Local resources in Springfield
Ordered by review count, then name. Providers cannot pay to be listed, ranked, or edited.
12 resources in Springfield
1. Autism Support of Central Illinois
Autism Support of Central Illinois is the region's Autism Society of America chapter, offering education and support to Sangamon County families. It provides Blake Penner grants toward costs related to a child's additional needs, coordinates a parent support group through the Springfield Center for Independent Living, and runs community events and summer camp opportunities.
Ages Families of autistic children and adults
2. BPI — Springfield
ABA for early learners through school age in Springfield, with a telehealth option for families who need it.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
3. GBC Autism Services — Springfield
A Springfield-area ABA provider operating since 2014. Ages, address and funding were not published on the page found, so confirm directly.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
4. Lighthouse Autism Center — Springfield
Centre-based ABA plus a combined speech-and-ABA 'Fusion' programme in Springfield, useful if a child needs both services in one place. Address and phone were mainly listed on directory sites rather than the provider's own page, so confirm these when you call.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
5. Majestic Care ABA — Springfield
Names Springfield directly rather than as an edge of a Chicago catchment, and comes to the home.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
6. Modern Dental of Springfield
Modern Dental of Springfield provides paediatric dentistry from infancy through adulthood, including care for disabled children and adults. Staff are trained to give personalised attention to patients with additional needs, and sedation is available for children who cannot complete treatment without it.
Ages Infants through adulthood
7. Resilience ABA — Springfield
Home- and community-based ABA covering Central Illinois, based in Springfield. No centre location was found on the page.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
8. Sirisha Govindaiah, DDS — paediatric and additional-needs dentistry
Dr. Sirisha Govindaiah is a board-certified paediatric dentist in Springfield who treats patients with additional needs. For children who need more support than reassurance, the practice offers general anaesthesia at an ambulatory surgery centre or Children's Hospital, along with inhaled nitrous-oxide sedation and oral conscious sedation given as a liquid.
Ages Infants through adolescence
9. Springfield Park District — Special Recreation
Springfield Park District's Special Recreation programme offers inclusive and adaptive recreational activities for residents of all abilities. Separately, Special Olympics Illinois Area 17, based in Springfield, serves nearly 500 athletes across Sangamon and Menard counties through six events covering 13 sports.
Ages All ages
10. The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP)
Not a single clinic but the statewide coordinating office for a 20-centre Illinois network, running an on-site Autism Clinic offering both ABA and diagnostic evaluation plus free family and professional training. A good first call for an Illinois family unsure where to start.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
11. The Autism Program of Illinois (TAP) — Central Office
The Autism Program of Illinois runs its central office from Hope Pavilion in Springfield, coordinating a statewide network of five universities and nine organisations operating 20 centres. Its online TAP Referral Portal lets families request autism-related services and connects them with the nearest TAP provider, with the network built to respond to differing community needs across the state.
Ages Children, families and professionals statewide
12. The Autism Therapy Group — Springfield
The Autism Therapy Group's Springfield centre provides ABA therapy either in the family's home or at its clinic, with more than 90 percent of its therapists RBT-certified. Support continues beyond age seven rather than stopping at an early cut-off.
Ages Early intervention through school age and beyond
The short answer for Springfield
- Under 3: Illinois Early Intervention. Springfield's Child and Family Connections office (Sangamon County Public Health Department) is in the city — call 217-535-3102 (toll-free 888-217-3505). Any adult can refer a child, no diagnosis needed first.
- 3 and up: send a written evaluation request to Springfield School District 186's Student Support Services office. The district has 14 school days to decide whether to evaluate, then up to 60 school days to finish once you consent.
- The Autism Clinic at Hope and the Hope Diagnostic Center, both headquartered in Springfield, offer ABA therapy and autism diagnostic evaluation — call 217-525-8332 or 877-392-8847.
- Long-term disability supports run through Illinois' PUNS waitlist, not a Sangamon County office — enroll with an Independent Service Coordination agency by calling 1-888-DD-PLANS.
- Two different Illinois programs pay for ABA: the state's insurance mandate for qualifying private plans, and a distinct ABA benefit through Illinois Medicaid.
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
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)
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)
Paying for support in Springfield
A 2008 state law (215 ILCS 5/356z.14) forces most state-regulated Illinois health plans to cover autism diagnosis and treatment, ABA included, through age 21, while Illinois Medicaid separately covers ABA for children with a qualifying diagnosis whose family doesn't have that kind of private coverage.
Nothing here is a recommendation — we list what exists, note what a provider says about itself, and let parents tell you the rest.
Common questions from Springfield parents
Sources
- [1]Illinois Department of Early Childhood — Early Intervention Services. Open source
- [2]Child and Family Connections Listing of Illinois (rev. 3-2026). Open source
- [3]Springfield School District 186 — Student Support Services. Open source
- [4]The Autism Clinic at Hope. Open source
- [5]Hope Diagnostic Center. Open source
- [6]The Autism Program of Illinois. Open source
- [7]ISBE — Educational Rights and Responsibilities: Understanding Special Education in Illinois (Jan. 2026). Open source
- [8]IDHS — Illinois PUNS, Division of Developmental Disabilities. Open source
- [9]Equip for Equality. Open source
- [10]Illinois Autism Insurance Coalition — Medicaid ABA benefit. Open source
Last checked 2026-08-11. Programs and links change — confirm with the agency before relying on any detail. This page is information, not legal or medical advice.