Autism Resources in Dickenson County, Virginia
10 providers in Clintwood, Jonesville and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in Dickenson County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in Dickenson County
Diagnostic clinics
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Ballad Health — Telehealth Developmental Pediatrics (Dickenson)
Clintwood, VA · serves several counties
Ballad Health extends telehealth developmental pediatrics to Dickenson County — Virginia's most remote county by most measures. Norton Community Hospital (Wise County) is the nearest in-person care, with Kingsport TN as the regional hub for comprehensive autism evaluations.
Telehealth is essential for Dickenson County. Norton/Wise County is the nearest in-person option.
Early Intervention (0–3)
1 providerFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Virginia Part C Early Intervention — Dickenson County
Clintwood, VA
Virginia's Part C EI program serves Dickenson County children under 3. In this extremely rural setting, EI coordinators rely heavily on telehealth providers and home-based services to deliver early intervention without requiring long-distance travel.
Free under IDEA Part C. Telehealth providers widely used.
Mental health
1 providerTherapists and psychiatrists experienced with autistic children and adults.
LENOWISCO Community Services Board — Dickenson County
Jonesville, VA · serves several counties
LENOWISCO CSB provides mental health, developmental disability, and autism-related behavioral health services for Dickenson County. DD waiver coordination and crisis services are available, though travel to Wise or Norton may be required for some programs.
Advocacy & legal
1 providerLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
PEATC — Virginia Parent Training & Information Center (Dickenson)
Clintwood, VA · serves several counties
PTI Virginia provides free IEP advocacy and special education rights support for Dickenson County families. Given the extreme geographic isolation of this coal-country county, phone and virtual consultations are the primary service mode.
FREE. Virginia's federally funded PTI. Phone consultations available.
Also serving Dickenson County
These 18 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list Dickenson County in the area they cover. Worth calling to confirm how far they actually travel, and whether telehealth or in-home visits are an option.
Diagnostic clinics
2 providersFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Ballad Health — Telehealth Developmental Pediatrics (Buchanan)
Grundy, VA · serves several counties
Ballad Health (formerly Wellmont/Mountain States) serves the Tri-Cities TN/VA region and extends telehealth developmental pediatrics to Buchanan County families. Bristol Regional Medical Center is the nearest hub for autism evaluation referrals.
Telehealth essential — Grundy is over 2 hours from major academic medical centers.
Norton Community Hospital — Scott County Developmental Referral
Gate City, VA · serves several counties
Norton Community Hospital (Ballad Health) in Norton, VA serves as the primary regional hospital for Scott County. For comprehensive autism evaluations, families are typically referred to Johnson City Medical Center or East Tennessee Children's Hospital in the Tri-Cities TN area (~35–50 miles west), which are often closer and more accessible than Roanoke or Richmond.
Tri-Cities TN (Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol, ~35–50 mi west) often have shorter waitlists and are more accessible than Virginia's academic centers for far SW Virginia families.
Mental health
1 providerTherapists and psychiatrists experienced with autistic children and adults.
Mountain Empire Community Services Board (Norton City)
Big Stone Gap, VA · serves several counties
The regional CSB for Norton City and the Wise County area provides DD waiver coordination, autism behavioral health, and crisis services for far Southwest Virginia's coalfield region.
Respite care
2 providersRespite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
ARCH National Respite Locator
Searchable by state, VA
A free national directory of respite providers and programs, run by ARCH, the National Respite Network and Resource Center. ARCH says it is not a complete list, so it works best alongside…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
ARCH's advice is to contact your State Respite Coalition or Lifespan Respite program first. Before you pay out of pocket, also check what your state's Medicaid waiver funds.
Your state's Lifespan Respite program
39 states and DC have been funded, VA
Lifespan Respite programs are federally funded, state-run programs that help family caregivers of children or adults, regardless of special need, find and pay for respite.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
ARCH lists every state's Lifespan Respite contact and respite coalition on this page. Ask specifically about voucher or stipend programs — that is the part families most often miss.
Advocacy & legal
3 providersLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Mountain Empire Community College — Disability & Autism Resource Hub (Buchanan)
Grundy, VA · serves several counties
Mountain Empire Community College serves far SW Virginia and coordinates with regional agencies to connect Buchanan County families to autism resources. Telehealth is the primary access point for specialist care — Kingsport TN and Bristol VA are the nearest medical hubs.
PEATC — Virginia Parent Training & Information Center (Buchanan)
Grundy, VA · serves several counties
PTI Virginia (formerly PEATC) serves Buchanan County families with free IEP advocacy, parent training, and special education rights guidance. Staff understand the unique challenges of far southwest Virginia coal country school systems.
FREE. Virginia's federally funded PTI.
PEATC — Virginia Parent Training & Information Center (Norton City)
Alexandria, VA · serves several counties
Virginia's federally funded PTI provides free IEP advocacy for Norton City families navigating Norton City Schools in far Southwest Virginia.
PEATC — Virginia Parent Training & Information Center. Statewide contact verified August 2026.
Activities, clubs & recreation
10 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
ACEing Autism
227 programs in 32 states, VA
Tennis clinics for kids, teens and, in some locations, adults on the autism spectrum.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Cost varies by location and scholarships are available. Use the Find a Program search on their site with your zip code.
