Get Help, Start Here!

Name:
Phone:
Email:

For Parents

Having an autistic child will change everything about your life, from whether you get enough sleep at night to enduring everyday challenges like buttoning your child's shirt during a tantrum. The demands of raising a child with a developmental disorder are immense. If you feel your child may be in need of behavioral services, we strongly urge you to get help immediately by contacting us. Research has shown that early intervention services can make a profound difference in a child's future. The sooner your child receives services, the better the results will be over the long term.

How do I get started?

The first step is to get a clinical evaluation to determine your child's needs and what services would be most effective for treatment. Contact us directly and we'll guide you through the process of getting a clinical evaluation.

Where do I get funding for evaluations and behavior services?

The good news is you have options. Some options will lead to treatment initiating quickly while others will fund the services without any cost to you. Depending on your family's needs and financial situation, you can choose any (or a combination) of the following sources to pay for services.

Financial aid for autistic kids is available to residents of California through the Regional Center system through paid services. Regional centers are funded by the state and pay for early intervention services that help children with developmental disabilities. These centers provide clinical evaluations to determine eligibility and service needs. They also provide service coordination, advocacy, information, referral and an array of other services to eligible infants and toddlers and their families.

Are there Government grants for autistic children?

If you are searching for grants available for children with autism, there are some grants for autistic children that are legitimate resources. Many advertised grant opportunities, unfortunately, are not. A Google search will almost certainly lead you to sites and ads for grants for treating autism. Many of these organizations will require you to pay in advance for your "free grants" - an absurd idea, since they are supposed to be "free."If any site requires you to pay for application process to get access to grants for autistic children, do not give them money.

There are a few legitimate autism funding sites but do your research when pursuing them and read through the qualifications and where the money goes. For example, money from these grants never goes directly to families and it may only be used for autism treatments and related costs (not to, for example, the power bill). The National Autism Association has created a grant program specifically for families of children with autism who are in financial crisis. If you are a family residing in the United States with a child on the autism spectrum aged birth to 18, you might qualify for the grant. The maximum you may request is $1,500. Money from the grant may be applied only to biomedical treatments, supplements or therapies for your child with autism - and of course, the money is paid directly to vendors. Similar grants are offered to families by Act-Today for Autism, Autism Family Resources, and United Healthcare Children's Foundation.

Federal Autism Grants

The White House website prominently features Autism as part of the Disabilities agenda (it is the only disorder specifically cited). Featured in the agenda are increased funding for research, treatment, screenings, public awareness and support services for autism spectrum disorders. No details have been released on government grants autism or exactly how Obama will administer the funding. Obama pledges "life-long services" for people with autism spectrum disorder and the universal screening for all infants, as well as re-screening for all 2-year olds.

Road Map from diagnosis to treatment

Once you decide on your source of funding, we've included a couple of road maps of what steps are needed to get treatment started. These maps should give you a general idea of the timeframes and processes you can anticipate following to secure treatment for your child.