County resource guide
Autism Resources in Catawba County, North Carolina
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Catawba County. North Carolina statewide resources also apply.
Catawba County — home to Hickory, Conover, and Newton — is a Piedmont manufacturing hub with a growing healthcare presence. Catawba Valley Medical Center provides some developmental services. Catawba County Schools serves students with disabilities across the district. Families often travel to Charlotte or the Triad for specialized autism evaluations. NC Early Intervention is available through the county CDSA, and ECAC provides free IEP advocacy statewide.
Provider directory
Local Providers11 providers in Catawba 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.
Hickory
Catawba Valley Health — Pediatric Developmental Services
Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory provides pediatric care and developmental screening for Catawba County and the greater Hickory metro. Autism evaluation referrals are coordinated through the pediatric department, with pathways to Levine Children's or Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center for full evaluations.
Regional hospital for Catawba County. Complex evaluations may be referred to Charlotte or Winston-Salem specialists.
Hickory · multi-county
Catawba Valley Medical Center — Developmental Pediatrics (Alexander Referrals)
Alexander County (Taylorsville) families travel to Catawba Valley Medical Center in Hickory for comprehensive autism evaluations, approximately 25 miles west. CVMC is the primary regional hospital serving the western Piedmont foothills and is the standard referral destination for Alexander County's pediatric specialty needs.
About 25 miles from Taylorsville via US-64. Statesville (Iredell County, ~30 miles east) is an alternative for some families.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Hickory
Catawba County Early Intervention Program (NC Infant-Toddler)
North Carolina's Part C Early Intervention program through the CDSA for Catawba County. Free in-home developmental evaluations and therapy for children under 3 in the Hickory area. No diagnosis required to request an evaluation.
FREE under IDEA Part C. Call as soon as you have developmental concerns.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Hickory · multi-county
Autism Learning Partners — Hickory
Autism Learning Partners provides center-based ABA therapy in Hickory for Catawba County families. BCBA-supervised programming with naturalistic approaches. NC Medicaid and commercial insurance accepted under NC's ABA insurance mandate.
NC Medicaid covers ABA for eligible children. NC requires commercial insurance coverage.
Taylorsville · multi-county
Behavioral Innovations — Alexander County
ABA therapy for Alexander County children through BCBA-supervised programs accessible from the Statesville and Hickory metro areas. NC Medicaid and commercial insurance accepted under North Carolina's ABA insurance mandate. In-home ABA delivery helps bridge the gap for rural Taylorsville families.
NC requires commercial insurance to cover ABA. NC Medicaid covers ABA for eligible children.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Taylorsville · multi-county
Autism Society of North Carolina — Alexander County
ASNC statewide support for Alexander County families in Taylorsville. Crisis support line, peer connections, and links to the western Piedmont and mountain autism community. ASNC's statewide crisis line is available around the clock.
Hickory · multi-county
Autism Society of North Carolina — Catawba Valley Chapter
ASNC's Catawba Valley chapter provides parent support groups, social programming, crisis support, and advocacy for Hickory-area families. Connects to the statewide ASNC network including adult services and employment resources.
Statesville · multi-county
Autism Society of North Carolina — Iredell Chapter
Local chapter of the Autism Society of North Carolina offering parent support groups, social events, and connection to statewide advocacy resources for families in Iredell County.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Davidson · multi-county
Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC)
NC's federally funded PTI center serving Catawba County with free IEP advocacy, IDEA rights training, and one-on-one support for families navigating Catawba County Schools. Staff can review evaluations and attend IEP meetings virtually.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Serves all NC counties.
Davidson · multi-county
Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC)
NC's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free special education advocacy and IEP support for families in Caldwell County.
FREE. Federally funded PTI.
Davidson · multi-county
Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC)
NC's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center providing free IEP advocacy for Alexander County families. Staff help families navigate Alexander County Schools and understand their rights under IDEA. Virtual consultations are especially valuable for this rural foothills county.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Call before any IEP meeting or dispute.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Catawba 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.
Communities served
Cities in Catawba County
Serving families across Catawba County including Hickory, Conover, Newton, Claremont, Maiden, Brookford, Long View, Catawba, Sherrills Ford and Terrell and more.
See all North Carolina resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in North Carolina.
North Carolina state guide →Nearby counties in North Carolina
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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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