Autism Resources in San Juan County, New Mexico

Gallup · multi-county

Gallup Indian Medical Center — IHS Behavioral Health

Indian Health Service facility serving McKinley County's large Navajo Nation and Zuni Pueblo populations. Provides behavioral health services including developmental screenings. Families seeking full autism evaluations are coordinated through IHS or Navajo Nation tribal health programs.

IHS services are available to enrolled tribal members. Navajo Nation also operates tribally funded health and disability programs through the Navajo Division of Social Services.

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.

Gallup · multi-county

UNM Health — Telehealth Developmental Pediatrics

UNM Children's Hospital telehealth services reduce the barrier for McKinley County families who would otherwise face a 140-mile trip to Albuquerque for a developmental evaluation. Telehealth consultations available for autism assessments and follow-up care.

Ask specifically for developmental pediatrics telehealth. Gallup families are strong candidates for remote services.

Farmington

Family Infant Toddler (FIT) Program — San Juan County

New Mexico's IDEA Part C early intervention program for San Juan County children under 3. Free home-based evaluations and services for Farmington, Aztec, Bloomfield, and the Navajo Nation communities in the Four Corners region.

FREE under IDEA Part C. No referral needed. Serving a large geographic area including Navajo Nation communities.

Farmington · multi-county

Catalyst ABA — Farmington / San Juan County

ABA therapy for San Juan County children with autism in Farmington and surrounding Four Corners communities. BCBA-supervised programming with NM Medicaid acceptance for this underserved rural region.

NM Medicaid (Centennial Care) accepted. San Juan County is one of NM's more populated rural counties with growing ABA access.

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.

Farmington · multi-county

Autism Society of New Mexico — Four Corners / San Juan County

The Autism Society of New Mexico provides peer support and statewide resources for San Juan County families in Farmington, Aztec, and Bloomfield. The Four Corners region has a growing autism family community.

Virtual support is important for San Juan County families given the distance to Albuquerque.

Gallup · multi-county

Autism Society of New Mexico — Western NM Outreach

The Autism Society of New Mexico provides statewide support including outreach to western New Mexico communities like Gallup. Resource navigation, family connections, and event information for McKinley County families.

Statewide support — contact them about local Gallup-area resources and peer connections.

Albuquerque · multi-county

EPICS — Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs / Parents Reaching Out

New Mexico's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support for New Mexico families. Serves a uniquely diverse population including Native American families across the state.

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Strong cultural competency serving New Mexico's Native American and Hispanic families.

Albuquerque · multi-county

EPICS — IEP Advocacy for San Juan County

EPICS, New Mexico's federally funded PTI, provides free IEP advocacy for San Juan County families in Farmington Municipal Schools, Aztec Municipal Schools, Bloomfield Schools, and surrounding Four Corners districts.

FREE. Remote/phone advocacy is the primary access mode for San Juan County families who cannot travel to Albuquerque.

Albuquerque · multi-county

EPICS — Parent Training & Information Center

NM's statewide PTI with strong experience serving Native American families in McKinley County. EPICS provides IEP advocacy, special education rights training, and family support — with cultural competency for the Navajo Nation and Zuni communities.

FREE. Historically served Native American families; bilingual and culturally responsive. Phone/remote advocacy available.

Albuquerque · multi-county

Adaptive Sports Program New Mexico

Adaptive sports lessons for children from age five and adults across the state, explicitly including autistic participants alongside people with amputations and vision impairment. Each summer they run two watersports camps at lakes in eastern and southern New Mexico - three days of camping, cookouts, paddleboarding, kayaking and fishing.

Santa Fe · multi-county

New Mexico Governor's Commission on Disability - recreation and adaptive sports

The state commission maintains a recreation and adaptive sports listing - the closest thing New Mexico has to a statewide index, and worth checking outside Albuquerque and Santa Fe where organized provision is very thin.

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.