County resource guide
Autism Resources in Pierce County, Washington
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Pierce County. Washington statewide resources also apply.
Pierce County (Tacoma, Lakewood, Puyallup) is the Seattle-Tacoma metro's second-largest county. Mary Bridge Children's Hospital (MultiCare Health System) provides evaluation services for Pierce County families. Washington PAVE provides free statewide IEP advocacy. Washington's DDA (Developmental Disabilities Administration) and ESIT early intervention program serve eligible residents.
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 Pierce County:
Tacoma Public Schools Special Ed
Serves Tacoma city limits within Pierce County.
ESD 121 (Puget Sound ESD)
ESD 121 also serves Pierce County districts.
Contacts verified May 2026 — call to confirm current numbers
Learn how to write your evaluation request →Provider directory
Local Providers8 providers in Pierce 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.
Tacoma
Mary Bridge Children's Hospital — Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics
Mary Bridge Children's Hospital (part of MultiCare) in Tacoma is the primary pediatric hospital for Pierce County and a major autism evaluation center for South Puget Sound. Offers comprehensive autism evaluations, developmental pediatrics, and an Autism Spectrum Disorder clinic. Accepts Apple Health and most commercial insurance.
High demand — ask about waitlist position and whether any community-based evaluation clinics have shorter waits.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Tacoma
Pierce County Early Intervention — Birth to Three
IDEA Part C Early Intervention for Pierce County children under 3. Free developmental evaluations and services — speech, OT, developmental therapy — in home, childcare, or community settings. No diagnosis required to request an evaluation.
FREE under federal law. Contact immediately if your child is under 3 and you have concerns — do not wait for a diagnosis.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Tacoma · multi-county
Autism Learning Partners — Tacoma
Center- and home-based ABA therapy serving Pierce County. BCBA-supervised programs for toddlers through teens. Accepts Apple Health (Washington Medicaid) and commercial insurance under Washington's ABA insurance mandate.
Washington requires all commercial insurance plans to cover ABA therapy.
Seattle · multi-county
Centria Autism — Seattle
In-home and center-based ABA therapy in the Seattle metro. BCBA-supervised. Accepts most commercial insurance and Apple Health (Washington Medicaid).
Washington requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Occupational therapy & sensory
Occupational therapy, sensory integration, and sensory diets.
Tacoma · multi-county
MultiCare — Pediatric Occupational Therapy (Tacoma)
MultiCare's pediatric OT clinics in Tacoma provide sensory integration, fine motor, and daily living skills therapy for autistic children. Multiple clinic locations throughout Pierce County. Accepts Apple Health and most commercial plans.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Seattle · multi-county
Autism Society of Washington
Statewide organization with active King County programs. Support groups, social events, resource navigation, and advocacy with the Washington state legislature.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Tacoma · multi-county
Washington PAVE
Washington State's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and navigation support for families across the state. Knows Washington's special education rules inside out.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. The most important call before any IEP dispute in Washington.
Tacoma
Washington PAVE — Pierce County
Washington PAVE is headquartered in Tacoma and is the state's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, dispute navigation, and special education training for all Pierce County families.
FREE. PAVE's home base is Tacoma — especially deep knowledge of Pierce County school districts.
For providers
Be the first featured provider in Pierce County
Featured listings include your logo, extended description, a direct contact button, and top placement above standard listings. Families searching for help in Pierce County see you first.
Missing a provider? Submit a listing — it’s free →
School districts & government services
Public programs and school district contacts for Pierce County.
School & special education
Services & benefits
Helpful guides
Guides for Pierce 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 Pierce County
Serving families across Pierce County including Tacoma, Lakewood, Federal Way, Puyallup, Bonney Lake, Sumner, Auburn, Fife, Milton and Edgewood and more.
See all Washington resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Washington.
Washington state guide →Nearby counties in Washington
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 Pierce 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.
Tell us about a provider →For providers
Are you a provider serving Pierce County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
Add your practice →