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City guide · North Dakota

Autism in Fargo

Local entry points for Fargo and Cass County families: North Dakota's Right Track referral line, Fargo and West Fargo Public Schools' Child Find contacts, and the state Developmental Disabilities office based right in the city — every fact sourced.

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Local resources in Fargo

Ordered by review count, then name. Providers cannot pay to be listed, ranked, or edited.

6 resources in Fargo

1. Anne Carlsen Center — Fargo

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Therapy & ABAFargo, North Dakota (4152 30th Ave S #102), serving families as far as Bismarck, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Jamestown and Williston

The Anne Carlsen Center consolidated its Fargo early intervention, behavioural health and autism, and pediatric therapy services into one building, with its service area reaching Bismarck, Dickinson, Grand Forks, Jamestown and Williston.

Ages Not stated in the sources we saw

2. Carl A. Trout, DDS, PC Pediatric Dentistry

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Dentists & doctorsFargo, North Dakota (2538 S University Dr #A)

Carl A. Trout, DDS, PC Pediatric Dentistry has offered dental care for children, teens and youth with additional needs since 2014, aiming to keep a calming environment throughout the practice.

Ages Not stated in the sources we saw

3. North Dakota Autism Center (NDAC)

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Therapy & ABAWest Fargo, North Dakota; also reaches Fargo, Moorhead, Cass County, Richland County, Grand Forks, Jamestown and Bismarck

North Dakota Autism Center delivers one-to-one ABA therapy through centre-based, home-based, school-based and telehealth models across Fargo, West Fargo, Moorhead and much of the region.

Ages Not stated in the sources we saw

4. Right Track — North Dakota Early Intervention

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Parent supportNorth Dakota (statewide, home-based consultations)

Right Track is North Dakota's free early intervention consultancy for children birth to three, meeting families in their own homes anywhere in the state.

Ages Birth to three

5. Sanford Health — Pediatric Developmental Evaluation Clinic

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DiagnosisFargo, North Dakota (Sanford Broadway Clinic, 736 Broadway N.)

Sanford Health's Coordinated Treatment Center in Fargo evaluates any child age 6 months and older for a full developmental assessment, using a five-specialist team plus social work and nursing support.

Ages Age 6 months and older, per the clinic

6. YMCA of the Northern Sky — Diverse Abilities Swim

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Sport & activitiesFargo-Moorhead area, North Dakota

YMCA of the Northern Sky's Swim Schools are a Level 2 Autism Friendly Partner, with instructors trained through the North Dakota Autism Center's Autism Friendly Community Training.

Ages Not stated in the sources we saw

The short answer for Fargo

  • Under 3: Right Track is North Dakota's free early intervention program, open to any family with a concern and requiring no diagnosis; reach the statewide Part C Coordinator at 1-800-755-8529 or ask the Cass County Human Service Zone to connect you.
  • 3 and up: Fargo Public Schools runs its own Child Find process, and its Early Childhood Special Education program serves ages three through kindergarten entrance; West Fargo Public Schools handles the same duty for West Fargo residents.
  • Longer-term disability services and North Dakota's autism Medicaid waiver go through the Southeast Behavioral Health Clinic in Fargo, the DD Division's regional office for a six-county area.
  • North Dakota's Medicaid Autism Spectrum Disorder Birth through Age 17 Waiver covers Applied Behavior Analysis for enrolled children with a confirmed diagnosis, a recommendation from a primary care provider, and a current EPSDT screening.

Fargo families reach North Dakota's Part C program, Right Track, by calling the statewide coordinator or the Cass County Human Service Zone, while school-age evaluations run through Fargo Public Schools' Child Find duty or, for West Fargo residents, the district next door.

Longer-term disability supports and North Dakota's Medicaid autism waiver route through the Southeast Behavioral Health Clinic, the DD Division's regional office headquartered in Fargo itself — this page lists the phone numbers and web addresses behind each of those doors.

Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the North Dakota page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Fargo (Cass County).

