County resource guide
Autism Resources in McMinn County, Tennessee
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in McMinn County. Tennessee statewide resources also apply.
McMinn County — home to Athens and Etowah — is in southeastern Tennessee between Chattanooga and Knoxville. Starr Regional Medical Center provides healthcare services. McMinn County Schools and Athens City Schools provide special education. Families travel to Chattanooga or Knoxville for specialized autism evaluation. TEIS is available, and STEP provides free IEP advocacy statewide.
Provider directory
Local Providers18 providers in McMinn 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.
Athens · multi-county
Athens Regional Medical Center — Developmental Referrals
Athens Regional Medical Center is McMinn County's community hospital, providing pediatric care and developmental referrals. McMinn County sits between Chattanooga and Knoxville — families access T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital (~45 miles south) or East Tennessee Children's Hospital (~50 miles north) for comprehensive autism evaluations.
T.C. Thompson Children's in Chattanooga and East TN Children's in Knoxville are both accessible from Athens. Ask your pediatrician for specialist referrals.
Cleveland · multi-county
CHI Memorial — Pediatric Developmental Services, Cleveland
CHI Memorial Hospital in Cleveland is Bradley County's primary hospital, providing pediatric care and developmental referrals for families in this southeastern Tennessee community. Bradley County sits adjacent to Hamilton County (Chattanooga), giving families access to T.C. Thompson Children's for comprehensive autism evaluations.
For comprehensive autism evaluations, ask for referrals to T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital in Chattanooga (~30 miles west).
Chattanooga · multi-county
Children's Hospital at Erlanger — Developmental Pediatrics (Polk County)
Polk County (Benton, TN) is a rural southeast Tennessee county in the Cherokee National Forest, bordering Georgia and North Carolina. Children's Hospital at Erlanger in Chattanooga (approximately 45 miles west) is the primary academic medical referral for autism evaluations serving Polk County families.
About 45 miles from Benton TN. Cleveland (Bradley County, ~30 miles) has closer community developmental services.
Dayton · multi-county
Erlanger Health System — Rhea County Developmental Referral
Rhea County families in Dayton access autism and developmental evaluations through Erlanger in Chattanooga (~55 miles south) or through Athens Regional (McMinn County, ~25 miles). T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital at Erlanger is the primary pediatric autism evaluation center for this region.
McMinn County (~25 miles south) has closer community hospital options; Chattanooga is the regional hub for full evaluations.
Madisonville · multi-county
Sweetwater Hospital Association — Developmental Referrals
Monroe County is served by Sweetwater Hospital Association and Fort Loudoun Medical Center (Covenant Health). For comprehensive autism evaluations, Monroe County families typically access East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville (~45 miles north) or T.C. Thompson Children's in Chattanooga via Bradley County.
East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville is the primary autism evaluation referral. Fort Loudoun Medical Center in Lenoir City is also accessible.
Knoxville · multi-county
UT Medical Center — Child Development Center
The University of Tennessee Medical Center's Child Development Center in Knoxville is approximately 25 miles from Loudon and is the primary referral center for Loudon County autism evaluations. UT's developmental medicine team provides comprehensive multi-disciplinary assessments.
About 25–30 minutes from Loudon — one of the more accessible rural East Tennessee counties for specialty care.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Cleveland · multi-county
Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) — Bradley County
TEIS Part C early intervention for Bradley County children birth to age 3. Free developmental evaluations, IFSP planning, and in-home therapy services in Cleveland and surrounding Bradley County. Covers speech, OT, and developmental therapy.
Free under IDEA Part C. Self-refer by phone — no doctor referral required.
Athens
Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) — McMinn County
TEIS Part C early intervention for McMinn County children birth to age 3. Free developmental evaluations, IFSP planning, and in-home therapy services in Athens and throughout McMinn County.
Free under IDEA Part C. Self-refer by phone — no doctor referral required.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Cleveland · multi-county
BlueSprig Autism — Cleveland/Bradley County
Center-based ABA therapy serving Bradley County in Cleveland. BCBA-supervised programs with comprehensive skill-building and naturalistic teaching. Accepts most commercial insurance under Tennessee's ABA insurance mandate.
Tennessee requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Madisonville · multi-county
Centria Autism — Monroe County
In-home ABA therapy serving Monroe County families in Madisonville and surrounding communities in the Cherokee National Forest foothills. BCBA-supervised individualized programs accepting TennCare and commercial insurance.
Tennessee requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy. In-home model serves Monroe County's rural mountain communities.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Madisonville · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Monroe County Network
Autism Tennessee connects Monroe County families in Madisonville and Vonore to the East Tennessee autism support network and statewide resources. Peer support and resource navigation for families in Tennessee's scenic Cherokee Reservoir region.
Benton · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Southeast Tennessee Network
Autism Tennessee connects Polk County families to the Southeast Tennessee peer network centered in Chattanooga. Cleveland (Bradley County) is the nearest in-person resource hub. Virtual programming and statewide advocacy serve families in this remote mountain and forest county.
Dayton · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Southeast TN / Rhea County
Autism Tennessee connects Rhea County families to the Southeast Tennessee autism support network centered in Chattanooga. Dayton-area families can access Chattanooga-area parent groups and statewide virtual programming.
Athens · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Southeast TN/Athens Area
Autism Tennessee connects McMinn County families in Athens and Etowah to the East Tennessee and Chattanooga autism support networks. Support groups and resource navigation for a county situated between two major medical systems.
Cleveland · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Southeast TN/Cleveland Area
Autism Tennessee connects Bradley County families in Cleveland and the Ocoee region to statewide support networks and local programming. Support groups, family resource connections, and advocacy for southeast Tennessee's autism community.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Athens · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — McMinn County
STEP serves McMinn County and the Hiwassee River region with free IEP advocacy, special education rights training, and one-on-one support for families navigating McMinn County Schools special education.
FREE. Tennessee's federally funded PTI.
Madisonville · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — Monroe County
STEP serves Monroe County families with free IEP advocacy, special education rights training, and one-on-one support navigating Monroe County Schools. Tennessee's federally funded PTI is essential in smaller rural counties with limited local advocacy resources.
FREE. Tennessee's federally funded PTI.
Cleveland · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — Southeast TN
STEP serves Bradley County and southeast Tennessee with free IEP advocacy, special education rights training, and one-on-one support navigating Bradley County Schools special education. Tennessee's federally funded PTI is the first call for any IEP dispute.
FREE. Federally funded Tennessee PTI.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for McMinn 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.
See all Tennessee resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Tennessee.
Tennessee state guide →Nearby counties in Tennessee
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