Autism Resources in Rutland County, Vermont

Rutland · multi-county

Rutland Regional Medical Center — Pediatric Developmental Services

Rutland Regional Medical Center provides developmental and behavioral pediatric assessments for children in central Vermont. RRMC is the primary regional hospital for Rutland County, offering developmental screening and referral services. Families needing full autism evaluations are typically referred to UVM Medical Center in Burlington.

Full autism evaluations typically require referral to UVM Medical Center in Burlington.

Burlington · multi-county

UVM Medical Center — Children's Hospital Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics

Vermont's only academic medical center offers autism and developmental evaluations through UVM Children's Hospital. The sole comprehensive evaluation program in the state — virtually all Vermont families requiring specialist evaluation come here. The wait can be long; Maine Parent Federation and Vermont Family Network can help families navigate while waiting.

Vermont's only comprehensive pediatric evaluation center. Plan for long waitlists.

Rutland · multi-county

Children's Integrated Services — Rutland District

Vermont's Part C Early Intervention program serving Rutland County. CIS provides free developmental services, family support, and service coordination for children under 3 who have developmental delays or disabilities, including autism spectrum concerns. Services are delivered in natural settings — home, childcare, and community.

FREE under IDEA Part C. Call as soon as you have concerns — do not wait for a diagnosis.

Rutland

RRMC Rehabilitation Services — Speech-Language Pathology

Speech-language pathology services at Rutland Regional Medical Center for children and adults with communication differences, including autism. Covers AAC evaluation, language delays, pragmatic language, and feeding difficulties.

Rutland

Rutland Pediatric Therapy — Occupational Therapy

Pediatric occupational therapy services in Rutland serving children with sensory processing differences, fine motor challenges, and autism. Provides sensory integration therapy and sensory diet development for children and families in central Vermont.

Statewide · multi-county

Flexible Family Funding — the family decides what it buys

Vermont gives eligible families money to spend on any legal good or activity they choose — respite, assistive technology, home modification, household needs or recreation — at the family's own discretion, on an income-based sliding scale. Family-directed funding of that breadth is rare, and it means respite does not have to be justified against a service definition. Children's services separately include respite alongside service coordination, community supports and in-home family supports.

Vermont's intake route changed in August 2025 — apply through PCG's Intake and Eligibility Team rather than your local Designated Agency.

~3,000 providers nationwide

ARCH National Respite Locator

A free national database of respite providers searchable by state and locality — home care agencies, community-based organizations and state programs. The single best starting point for finding respite anywhere in the country, and it is the tool state agencies themselves point families toward.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Before you pay out of pocket, check what your state's Medicaid waiver funds — respite is covered by nearly every state waiver, and many families never think to ask.

Most states run one

Your state's Lifespan Respite Care Program

Lifespan Respite Care Programs are federally seeded, state-run programs that help families of any age and any disability find and pay for respite — often including vouchers or subsidies that do not depend on having a Medicaid waiver. Most states have one, they are chronically under-used, and they are rarely mentioned by anyone else in the system.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Search for "[your state] Lifespan Respite" or use the ARCH directory. Ask specifically about voucher or subsidy programs — that is the part families most often miss.

Rutland · multi-county

Autism Society of Vermont — Rutland Area Chapter

Local support group for families of autistic children and adults in the Rutland area. Regular meetings, family events, and peer connections in a rural part of Vermont where community can be hard to find.

Burlington · multi-county

Vermont Family Network

Vermont's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support for Vermont families. Knows Vermont's special education system — an essential lifeline in a small state with limited provider capacity.

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Vermont's most important advocacy resource — call before any IEP meeting.

Williston · multi-county

Partners In Adventure

Groups disabled people from age seven through adulthood with non-disabled peers for a summer camp experience, with activities designed by special educators and physical therapists - horse riding, swimming, boating, zip line, archery, drumming and dance, cooking, arts and crafts, science and nature, life skills and music. Peer-paired and running past 18, which is a rare combination.

