Springfield is the state capital, and — fittingly — it's also home to the headquarters of The Autism Program of Illinois, a statewide network of evaluation and treatment sites, plus a dedicated autism clinic and diagnostic center that families elsewhere in Illinois travel to reach.

This page lists those Springfield-based resources alongside the statewide systems that work the same way everywhere in Illinois: Early Intervention referral, school Child Find, the PUNS disability waiver waitlist, and how ABA gets paid for.

Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the Illinois page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Springfield (Sangamon County).

Early intervention under 3: Illinois Early Intervention (Part C)

From birth to age 3, Illinois children are served through Early Intervention, a program the state handed to its brand-new Illinois Department of Early Childhood on July 1, 2026. Springfield's own Child and Family Connections office, run by the Sangamon County Public Health Department at 2833 S. Grand Ave. E., also covers Logan, Mason, and Menard counties. Doctors, relatives, and parents can all make the referral directly, without a diagnosis in hand, and the first evaluation doesn't cost the family anything.

• Illinois Early Intervention (Part C)
• Referral phone: 217-535-3102 (CFC 18, Sangamon County) · 1-800-843-6154 (statewide locator)

New to early intervention? Read the plain-language guide first.

School districts and special education

Every Illinois district must actively locate and evaluate, free of charge, any child from birth through 21 who may need special education. Public schools in Springfield are operated by a single district, District 186, which also coordinates services for children in private and parochial schools separately from its main K-12 process. Put your request in writing; the district then has 14 school days to decide whether to proceed and, once you consent in writing, up to 60 school days to finish the evaluation and hold an eligibility meeting.

• Springfield School District 186 — Student Support Services — covers most of the city; includes speech, occupational and physical therapy, school psychology, and social work
• Springfield School District 186 — Private & Parochial Resources — separate pathway for special education services to students enrolled in private or parochial schools within the district

IEP or 504 · If you disagree with the school

Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Springfield

These are hospital and university programs with public intake information. Listing here is informational — it is not a recommendation, and it is not medical advice. Public school evaluation is free and does not require any of these.

• The Autism Clinic at Hope — ABA therapy for children ages 2–8, plus autism diagnostic evaluation by a licensed clinical psychologist for individuals up to age 18; headquartered in Springfield with sites in several other states · 217-525-8332 (local) · 866-522-2467 (toll-free)
• Hope Diagnostic Center — autism screening and diagnostic evaluation using tools including the ADOS-2; a Springfield location plus several others around Illinois and the region · 877-392-8847 (877-DXAUTISM)

How assessment works · What to do while you wait

Disability services and waivers: IDHS Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)

Illinois funds long-term disability supports through Medicaid waivers, reached by joining PUNS, a statewide database, rather than through a Sangamon County office. An Independent Service Coordination agency determines eligibility and conducts the PUNS interview, and a child can be entered starting at age 2.5. Adults in the 'Seeking Services' category are, under the state's Ligas Consent Decree commitment, meant to be selected for waiver funding within five years of enrolling.

• IDHS Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD)
• Phone: 1-888-DD-PLANS (1-888-337-5267) · 1-866-376-8446 (TTY)

Local organizations that help Springfield families

• The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) — headquartered in Springfield; a statewide network of 20 centers offering screening, diagnostics, ABA, and family support through partner organizations; 217-953-0894 x30479
• Equip for Equality — Central Illinois office — protection and advocacy office at 1 West Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 500; 217-544-0464
• The Arc of Illinois — Family Support Network — statewide help with PUNS enrollment and waiver navigation; 708-331-7370

Documented waits and access notes

Wait times change. Each note below links to the public source it came from — confirm current status directly with the program.

• The Sangamon County Public Health Department's Child and Family Connections office must complete a Springfield toddler's evaluation and hold the first IFSP meeting within Illinois Early Intervention's 45-day window from referral. (source)
• State employees and others on self-funded plans in Springfield should know Illinois' $36,000 annual autism-coverage cap doesn't reach them, since the mandate only covers state-regulated insurance. (source)