Regional Centers
The regional centers are the first stop for most parents and caretakers looking to get help for their loved ones with autism. They are privately run organizations that manage funds set aside for disability services under California’s Lanterman Act.
Bay Area
Outside of the Bay Area
There are 21 regional centers in California.
We have listed the seven in or near the Bay Area.
For more regional centers, visit the full list at the DDS website.
Dispute Resolution for Regional Center Clients
Disability Rights California
Provides free legal information, advice and representation to regional center clients.
Navigating the service systems related to autism can be a confusing and overwhelming process. This presentation explains what the main service systems are and how to access them, including: insurance, school districts, and regional centers. Come learn about services in the community as well as what Children’s Health Council and Stanford provide.
General Resources
Parents Helping Parents
Parents Helping Parents supports parents and families of children with many forms of disability with trainings, seminars, resources, a library,…
Stanford Autism Center
Provides behavioral consultation, treatment, and counseling for children with autism and other developmental disorders. Stanford also offers half-day conferences educating…
Early Support Program for Autism (ESPA)
A joint program between Stanford Children’s Health and Children’s Health Council to provide supportive services at no cost to families…
UCSF STAR Center for ASD & NDDs
Offers state-of-the-art, evidence-based, comprehensive assessment, treatment, and support for people with ASD, developmental delays, learning disabilities, and intellectual disabilities. The…
Kaiser Permanente Autism Research Program
Kaiser’s Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Centers provide in-depth developmental screening and assessment and clinical consultation by a multidisciplinary team. There are…
UC Davis MIND Institute
Provides evidence-based assessments and treatments for both children and adults with neurodevelopmental conditions. The Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities…
Achieving Independence – Educational Videos from the Dale Law Firm
Offers an archive of free webinar videos to educate and support persons with disabilities, their families and the professionals supporting…
Autism Speaks
This national organization provides an Autism Response Team (ART). Its members are specially trained to connect families with information, resources,…
Autism Source
Autism Source, created by the Autism Society national organization, provides a comprehensive database of autism resources. The organization also provides…
211 Bay Area
211 Bay Area is a free and confidential service available 24/7 that can help you connect with service providers, health…
Please note this is a partial list of resources and does not purport to include all organizations serving people with autism. Inclusion of any organization does not imply endorsement, and omission does not imply disapproval. Organizations are listed at the discretion of Autism Society San Francisco Bay Area. The information is gathered primarily from public sources and is not guaranteed to be accurate. To suggest additions, please email [email protected].