County resource guide
Autism Resources in Rutherford County, Tennessee
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Rutherford County. Tennessee statewide resources also apply.
Rutherford County — home to Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and La Vergne — is one of Tennessee's fastest-growing counties, southeast of Nashville. Families benefit from access to Vanderbilt Kennedy Center and Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital for specialized evaluation. Rutherford County Schools provides special education across an expanding district. TEIS serves children under 3, and STEP provides free IEP advocacy statewide.
School evaluation
Request a School Evaluation
Under IDEA, your school district must evaluate your child for free if you request it in writing. Here’s who to contact in Rutherford County:
Rutherford County Schools Special Ed
Serves all of Rutherford County including Murfreesboro.
Contacts verified May 2026 — call to confirm current numbers
Learn how to write your evaluation request →Provider directory
Local Providers17 providers in Rutherford 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.
Murfreesboro · multi-county
Middle Tennessee Autism Center — Murfreesboro
Nashville · multi-county
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center — TRIAD Autism Program
One of the nation's most respected autism programs. The Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center is a federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities and a national leader in autism research, evaluation, and educator training. The diagnostic team here is among the most skilled in the South.
Nationally recognized. TRIAD is a gold standard for autism assessment and educator training in the Southeast.
Nashville · multi-county
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center — TRIAD Autism Program
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center's TRIAD program in Nashville is the primary referral for Bedford County autism evaluations, approximately 50 miles north of Shelbyville via US-231. TRIAD is a nationally recognized program providing comprehensive multi-disciplinary autism assessments. Murfreesboro (Rutherford County, ~25 miles) also has accessible developmental services.
About 50 miles from Shelbyville. Murfreesboro (~25 miles) has community developmental providers with shorter waits.
Nashville · multi-county
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center — TRIAD Autism Program
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center's TRIAD program in Nashville is the primary referral for Cannon County autism evaluations, approximately 55 miles northwest of Woodbury. Murfreesboro (Rutherford County, ~20 miles) also has accessible developmental services and ABA providers.
Murfreesboro (~20 miles) has closer community developmental services for Cannon County families.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Murfreesboro · multi-county
Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Murfreesboro/Bedford
Hopebridge provides clinic-based ABA therapy in Murfreesboro (approximately 25 miles from Shelbyville) serving Bedford County families. Integrated ABA, speech, and OT services in a center-based model. TennCare and commercial insurance accepted.
Murfreesboro is the most accessible ABA clinic hub for Bedford County families.
Murfreesboro · multi-county
Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Murfreesboro/Cannon
Hopebridge provides clinic-based ABA therapy in Murfreesboro (~20 miles from Woodbury) serving Cannon County families. Integrated ABA and therapy services in a center-based model. TennCare and commercial insurance accepted.
Murfreesboro is the primary ABA clinic hub for Cannon County families.
Murfreesboro · multi-county
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center — ABA Outreach Murfreesboro
Speech therapy
Speech-language pathology, AAC, pragmatic language, and feeding.
Murfreesboro · multi-county
Step by Step Pediatric Therapy — Speech Murfreesboro
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Shelbyville · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Middle Tennessee Network
Autism Tennessee connects Bedford County families to the Middle Tennessee regional support network. Support groups, family events, and statewide advocacy. Murfreesboro and Nashville-area programming is accessible for most Shelbyville families.
Nashville · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Nashville
Tennessee's statewide autism organization with strong Nashville programming. Support groups, family events, resource navigation, and advocacy across Middle Tennessee.
Murfreesboro · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Rutherford County Support Group
Woodbury · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Upper Cumberland/Cannon Network
Autism Tennessee connects Cannon County families to the Middle Tennessee and Upper Cumberland support network. Virtual programming and Murfreesboro-area events are the primary community connections for families in Woodbury.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Shelbyville · multi-county
STEP — Support & Training for Exceptional Parents
Tennessee's federally funded PTI at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. Free IEP advocacy and special education rights training for Bedford County families statewide. Staff help navigate Bedford County Schools.
FREE. Statewide PTI. Call before any IEP dispute.
Woodbury · multi-county
STEP — Support & Training for Exceptional Parents
Tennessee's federally funded PTI. Free IEP advocacy for Cannon County families. Staff help navigate Cannon County Schools and understand Tennessee's special education rights. Phone and virtual support serve this small, rural county.
FREE. Statewide PTI.
Franklin · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — Middle TN
Tennessee's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy coaching, training workshops, and one-on-one guidance for Williamson County families navigating special education. Covers the full Middle Tennessee region.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Call before any IEP meeting, evaluation request, or dispute in Tennessee.
Nashville · multi-county
Tennessee Disability Coalition — Family Voices
Tennessee's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support for Tennessee families statewide. Knows Tennessee's special education rules and procedures.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Essential before any IEP meeting or dispute in Tennessee.
For providers
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Featured listings include your logo, extended description, a direct contact button, and top placement above standard listings. Families searching for help in Rutherford County see you first.
Missing a provider? Submit a listing — it’s free →
School districts & government services
Public programs and school district contacts for Rutherford County.
School & special education
Services & benefits
- TN DIDD — Rutherford County Regional Office
Contact DIDD's Murfreesboro/Rutherford regional office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Adult services
- TN DIDD — Rutherford County Regional Office
Contact DIDD's Murfreesboro/Rutherford regional office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Respite & support
- TN DIDD — Rutherford County Regional Office
Contact DIDD's Murfreesboro/Rutherford regional office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Helpful guides
Guides for Rutherford 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 Rutherford County
Serving families across Rutherford County including Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne, Eagleville, Rockvale, Walter Hill, Lascassas, Readyville, Christiana and Midland and more.
See all Tennessee resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Tennessee.
Tennessee state guide →Nearby counties in Tennessee
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 Rutherford 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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