPICS (NM PTI) provides free statewide IEP advocacy. Families access Santa Fe or Albuquerque providers for specialized evaluations.
Provider directory
Local Providers31 providers in Rio Arriba County
About our listings
Provider listings on Autism Parent Club are submitted by practices or researched from public sources. All listings are reviewed by a person before publication, and no provider has paid to appear here. Read how we verify listings, or use the “Suggest a correction” link below to flag anything inaccurate.
0 providers in Rio Arriba County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Diagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Santa Fe · multi-county
CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Center — Developmental Referrals
CHRISTUS St. Vincent in Santa Fe is the primary hospital for Santa Fe County families. Developmental pediatric concerns are evaluated locally and complex autism assessments are coordinated with UNM Children's in Albuquerque (~60 miles south).
For comprehensive autism evaluation, Santa Fe families are typically referred to UNM Children's in Albuquerque (~1 hr drive).
Española
Española Hospital — Behavioral Health
Española Hospital serves Rio Arriba County in northern New Mexico. Behavioral health screenings and referrals are available; comprehensive autism evaluations require travel to UNM Children's Hospital in Albuquerque (about 90 miles south). Telehealth through UNMH is strongly recommended given the county's high poverty rate.
Northern NM. High poverty and geographic barriers make telehealth critical. Ohkay Owingeh and other Pueblo communities in Rio Arriba County: IHS and tribal programs may offer additional resources.
Taos · multi-county
Holy Cross Medical Center — Behavioral Health
Holy Cross Medical Center is the primary hospital for Taos County in northern New Mexico. Behavioral health services and developmental screenings are available; comprehensive autism evaluations require referral to UNM Children's Hospital (Albuquerque, ~90 miles south) or telehealth. Telehealth is increasingly used in this arts community with diverse cultural needs.
Significant Pueblo and Hispanic population. Bilingual and culturally sensitive services are important. Telehealth through UNMH is growing in northern NM.
Farmington · multi-county
San Juan Health Partners — Developmental Services (Farmington)
San Juan Health Partners in Farmington is the primary medical system for San Juan County in the Four Corners region. Developmental concerns are addressed locally, and complex autism evaluations are coordinated with UNM Children's in Albuquerque (~185 miles south).
Four Corners families may also access Colorado providers in Durango (~50 miles) for some pediatric developmental services.
Albuquerque · multi-county
UNM Center for Development & Disability (CDD) — Albuquerque
New Mexico's UCEDD at UNM provides comprehensive autism evaluations and family support. Los Alamos County families are among the best positioned in rural NM to access the CDD — Albuquerque is ~35 miles south via US-502, and strong commercial insurance coverage facilitates access.
Los Alamos (~35 miles from UNM CDD) — among the best-positioned rural NM families to access Albuquerque specialists. Strong insurance improves access.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Española · multi-county
Family Infant Toddler (FIT) Program — Northern Region
New Mexico's IDEA Part C early intervention program serving Rio Arriba County, including families on and near Pueblo lands (Ohkay Owingeh, Santa Clara, San Ildefonso, and others). Free evaluations and services; culturally sensitive services are a priority in this region.
FREE. Tribal families on Pueblo lands are eligible. FIT works with IHS and tribal programs to coordinate services.
Taos · multi-county
Family Infant Toddler (FIT) Program — Northern Region
New Mexico's IDEA Part C early intervention program for Taos County. Free evaluations and home-based services for children birth to three. Serves Taos Pueblo and surrounding communities with culturally responsive service coordinators.
FREE under IDEA Part C. Taos Pueblo families are eligible. Cultural and linguistic competency prioritized.
Los Alamos · multi-county
Family Infant Toddler (FIT) Program — Northern Region
New Mexico's IDEA Part C early intervention program for Los Alamos County. Free evaluations and home-based services for children birth to three. Given Los Alamos's proximity to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, FIT services are relatively well-coordinated for this mountain community.
FREE under IDEA Part C. No referral needed. Los Alamos's proximity to major NM cities improves FIT coordination.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Santa Fe · multi-county
Autism Learning Partners NM — Santa Fe ABA
Autism Learning Partners provides ABA therapy for Santa Fe County children with autism. In-home and center-based options serve the Santa Fe metro, with telehealth available for remote parts of the county.
NM Medicaid (Centennial Care) accepted. Santa Fe is one of NM's stronger ABA markets outside Albuquerque.
Española · multi-county
Centria Autism — Telehealth & In-Home (Rio Arriba County)
In-home and telehealth ABA therapy for Rio Arriba County families. Given the high poverty rate and rural geography of northern NM, in-home delivery and telehealth parent training are the most accessible ABA options. Accepts NM Medicaid (Centennial Care).
NM Medicaid covers ABA. Tribal families: ask about coordination with Pueblo tribal health programs.
Taos · multi-county
Sunshine Behavioral Health — Telehealth ABA (Taos County)
Telehealth-delivered ABA and parent training for Taos County families. In-person ABA centers are not available locally; telehealth BCBAs provide the primary ABA option for this mountain arts community. Accepts NM Medicaid. Bilingual services available.