Early intervention under 3: Right Track — North Dakota Part C Early Intervention

Right Track screens and serves North Dakota children from birth to age three at no cost, with no income test and no diagnosis required to start. A Fargo-area family can call the statewide Part C Coordinator directly or go through the Cass County Human Service Zone, which routes the referral to a Right Track consultant for a home visit, a developmental screening, and — when a delay shows up — a plan built around the family's own routines.

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

School districts and special education

North Dakota school districts and special education units carry a Child Find duty to identify and evaluate children with a suspected disability from age three through twenty-one, at no cost to families. Fargo operates as its own special education unit rather than a multi-district cooperative, so a written request to the district's Student Support Services office starts the process.

  • Fargo Public Schools — Student Support Services 701-446-1012; Early Childhood Special Education serves ages three through kindergarten entrance
  • West Fargo Public Schools — West Fargo runs its own special education unit separate from Fargo's, covering the West Fargo city limits

IEP or 504 · If you disagree with the school

Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Fargo

We have not yet verified a hospital or university evaluation program with public intake information in Fargo. That is a gap in our research, not a sign there is nothing here — and it does not stand between you and an evaluation. The school district evaluation above is free, and early intervention under 3 does not need a private diagnosis first.

How assessment works · What to do while you wait

Disability services and waivers: North Dakota DD Division — Southeast Behavioral Health Clinic (Fargo regional office)

North Dakota organizes developmental-disability services by region, and Cass County's office is the Southeast Behavioral Health Clinic, formerly the Southeast Human Service Center, on 9th Avenue SW in Fargo. Calling starts an eligibility determination with a Developmental Disabilities Program Manager, who coordinates case planning and access to funded services, including North Dakota's Medicaid Autism Spectrum Disorder Birth through Age 17 Waiver, which the state expanded from its original age-seven cutoff effective November 1, 2023.

Local organizations that help Fargo families

  • North Dakota Autism Center — ABA therapy, early intervention, and school support provider headquartered in West Fargo, serving Fargo, Cass County, and Grand Forks
  • Family Voices of North Dakota — statewide family-to-family network with an early intervention and special-education-law resource hub
  • Pathfinder Family Center — North Dakota's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, serving families statewide by phone

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.

  • After you sign consent for evaluation, Fargo Public Schools must complete the assessment and Integrated Written Assessment meeting within 60 calendar days. (source)
  • The Right Track program must complete your child's initial evaluation, assessment, and IFSP meeting no more than 45 days after you make your referral. (source)
  • North Dakota's autism waiver currently has a waiting list of 141 individuals eligible for services. (source)

Paying for support in Fargo

North Dakota's insurance department told state-regulated health plans to cover autism treatment with limits no tighter than other medical and surgical care, a bulletin issued July 10, 2018 with compliance required by January 1, 2019 — self-funded employer plans are typically exempt. Families on Medicaid can reach Applied Behavior Analysis through the state's Autism Spectrum Disorder Birth through Age 17 Waiver, in effect since November 1, 2023, once a diagnosis, an EPSDT screening, and a physician's recommendation are on file.

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 Fargo parents

Sources

  1. [1]North Dakota HHS — Early Intervention (Right Track). Open source
  2. [2]North Dakota HHS — Developmental Disabilities Regional Offices. Open source
  3. [3]North Dakota HHS — Southeast Behavioral Health Clinic (Fargo). Open source
  4. [4]North Dakota HHS — Cass County Human Service Zone. Open source
  5. [5]Fargo Public Schools — Special Education. Open source
  6. [6]West Fargo Public Schools — Special Education. Open source
  7. [7]North Dakota HHS — Autism ABA Service Policy and Procedures. Open source
  8. [8]North Dakota Autism Center. Open source
  9. [9]Family Voices of North Dakota. Open source
  10. [10]Pathfinder Family Center — Parent Training and Information. Open source

Researched 2026-08-14 from published sources. Programs and links change — confirm with the agency before relying on any detail. This page is information, not legal or medical advice.