County resource guide
Autism Resources in Putnam County, Tennessee
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Putnam County. Tennessee statewide resources also apply.
Putnam County — home to Cookeville — is in the Upper Cumberland region of middle Tennessee. Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville contributes to regional workforce training. Cookeville Regional Medical Center provides healthcare services. Putnam County Schools provides special education. TEIS is available for children under 3. STEP provides free IEP advocacy statewide, and families seeking specialized evaluation travel to Nashville.
Provider directory
Local Providers24 providers in Putnam 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.
Cookeville · multi-county
Cookeville Regional Medical Center — Developmental Referrals
Cookeville Regional Medical Center is the primary hospital for the Upper Cumberland region, providing pediatric care and developmental referrals for Putnam County. For comprehensive autism evaluations, Cookeville Regional typically routes families to Vanderbilt Kennedy Center TRIAD in Nashville (~80 miles west).
Ask your pediatrician for a TRIAD referral at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for comprehensive autism evaluation.
Cookeville · multi-county
Cookeville Regional Medical Center — Developmental Referrals (Jackson TN County)
Jackson County (Gainesboro) sits on the Cumberland Plateau in north-central Tennessee. Cookeville (Putnam County, approximately 30 miles east) at Cookeville Regional Medical Center is the primary regional hospital hub for autism evaluation referrals. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in Nashville (~80 miles west) is the academic referral destination.
About 30 miles from Gainesboro. Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (~80 miles) is the academic medical center referral for comprehensive autism evaluations.
Livingston · multi-county
Cookeville Regional Medical Center — Overton County Referral
Overton County families in Livingston access developmental and autism evaluation referrals through Cookeville Regional Medical Center (~30 miles south), the primary Upper Cumberland hospital and the regional hub for families across the plateau.
Cookeville (~30 miles south) is the primary regional hub for Overton County developmental referrals.
Byrdstown · multi-county
Cookeville Regional Medical Center — Pickett County Referral
Pickett County families in Byrdstown travel to Cookeville Regional Medical Center (~40 miles south) for developmental and autism evaluation referrals. Pickett is Tennessee's smallest county and has no local hospital.
No local hospital. Cookeville (~40 miles south) is the nearest developmental care hub.
Spencer · multi-county
Cookeville Regional Medical Center — Van Buren County Referral
Van Buren County families in Spencer access developmental and autism evaluation referrals through Cookeville Regional Medical Center (~35 miles north) on the Upper Cumberland Plateau. Van Buren is home to Fall Creek Falls State Park and is one of Tennessee's most rural counties.
Very rural county. Cookeville (~35 miles north) is the nearest medical hub.
Sparta · multi-county
Highlands Medical Center — White County Developmental Referrals
Highlands Medical Center in Sparta is the primary hospital for White County on the Cumberland Plateau. Developmental and autism evaluation referrals typically route to Cookeville Regional Medical Center (~25 miles north) or Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in Nashville (~80 miles west).
Cookeville (~25 miles north) is the nearest major evaluation hub. Vanderbilt TRIAD accessible from Sparta as well.
Cookeville
Tennessee Tech University — Counseling & Psychological Services
Tennessee Tech University's psychology training programs in Cookeville may offer developmental screenings and referrals through university training clinics. The presence of a major university creates a pipeline of autism-aware professionals in the Upper Cumberland region.
University training clinic — may offer lower-cost screenings and referrals. Contact alongside Cookeville Regional's pediatric team.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Livingston · multi-county
Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) — Overton County
TEIS Part C early intervention for Overton County children birth to age 3. Free evaluations and in-home therapy services in Livingston and throughout Overton County.
FREE under IDEA Part C. Self-refer by phone.
Cookeville · multi-county
Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) — Upper Cumberland (Putnam)
TEIS Part C early intervention for Putnam County children birth to age 3. Free evaluations, IFSP planning, and in-home therapy services in Cookeville and across the Upper Cumberland region. Covers speech, OT, and developmental therapy.
