County resource guide
Catawba County, North Carolina
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Catawba County. North Carolina statewide resources also apply.
Local providers
5 listedDiagnostic 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.
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.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
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.
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.
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See all North Carolina resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in North Carolina.
North Carolina state guide →