Autism Resources in Onslow County, North Carolina
7 providers in Jacksonville, Camp Lejeune, Davidson and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in Onslow County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in Onslow County
Diagnostic clinics
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Onslow Memorial Hospital — Pediatric & Developmental Services
Jacksonville, NC
Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville provides pediatric care and developmental screening for Onslow County. Autism evaluation referrals are coordinated through the pediatric department, with pathways to ECU Health and UNC TEACCH for comprehensive workups. Tricare accepted for the large Camp Lejeune military population.
Tricare accepted. Key resource for Marine Corps and Navy families at Camp Lejeune.
ABA therapy
1 providerApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Jacksonville
Jacksonville, NC · serves several counties
Hopebridge provides center-based ABA therapy in Jacksonville serving Onslow County children. BCBA-supervised with integrated speech and OT services. Tricare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance accepted — a critical resource for Camp Lejeune military families.
Tricare accepted. Staff experienced with military family needs at Camp Lejeune.
Parent & family support
1 providerParent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Autism Society of North Carolina — Onslow / Camp Lejeune Region
Jacksonville, NC · serves several counties
ASNC support for Onslow County families including Camp Lejeune military community. Parent support groups, crisis support line, and connection to local and statewide resources. Staff experienced with military family needs during PCS moves.
ASNC staff understand Tricare and EFMP resources. Active military community presence.
Advocacy & legal
2 providersLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Camp Lejeune Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)
Camp Lejeune, NC
The EFMP at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune coordinates healthcare and school services for military children with special needs including autism. Enrollment ensures the family's needs are factored into assignments and connects families to on-base resources and civilian community services.
FREE. Required enrollment for military families with special-needs children. Start here before any other service.
Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC)
Davidson, NC · serves several counties
NC's federally funded PTI provides free IEP advocacy for Onslow County families — including military families navigating Onslow County Schools after a PCS move. Staff understand both IDEA rights and the unique challenges of frequent school transitions.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Experienced with military family school transitions.
Also serving Onslow County
These 14 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list Onslow County in the area they cover. Worth calling to confirm how far they actually travel, and whether telehealth or in-home visits are an option.
Respite care
3 providersRespite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
Respite through CAP waivers and the Family Caregiver Support Program
Statewide, NC · serves several counties
Two separate routes in North Carolina. The Community Alternatives Program waivers cover respite as a funded service — CAP/C for children from birth to 20 who need a hospital or nursing facility level of care, and CAP/DA for disabled adults. Separately, the NC Family Caregiver Support Program, run through the Division of Aging, offers respite to unpaid family caregivers and does not require a waiver.
If your child does not meet the CAP/C medical-fragility bar, the Family Caregiver Support Program is the route to ask about instead — different eligibility, different door.
ARCH National Respite Locator
Searchable by state, NC
A free national directory of respite providers and programs, run by ARCH, the National Respite Network and Resource Center. ARCH says it is not a complete list, so it works best alongside…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
ARCH's advice is to contact your State Respite Coalition or Lifespan Respite program first. Before you pay out of pocket, also check what your state's Medicaid waiver funds.
Your state's Lifespan Respite program
39 states and DC have been funded, NC
Lifespan Respite programs are federally funded, state-run programs that help family caregivers of children or adults, regardless of special need, find and pay for respite.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
ARCH lists every state's Lifespan Respite contact and respite coalition on this page. Ask specifically about voucher or stipend programs — that is the part families most often miss.
Advocacy & legal
1 providerLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Exceptional Children's Assistance Center (ECAC) — Coastal Families
Davidson, NC · serves several counties
North Carolina's PTI center provides free IEP and special education advocacy to New Hanover families. Staff can attend IEP meetings virtually, review evaluations, and explain family rights under IDEA.
FREE. Federally funded. Serves all NC counties including coastal communities.
Activities, clubs & recreation
10 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
ACEing Autism
227 programs in 32 states, NC
Tennis clinics for kids, teens and, in some locations, adults on the autism spectrum.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Cost varies by location and scholarships are available. Use the Find a Program search on their site with your zip code.
American Camp Association — camp finder
About 3,900 camps, NC
A free searchable directory of about 3,900 camps, with a filter for disabilities and other special needs alongside distance, activities, session length and cost. A good single starting…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Choose day or overnight, then use the "Disabilities and Other Special Needs" filter. Specialized camps can fill early, so start looking in the winter before.