Telehealth is the practical ABA option for Taos. NM Medicaid covers ABA. Confirm bilingual clinician availability when scheduling.
Respite care
Respite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
Statewide · multi-county
New Mexico DOH Respite Program
Short-term temporary care for children and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, so a caregiver can have a break. New Mexico is unusually flexible about where it happens: the family and provider decide together, and it can be the family's own home, the provider's home, a respite home, or a community setting the family chooses such as a community center, a park or a swimming pool. For a child who does badly with unfamiliar buildings, that flexibility is the whole difference.
Also on (505) 841-4736. Respite is separately funded under the HCBS waivers — worth asking about both, given DD Waiver waits of 10 to 12 years.
~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.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Albuquerque · multi-county
Autism Society of New Mexico
Statewide autism organization providing peer support and resource connections for Rio Arriba County families. Contact them to find support connections in northern New Mexico and among Spanish-speaking and Native American communities.
Albuquerque · multi-county
Autism Society of New Mexico
New Mexico's statewide autism family organization. Taos County families can connect with the statewide network, find peer support, and access resources across northern New Mexico.
Santa Fe · multi-county
Autism Society of New Mexico — Santa Fe Community
The Autism Society of New Mexico connects Santa Fe County families to peer support, family education, and statewide resources. Santa Fe has an active autism family community given its size and proximity to Albuquerque.
Santa Fe chapter events and Albuquerque events are both accessible for most Santa Fe County families.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Albuquerque · multi-county
EPICS — IEP Advocacy for Santa Fe County
EPICS, New Mexico's federally funded PTI, provides free IEP advocacy for Santa Fe County families in Santa Fe Public Schools, Española Public Schools, and other northern NM districts.
FREE. EPICS also serves Española and northern Rio Arriba County families through the Santa Fe intake.
Albuquerque · multi-county
EPICS — Parent Training & Information Center
New Mexico's federally funded PTI with experience serving Native American families in northern NM, including Rio Arriba County's Pueblo communities. Free IEP advocacy and special education rights training; bilingual and culturally responsive services.
FREE. Culturally responsive for Pueblo and Hispanic families. Remote advocacy available.
Albuquerque · multi-county
EPICS — Parent Training & Information Center
New Mexico's statewide PTI offering free IEP advocacy for Taos County families including Pueblo and Hispanic communities. EPICS has experience with culturally responsive advocacy in northern New Mexico.
FREE. Bilingual and culturally responsive. Remote advocacy available for northern NM families.
Albuquerque · multi-county
EPICS — Parent Training & Information Center
New Mexico's statewide PTI providing free IEP advocacy and special education rights support for Los Alamos County families. While Los Alamos has stronger resources than most rural NM counties, independent IEP advocacy remains important for families navigating this small but academically competitive school district.
FREE. EPICS provides independent expertise even in resource-stronger counties like Los Alamos. The small school district context makes independent advocacy valuable.
Activities, clubs & recreation
Clubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
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.
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Helpful guides
Guides for Rio Arriba 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 New Mexico resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in New Mexico.
New Mexico state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Rio Arriba County, New Mexico?
We list 19 providers serving Rio Arriba County, covering ABA therapy, parent & family support, diagnostic clinics, 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 Rio Arriba County accept Medicaid?
3 of the providers we list for Rio Arriba County state that they accept Medicaid, including Autism Learning Partners NM — Santa Fe ABA, Centria Autism — Telehealth & In-Home (Rio Arriba County) and Sunshine Behavioral Health — Telehealth ABA (Taos County). Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Rio Arriba County?
ABA providers serving Rio Arriba County are listed in the ABA therapy section of this page, with phone numbers and websites. Many deliver services in the family's home or at school as well as in a clinic. Ask about waitlists when you call — they vary widely and change month to month.
Are there telehealth autism services for Rio Arriba County families?
Yes — 5 providers serving Rio Arriba County offer telehealth or virtual sessions. This is often the fastest route to support for families in rural areas or on long local waitlists.
Can autism therapy happen at home in Rio Arriba County?
4 providers serving Rio Arriba County deliver services in the family's home. Many children do better in a familiar setting than in an unfamiliar clinic room, and in-home visits remove the travel burden.
Does Medicaid pay for autism services in New Mexico?
New Mexico families can apply to the Developmental Disabilities (DD) Waiver, Medically Fragile Waiver and Supports Waiver, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is 10–12 years for the DD Waiver, 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 Rio Arriba County?
If none of the Rio Arriba County providers is the right fit, these New Mexico counties currently have the most listed providers: Bernalillo County (22), Valencia County (22), Grant County (17), Santa Fe County (17). 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 New Mexico
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Rio Arriba County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Rio Arriba 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?
- Is there a group here where your child has made a friend?
- Which pediatrician here actually listens, and doesn't rush the appointment?
We check everything before it goes up, and nobody pays to be listed. How we verify.
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New provider in Rio Arriba County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Rio Arriba 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.
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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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