Free under IDEA Part C. Self-refer by phone — no doctor referral required.
Sparta · multi-county
Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) — White County
TEIS Part C early intervention for White County children birth to age 3. Free evaluations and in-home therapy services in Sparta and throughout White County on the Cumberland Plateau.
FREE under IDEA Part C. Self-refer by phone.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Cookeville · multi-county
Autism Learning Partners — Upper Cumberland (Cookeville)
ABA therapy services in Cookeville serving Putnam County and the broader Upper Cumberland region. BCBA-supervised in-home and center-based programming. Accepts most commercial insurance under Tennessee's ABA mandate.
Tennessee requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Livingston · multi-county
Autism Learning Partners — Upper Cumberland (Overton)
ABA therapy serving Overton County through the Upper Cumberland region network. BCBA-supervised home and center-based programming. Accepts commercial insurance under Tennessee's ABA mandate.
Tennessee requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Sparta · multi-county
Autism Learning Partners — White County
ABA therapy serving White County families in Sparta through the Upper Cumberland region network. BCBA-supervised center-based and in-home programming. Accepts commercial insurance under Tennessee's ABA mandate.
Tennessee requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Cookeville · multi-county
Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Upper Cumberland
ABA therapy for Cumberland County children through Middle Tennessee providers. Clinic-based options are available in Cookeville (approximately 40 minutes from Crossville) and Nashville. In-home ABA may also be available through regional providers.
Cookeville is the nearest ABA hub for most Cumberland County families.
Gainesboro · multi-county
Upper Cumberland ABA — Jackson County TN
ABA therapy for Jackson County (Gainesboro) families through Cookeville-area providers and in-home delivery. In-home BCBA-supervised ABA is the most practical model for this remote Cumberland Plateau county. TennCare and commercial insurance accepted.
Contact Tennessee DIDD Upper Cumberland regional office for approved ABA providers serving Jackson County TN.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Livingston · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Upper Cumberland (Overton County)
Autism Tennessee connects Overton County families to the Upper Cumberland autism support network. Cookeville (Putnam County) is the nearest support hub; virtual programming serves this rural plateau community.
Sparta · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Upper Cumberland (White County)
Autism Tennessee connects White County families to the Upper Cumberland autism support network centered in Cookeville. Sparta is approximately 25 miles from Cookeville's peer support resources.
Crossville · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Upper Cumberland Network
Autism Tennessee connects Cumberland County families to the Upper Cumberland regional support network, peer groups, family events, and statewide autism advocacy.
Gainesboro · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Upper Cumberland Network
Autism Tennessee connects Jackson County (Gainesboro) families to the Upper Cumberland and north-central Tennessee peer support network. Virtual programming and Cookeville-area events serve families in this remote plateau county.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Gainesboro · multi-county
STEP — Support & Training for Exceptional Parents
Tennessee's federally funded PTI. Free IEP advocacy for Jackson County TN families in Gainesboro. Phone and virtual support serve this remote north-central Tennessee county with limited local advocacy resources.
FREE. Statewide PTI.
Livingston · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — Overton County
STEP serves Overton County families with free IEP advocacy and special education rights training for families navigating Overton County Schools in Livingston.
FREE. Tennessee's federally funded PTI.
Cookeville · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — Upper Cumberland
STEP serves Putnam County and the broader Upper Cumberland region with free IEP advocacy, special education rights training, and one-on-one support. Essential resource for Cookeville City and Putnam County Schools families navigating special education.
FREE. Tennessee's federally funded PTI — serves families across the Upper Cumberland plateau region.
Spencer · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — Van Buren County
STEP provides free IEP advocacy for Van Buren County families via phone and virtual sessions. Essential for families in this remote plateau county with a small school district.
FREE. Tennessee's federally funded PTI.
Sparta · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — White County
STEP serves White County families with free IEP advocacy and special education rights training for families navigating White County Schools in Sparta.
FREE. Tennessee's federally funded PTI.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Putnam 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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