Vermont · multi-county

Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports

Year-round adaptive sport across Vermont for people of all ages, and explicitly regardless of ability to pay. Skiing, cycling, paddling, climbing and more, at sites around the state.

Serves people regardless of ability to pay - ask rather than assume the cost rules you out.

Williston · multi-county

Vermont Family Network - camps and recreation

The state family organization maintains a camps and recreation listing for families of disabled children - the most complete Vermont index, and free.

200+ locations nationwide

ACEing Autism

Weekly Saturday tennis clinics built specifically for autistic children aged 5 to 18, run by volunteers at more than 200 locations across the country, serving over 7,000 players. Sessions run in six-week blocks of an hour. This is the clearest example of the interest-based model working: the sport supplies the structure, the turn-taking and the reason to be there, so the social side happens sideways rather than being the task.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Cost varies by location — around $120 for a six-week session at some sites, with scholarships available. Use the map on their site to find your nearest program, schedule and local contact.

~4,000 camps nationwide

American Camp Association — camp finder

A free searchable directory of close to 4,000 summer camps that can be filtered for camps serving autistic campers, by distance, session length, activities and cost. The best single starting point for finding a day or overnight camp anywhere in the country.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Registration for specialized camps typically opens December–February and popular overnight camps fill within days. Start the funding conversation in autumn.

Nationwide — find your local chapter

Best Buddies

One-to-one friendship matching between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, plus employment, leadership and inclusive living programs. Over 4,000 chapters across all 50 states, serving school-age through adult. If what your family wants is a friend rather than an activity, this is the most direct answer in the country.

A national programme 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 1-800-89BUDDY, to locate your nearest chapter.

Local affiliates across most of the country

Easterseals — camps and recreation

Day and overnight camps run through local Easterseals affiliates, several of them autism-specific, with weekend respite and family camp sessions as well. Many affiliates operate sliding-scale fees, and several camps serve adults alongside children.

A national programme 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 affiliates — check what your nearest one actually runs rather than assuming the national description applies.

Week-long camps hosted nationwide

iCan Shine (iCan Bike)

Teaches people with disabilities to ride a conventional two-wheeled bicycle, using adapted roller bikes over a week-long camp that gradually transfers balance to the rider. Learning to ride a bike is a milestone a lot of autistic children are quietly written off for, and this is the program that most reliably delivers it. Camps are hosted by local organizations across the country, so availability is by host town rather than by chapter.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Check their site for host locations and dates — camps run in different towns each year, so somewhere near you may host this year and not next.

Local chapters in a number of US cities

KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now)

Volunteer-led one-to-one recreation for children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities, at no cost to families or carers. The one-to-one model is the point: a volunteer is paired with your child for the session, which makes it workable for people who cannot manage a group setting unsupported.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Free to families. Runs through local chapters in a number of US cities rather than everywhere — check whether yours has one.

900+ divisions nationwide

Little League Challenger Division

Baseball for children and adults with a physical or intellectual disability, across more than 900 divisions. The main division serves ages 4–18, or up to 22 if still enrolled in school; the Senior League Challenger Division serves 15 and above with no upper age limit.

A national programme 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.

200+ communities

Miracle League

Baseball on purpose-built accessible fields in more than 200 communities. Every player bats and every player scores, so ability differences do not decide the game.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Check their location list for the nearest field — coverage is good but not universal.

Every state — county-level programs

Special Olympics

Year-round sports training and competition at no cost to the athlete or their family, for children and adults alike. Programs run at county level in every state.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Eligibility centers on intellectual disability or a closely related developmental disability. If your child is autistic without an intellectual disability, have a direct conversation about fit before signing up rather than after.

Through local clubs and state associations

TOPSoccer (US Youth Soccer)

The Outreach Program for Soccer — recreational soccer for children and adults with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities, usually with buddy support on the pitch. Run through ordinary local soccer clubs rather than as a separate organization.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Ask your state youth soccer association which local clubs run TOPSoccer — it is often not advertised on the club's own website.