American Camp Association — camp finder
About 3,900 camps, VA
A free searchable directory of about 3,900 camps, with a filter for disabilities and other special needs alongside distance, activities, session length and cost. A good single starting…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Choose day or overnight, then use the "Disabilities and Other Special Needs" filter. Specialized camps can fill early, so start looking in the winter before.
Best Buddies
All 50 states — find your local program, VA
One-to-one friendship matching between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, with programs from elementary school through college and adulthood, plus…
A national program 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 1-800-89-BUDDY, to locate your nearest program.
Easterseals — camps and recreation
Local Easterseals across the country, VA
Day and residential camps for children and adults with disabilities, plus sports, social activities and community outings run by local Easterseals.
A national program 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 locations — use the Find your Easterseals search on the page and check what yours actually runs.
iCan Shine (iCan Bike)
Camps hosted in different towns each year, VA
Teaches people with disabilities to ride a conventional two-wheeled bicycle over a five-day camp, 75 minutes a day. iCan Shine says about 80% of participants ride independently by the end…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Check their Camp Locations page for dates — camps run in different towns each year, so somewhere near you may host this year and not next.
KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now)
Six cities only: Chicago, DC–Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, St. Louis, VA
Free, non-competitive, one-to-one recreation for youth ages 5 to 21 with physical or developmental disabilities, led by trained volunteer coaches.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Free to families. KEEN runs in six cities plus two university campus chapters (Vanderbilt and the University of Virginia) — outside those, it is not available yet.
See all 10 activities, clubs & recreation providersShow fewer
Little League Challenger Division
Through local Little Leagues — use the League Finder, VA
Little League's adaptive baseball program for anyone with a physical or intellectual challenge.
A national program 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. Little League's rule is that a player who can take part in regular Little League with reasonable accommodations should do so.
Miracle League
300 leagues — check for one near you, VA
Baseball for children and adults with physical or mental disabilities, played on custom-designed rubberized turf fields that accommodate wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Use the Find a Miracle League page on their site — there are 300 leagues, so coverage is good but not universal.
Special Olympics
Nationwide — find your local program, VA
Year-round sports training and competition for children and adults.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Eligibility requires an intellectual disability, a cognitive delay measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay, identified by an agency or professional. If your child is autistic without a cognitive delay, have a direct conversation about fit before signing up rather than after. Ask your local program about any costs.
TOPSoccer (US Youth Soccer)
Through local soccer clubs, VA
The Outreach Program for Soccer — recreational soccer for children and adults with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities, offered through local US Youth Soccer clubs.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Find your state association's TOPSoccer clubs through the link on their page, or ask your state association office directly — it is often not advertised on the club's own website.
Not sure which kind of therapy you need?
Start with our plain-language guide to ABA, speech and OT — what each one is, and questions to ask on the first call.
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About autism services in Dickenson County
Dickenson County — home to Clintwood — is in the coalfields of far southwestern Virginia. Provider availability is extremely limited in this remote Appalachian county; families must travel to Wise, Norton, or Kingsport, TN for most autism services. PEATC provides free statewide IEP advocacy, and Virginia's Infant and Toddler Connection provides EI for children under 3.
Helpful guides
Guides for Dickenson 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 Virginia resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Virginia.
Virginia state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Dickenson County, Virginia?
We list 10 providers serving Dickenson County, covering diagnostic clinics, mental health, advocacy & legal and early intervention (0–3). Some are based in the county and others serve it from nearby areas. Every listing is reviewed by a person before it is published.
Are there telehealth autism services for Dickenson County families?
Yes — 5 providers serving Dickenson County offer telehealth or virtual sessions. This is often the fastest route to support for families in rural areas or on long local waitlists.
Can autism therapy happen at home in Dickenson County?
1 provider serving Dickenson County delivers services in the family's home. Many children do better in a familiar setting than in an unfamiliar clinic room, and in-home visits remove the travel burden.
Does Medicaid pay for autism services in Virginia?
Virginia families can apply to the DD Waivers — Community Living, Family & Individual Supports, Building Independence, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is By urgency, not by date — Priority 1 is served within about a year, and your place is usually set by the date you apply — so applying early matters even if you are unsure what services you need. Many waivers also disregard parental income, so families who don't qualify for regular Medicaid often still qualify here.
What if I can't find an autism provider in Dickenson County?
If none of the Dickenson County providers is the right fit, these Virginia counties currently have the most listed providers: Fairfax County (35), Prince William County (27), Arlington County (26), York County (23). Many providers travel or offer telehealth, so it is worth calling even if they are not based nearby. You can also tell us about a provider we are missing.
Nearby counties in Virginia
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Dickenson County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Dickenson Countygets an afternoon back. It takes about a minute and you don’t need to know the business details — a name and a rough location is enough for us to check.
- Which dentist here has managed a cleaning without it becoming a fight?
- Who cuts your child's hair without a meltdown?
- Where do parents here actually talk to each other?
- Is there a group here where your child has made a friend?
We check everything before it goes up, and nobody pays to be listed. How we verify.
Get told when this page changes
New provider in Dickenson County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Dickenson County — no newsletter, no digest, nothing else. Some counties hear from us a few times a year and some stay quiet for months; we would rather send you nothing than send you filler.
We store your address and county, and nothing else. How we handle it.
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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Know a great provider in Dickenson 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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