Best Buddies
All 50 states — find your local program, NC
One-to-one friendship matching between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, with programs from elementary school through college and adulthood, plus…
A national program 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 1-800-89-BUDDY, to locate your nearest program.
Easterseals — camps and recreation
Local Easterseals across the country, NC
Day and residential camps for children and adults with disabilities, plus sports, social activities and community outings run by local Easterseals.
A national program 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 locations — use the Find your Easterseals search on the page and check what yours actually runs.
iCan Shine (iCan Bike)
Camps hosted in different towns each year, NC
Teaches people with disabilities to ride a conventional two-wheeled bicycle over a five-day camp, 75 minutes a day. iCan Shine says about 80% of participants ride independently by the end…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Check their Camp Locations page for dates — camps run in different towns each year, so somewhere near you may host this year and not next.
KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now)
Six cities only: Chicago, DC–Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, St. Louis, NC
Free, non-competitive, one-to-one recreation for youth ages 5 to 21 with physical or developmental disabilities, led by trained volunteer coaches.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Free to families. KEEN runs in six cities plus two university campus chapters (Vanderbilt and the University of Virginia) — outside those, it is not available yet.
See all 10 activities, clubs & recreation providersShow fewer
Little League Challenger Division
Through local Little Leagues — use the League Finder, NC
Little League's adaptive baseball program for anyone with a physical or intellectual challenge.
A national program 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. Little League's rule is that a player who can take part in regular Little League with reasonable accommodations should do so.
Miracle League
300 leagues — check for one near you, NC
Baseball for children and adults with physical or mental disabilities, played on custom-designed rubberized turf fields that accommodate wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Use the Find a Miracle League page on their site — there are 300 leagues, so coverage is good but not universal.
Special Olympics
Nationwide — find your local program, NC
Year-round sports training and competition for children and adults.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Eligibility requires an intellectual disability, a cognitive delay measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay, identified by an agency or professional. If your child is autistic without a cognitive delay, have a direct conversation about fit before signing up rather than after. Ask your local program about any costs.
TOPSoccer (US Youth Soccer)
Through local soccer clubs, NC
The Outreach Program for Soccer — recreational soccer for children and adults with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities, offered through local US Youth Soccer clubs.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Find your state association's TOPSoccer clubs through the link on their page, or ask your state association office directly — it is often not advertised on the club's own website.
Not sure which kind of therapy you need?
Start with our plain-language guide to ABA, speech and OT — what each one is, and questions to ask on the first call.
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About autism services in Onslow County
Onslow County — home to Jacksonville, Swansboro, and Richlands — is a military-heavy county centered on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Many families are TRICARE beneficiaries; ABA therapy is covered under TRICARE. Onslow County Schools provides Exceptional Children programs. NC Early Intervention is available through the county CDSA, and ECAC provides free IEP advocacy statewide. Families seeking specialized evaluation sometimes travel to Wilmington or the Raleigh-Durham metro.
Helpful guides
Guides for Onslow 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 Onslow County
Serving families across Onslow County including Jacksonville, Richlands, Swansboro, Sneads Ferry, Holly Ridge, Hubert, Verona, Piney Green, Folkstone and Dixon and more.
See all North Carolina resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in North Carolina.
North Carolina state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Onslow County, North Carolina?
We list 7 providers serving Onslow County, covering parent & family support, advocacy & legal, ABA therapy, diagnostic clinics and respite care. 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 Onslow County accept Medicaid?
1 of the providers we list for Onslow County state that they accept Medicaid, including Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Jacksonville. Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Onslow County?
ABA providers serving Onslow 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.
Does Medicaid pay for autism services in North Carolina?
North Carolina families can apply to the NC Innovations Waiver, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is Ten years or longer — and slots are first come, first served, 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 Onslow County?
If none of the Onslow County providers is the right fit, these North Carolina counties currently have the most listed providers: Wake County (23), Durham County (19), Orange County (19), Alamance 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 North Carolina
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Onslow County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Onslow 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.
Get told when this page changes
New provider in Onslow County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Onslow 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.
We store your address and county, and nothing else. How we handle it.
See something that needs fixing?
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.
Report a correction →Help the community
Know a great provider in Onslow County?
If a therapist, clinic, or specialist helped your family, tell us about them and we’ll add them to the directory so other families can find them too.
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