County resource guide
Autism Resources in Shelby County, Tennessee
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Shelby County. Tennessee statewide resources also apply.
Shelby County (Memphis) is anchored by Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, the dominant pediatric center in the greater Memphis area, for autism evaluations. The Tennessee Disability Coalition provides free IEP advocacy statewide including Shelby County families. Memphis families seeking the highest level of diagnostic expertise often travel to Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in Nashville.
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 Shelby County:
Shelby County Schools Special Ed
Serves all of Shelby County including Memphis.
Contacts verified May 2026 — call to confirm current numbers
Learn how to write your evaluation request →Provider directory
Local Providers16 providers in Shelby 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.
Ripley · multi-county
Baptist Memorial Hospital — Lauderdale County Referral
Lauderdale County families in Ripley access developmental and autism evaluation referrals through Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis (~60 miles south) or through Jackson's Pathways of Tennessee. Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis is the primary pediatric evaluation hub.
Memphis (~60 miles south) is the regional hub for comprehensive evaluations.
Memphis
Le Bonheur Children's Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics
Comprehensive autism and developmental evaluations at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, the dominant pediatric center in the greater Memphis area. Connected to University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Memphis · multi-county
Le Bonheur Children's Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics
Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis is the primary academic medical referral for Haywood County (Brownsville) autism evaluations, approximately 50 miles west. Le Bonheur's developmental medicine team provides comprehensive autism assessments for West Tennessee agricultural communities.
About 50 miles from Brownsville. Le Bonheur is the standard academic medical referral for West Tennessee autism evaluations.
Somerville · multi-county
Le Bonheur Children's Hospital — Fayette County Referral
Fayette County families in Somerville are approximately 40 miles east of Memphis, making Le Bonheur Children's Hospital the primary autism evaluation destination. Le Bonheur's developmental pediatrics program is the premier pediatric center in the greater Memphis area.
Somerville is ~40 miles east of Le Bonheur in Memphis — the regional autism diagnostic hub.
Memphis · multi-county
Le Bonheur Children's Hospital — Neurology & Developmental Medicine
Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis is the primary academic medical center for Tipton County autism evaluations, approximately 30–40 minutes south of Covington. Le Bonheur's developmental medicine team provides comprehensive autism assessments for children across West Tennessee.
About 35 minutes from Covington. Le Bonheur's wait times can be long — ask about their referral network for earlier community evaluations.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Memphis · multi-county
BlueSprig Autism — Memphis Area
BlueSprig provides clinic-based ABA therapy for children with autism in the greater Memphis metro area, accessible to Tipton County families. Individualized ABA programming, naturalistic teaching, and parent training are core components.
Memphis-area clinic. Tipton County families typically commute. Ask about telehealth parent coaching options.
Memphis · multi-county
BlueSprig Autism — Memphis Area (Haywood County)
BlueSprig provides clinic-based ABA therapy in the greater Memphis area serving Haywood County families. Individualized BCBA-supervised programming with TennCare and commercial insurance accepted under Tennessee's ABA insurance mandate.
Memphis-area clinic locations serve Haywood County families. In-home ABA delivery in Brownsville may also be available.
Somerville · multi-county
Centria Autism — Fayette County
In-home ABA therapy serving Fayette County families in Somerville and surrounding rural West Tennessee communities. BCBA-supervised individualized programs accepting TennCare and commercial insurance.
Tennessee requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Memphis
Centria Autism — Memphis
In-home and center-based ABA therapy in Shelby County. BCBA-supervised. Accepts most commercial insurance and Tennessee Medicaid.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Memphis · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — Memphis
Memphis-area programming from Autism Tennessee, including support groups and resource navigation for Shelby County families.
Brownsville · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — West Tennessee Chapter
Autism Tennessee connects Haywood County families to the West Tennessee peer support network and statewide autism resources. Memphis-area programming and virtual events are the primary community connections for families in Brownsville.
Covington · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — West Tennessee Network
Autism Tennessee connects Tipton County families to West Tennessee peer support, family events, and statewide autism programming. The Memphis-area chapter provides the closest in-person programming for Tipton families.
Somerville · multi-county
Autism Tennessee — West Tennessee Network
Autism Tennessee connects Fayette County families to the West Tennessee autism parent network. Support groups in Memphis are the nearest resource; Autism Tennessee provides virtual programming for this rural county.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Somerville · multi-county
Support & Training for Exceptional Parents (STEP) — West TN
STEP's West Tennessee team serves Fayette County with free IEP advocacy and special education rights training. Critical resource for families in rural Fayette County navigating Fayette County Schools special education.
FREE. Tennessee's federally funded PTI.
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.
Nashville · multi-county
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center — STEP (Special Education Advocacy)
The Special Education Advocacy Program (STEP) at Vanderbilt Kennedy Center is Tennessee's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and direct family support statewide, including Tipton County.
FREE. Tennessee's PTI. Call before any IEP meeting, evaluation dispute, or due process question.
For providers
Be the first featured provider in Shelby County
Featured listings include your logo, extended description, a direct contact button, and top placement above standard listings. Families searching for help in Shelby County see you first.
Missing a provider? Submit a listing — it’s free →
School districts & government services
Public programs and school district contacts for Shelby County.
School & special education
Services & benefits
- TN DIDD — Shelby County Regional Office
Contact DIDD's Memphis/Shelby regional office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Adult services
- TN DIDD — Shelby County Regional Office
Contact DIDD's Memphis/Shelby regional office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Respite & support
- TN DIDD — Shelby County Regional Office
Contact DIDD's Memphis/Shelby regional office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Helpful guides
Guides for Shelby 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 Shelby County
Serving families across Shelby County including Memphis, Germantown, Bartlett, Collierville, Millington, Arlington, Lakeland, Munford, Brighton and Oakland 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.
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