Autism Resources in Santa Fe County, New Mexico

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).

Albuquerque · multi-county

UNM Center for Development & Disability (CDD)

New Mexico's federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, housed at the University of New Mexico. The CDD offers comprehensive autism evaluations, family support, training, and research. The premier clinical resource in the state and the anchor of New Mexico's autism service ecosystem.

New Mexico's UCEDD — federally designated center of excellence. The state's most comprehensive autism evaluation resource.

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.

Albuquerque · multi-county

UNM Children's Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics

Developmental and autism evaluations at UNM Children's Hospital, New Mexico's academic medical center. Connected to the CDD for coordinated care. The primary pediatric evaluation site for Bernalillo County families.

Santa Fe

Family Infant Toddler (FIT) Program — Santa Fe County

New Mexico's IDEA Part C early intervention program for Santa Fe County children under 3. Free home-based evaluations and services for Santa Fe, Española, Pojoaque, and surrounding northern NM communities.

FREE under IDEA Part C. No referral needed. Santa Fe has a relatively robust EI system for a non-Albuquerque NM county.

Albuquerque · multi-county

AtlasCare ABA — New Mexico

ABA therapy in Albuquerque metro, Las Cruces, and Santa Fe areas serving Bernalillo, Doña Ana, and Santa Fe counties.

Source: https://www.atlascareaba.com/location-new-mexico

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.

Albuquerque · multi-county

Center for Social Dynamics — New Mexico

ABA therapy and autism services serving Bernalillo, Doña Ana, and Santa Fe counties with clinic locations throughout New Mexico.

Source: https://csdautismservices.com/about-locations/new-mexico/

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.

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.

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 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

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.

Albuquerque · multi-county

VIP Soccer Program

Soccer for children and adults with physical or intellectual disabilities including autism, run through New Mexico youth soccer.

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.