Local resources in Grand Forks
Ordered by review count, then name. Providers cannot pay to be listed, ranked, or edited.
6 resources in Grand Forks
1. Altru Health System — Autism Spectrum Diagnostic Clinic
Altru's Autism Spectrum Diagnostic Clinic in Grand Forks offers a free evaluation for children ages 1 to 12 whose families or providers have concerns about autism or a related developmental disorder, with the child assessed by a team of therapists, a paediatrician, a paediatric neurologist and a paediatric health coach. The goal is early identification, though the evaluation may or may not lead to a diagnosis.
Ages Ages 1-12
2. Anne Carlsen Center — Grand Forks
The Grand Forks centre, in a strip mall near the Ralph Englestad Arena, provides autism services alongside day habilitation, early intervention, vocational support, in-home support and behavioural health care under one roof, and its ABA therapy is BHCOE-accredited.
Ages Not stated in the sources we saw
3. Dakota Pediatric Dentistry — Grand Forks
This Grand Forks practice, led by Dr. Tyler Johnson, Dr. Mikala Hoge and Dr. Chad Hoge, provides dental care for infants, adolescents, teenagers and patients with additional needs from its office on S. Columbia Road.
Ages Not stated in the sources we saw
4. Family Voices of North Dakota
Family Voices of North Dakota is a statewide, parent-led network whose staff are themselves parents of children with additional health needs; it matches families one-to-one with others who have similar experiences, offers emotional support and current disability information, and trains parents to become supporting parents themselves, all at no charge.
Ages Not stated in the sources we saw
5. Grand Forks Park District — Adaptive Programs
A park district that runs both a summer day programme and a route into adaptive sport, so a family gets holiday cover and activity from the same place.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
6. North Dakota Autism Center — Grand Forks
North Dakota Autism Center, a West Fargo-based nonprofit, lists Grand Forks among the communities it serves. Its community programmes include the Enrichment Center, a safeTY jacket initiative and a Sensory & Inclusive Community Partner scheme, alongside direct ABA therapy, early intervention, school support, social skills and emotional regulation support, and caregiver training.
Ages Not stated in the sources we saw
The short answer for Grand Forks
- Under 3: Right Track, North Dakota's free early intervention program, is available in Grand Forks County with no income test and no diagnosis required; start by calling the statewide Part C Coordinator or the Grand Forks County Human Service Zone.
- 3 and up: the Grand Forks Special Education Unit handles Child Find for children ages three through twenty-one within Grand Forks Public Schools' boundaries, reachable at 701-746-2230.
- Pathfinder Family Center, North Dakota's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center, helps families statewide understand IEP rights and prepare for meetings — a useful second call alongside the district.
- Longer-term disability services and the state autism Medicaid waiver route through the Northeast Behavioral Health Clinic on South 4th Street in Grand Forks.
Grand Forks sits inside North Dakota's Northeast region for both Right Track early intervention and Developmental Disabilities services, while school-age evaluations run through the Grand Forks Special Education Unit's own Child Find process.
Because Grand Forks Public Schools operates as a single-district special education unit rather than a multi-district cooperative, this guide pairs it with Pathfinder Family Center, North Dakota's statewide Parent Training and Information Center, as the second route into the system — plus the phone numbers and web addresses behind each door.
Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the North Dakota page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Grand Forks (Grand Forks County).
Early intervention under 3: Right Track — North Dakota Part C Early Intervention (Northeast region)
Right Track provides free developmental screening and early intervention for children under three anywhere in North Dakota, and in Grand Forks a referral can start with the statewide Part C Coordinator or by contacting the Grand Forks County Human Service Zone directly. No diagnosis or income documentation is required before a Right Track consultant visits the family's home to screen a child's development and, if needed, put services in place.
- Right Track — North Dakota Part C Early Intervention (Northeast region)
- Referral phone: 1-800-755-8529
New to early intervention? Read the plain-language guide first.
School districts and special education
Grand Forks Public Schools operates the Grand Forks Special Education Unit, which carries the Child Find duty for children ages three through twenty-one within district boundaries; because it is a single-district unit rather than a multi-district cooperative, this guide's second route is Pathfinder Family Center, the statewide Parent Training and Information Center that helps families in every North Dakota district, including Grand Forks, through the same evaluation and IEP process.
- Grand Forks Public Schools — Grand Forks Special Education Unit, 701-746-2230; serves ages three through twenty-one
Other places to ask — not a substitute for the district
An evaluation request has to go to the school district itself; only the district can start the legal timeline. These are for asking questions about the process, or for when the district has not responded.
- Pathfinder Family Center (statewide Parent Training and Information Center) — not a school district — North Dakota's federally funded PTI, helping Grand Forks families with IEP meetings and special-education rights since 1989
Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Grand Forks
We have not yet verified a hospital or university evaluation program with public intake information in Grand Forks. 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.
Disability services and waivers: North Dakota DD Division — Northeast Behavioral Health Clinic (Grand Forks regional office)
Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina, and Walsh counties are covered by the Northeast Behavioral Health Clinic, formerly the Northeast Human Service Center, on South 4th Street in Grand Forks. Contacting the clinic opens an eligibility determination with a Developmental Disabilities Program Manager, who then coordinates a service plan and access to funded supports, including North Dakota's Autism Spectrum Disorder Birth through Age 17 Medicaid Waiver.
- North Dakota DD Division — Northeast Behavioral Health Clinic (Grand Forks regional office)
- Phone: 701-795-3000 (toll-free 888-256-6742)
Local organizations that help Grand Forks families
- The Arc of North Dakota (Upper Valley chapter) — based in Grand Forks; advocacy and support for intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Upper Valley
- North Dakota Autism Center — ABA therapy and early intervention provider serving Grand Forks alongside Fargo and Bismarck
- Family Voices of North Dakota — statewide family-to-family network with a special-education-law resource hub
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.
- From the day Grand Forks Public Schools receives your written consent, the district has 60 calendar days to finish all evaluations and convene the Integrated Written Assessment team to rule on eligibility. (source)
- Right Track in Grand Forks County must deliver your initial evaluation and IFSP within 45 calendar days of your referral. (source)
- The North Dakota autism Medicaid waiver has a waitlist of 141 individuals waiting for enrollment. (source)
Paying for support in Grand Forks
North Dakota requires state-regulated insurance plans to cover autism spectrum disorder treatment without tighter limits than other medical care — the state's Department of Insurance set that requirement in a July 2018 bulletin, with plans expected to comply by the start of 2019, and self-funded employer coverage generally falls outside it. For families on Medicaid, ABA therapy is available under the state's Autism Spectrum Disorder Birth through Age 17 Waiver, which replaced an earlier version limited to children seven and younger when it took effect on November 1, 2023.
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 Grand Forks parents
Sources
- [1]North Dakota HHS — Early Intervention (Right Track). Open source
- [2]North Dakota HHS — Developmental Disabilities Regional Offices. Open source
- [3]North Dakota HHS — Grand Forks Human Service Zone. Open source
- [4]North Dakota HHS — Northeast Behavioral Health Clinic (Region 4). Open source
- [5]Grand Forks Public Schools — Special Education. Open source
- [6]Pathfinder Family Center — Parent Training and Information. Open source
- [7]North Dakota HHS — Autism ABA Service Policy and Procedures. Open source
- [8]The Arc of North Dakota — Upper Valley chapter. Open source
- [9]North Dakota Autism Center. Open source
- [10]Family Voices of North Dakota. 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.