Guides written by parents, checked against the sources
Plain-English walkthroughs of the programs, therapies, and decisions Tennessee families run into most. No jargon, no fluff — what it is, whether it applies to you, and exactly where to call.
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The Decoder: acronyms in plain English
IEP, FAPE, MCO, EOB — the words are everywhere. Keep this standalone reference open whenever a new abbreviation lands in your lap.
Start Here: the first 30 days
Whether you suspect autism or just got a diagnosis, this is the on-ramp: one focus a week, a short checklist, and the exact calls to make — then it brings you back here for the guides that fit.
Start here
New, overwhelmed, or just handed a report? These are the first guides to open.
6 guides
Start Here: Your First 30 Days
Choose where you are starting, then focus on one small step at a time. The weeks are a guide, not a deadline.
Start the 30 daysWhat is autism?
The calm version for your first week: what it actually is, what it looks like at home, what it is not, and what happens now.
Read the guideGetting Evaluated
The two evaluation paths, who actually diagnoses autism, the realistic wait, what the appointment is like, and what to do if you disagree.
Read the guideThe evaluation found something other than autism — what now?
Routes for developmental delay, ADHD, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and speech or language disorders — most services key off your child’s needs, not the word autism.
Read the guideWhich Kind of Help Do We Need?
Start with the concern, not the therapy: what speech, OT, PT, counseling, play therapy, testing, psychiatry, behavioral support, and coaching each actually do, and what to ask before beginning.
Read the guideResource Directory
The big one: more than 200 verified listings and resources, with coverage details, ages, and Village Picks.
Browse providers
Autism
Autism-specific education, diagnosis, communication, school, therapy, safety, and family guides.
12 guides
When childproofing isn’t enough
A layered home-safety plan for children who open, climb over, copy, or dismantle ordinary safeguards.
Read the guideTEIS & Early Intervention
Free birth-to-three services, how to self-refer without a doctor, and the option to stay with TEIS until kindergarten.
Read the guideIEPs, 504s & How to Get One
The Tennessee timelines, your rights, a sample SAT meeting request, and the free advocates who'll walk in with you.
Read the guideAAC Devices & How to Get One
Evaluations, funding, free device trials, and the systems compared — the full path to a reliable way to communicate.
Read the guideWhat Is AAC?
Every way to communicate beyond speech, the myth that holds families back, and how to start today.
Read the primerABA: Pros & Cons
The most-recommended and most-debated therapy — both sides, fairly, plus the questions to ask any provider.
Read the guidePDA: When Every Demand Feels Like a Threat
Anxiety-driven demand avoidance — what it looks like, what helps, what backfires, and the honest state of the debate.
Read the guideGestalt Language Processing
Why scripts and movie lines are real communication — and the question to ask every speech therapist.
Read the guideChildhood Apraxia of Speech
How CAS differs from a speech delay, the signs, and why provider training matters so much.
Read the guideSensory Processing
All eight senses in plain language — and how to meet the need instead of fighting the behavior.
Read the guideMyofunctional Therapy
Tongues, lips, chewing, and breathing — the mouth-mechanics therapy families find last, explained first.
Read the guideRetained & Disordered Reflexes
What primitive reflexes are, the signs they stuck around, and when OT support is worth pursuing.
Read the guide
ADHD
ADHD affects much more than sitting still. Guides for parents wondering about ADHD, newly diagnosed children, adolescents, adults, and people with both ADHD and autism.
10 guides
ADHD: Start at the Hub
What brings you here? Wondering, newly diagnosed, school, home routines, emotions, medication, adults, ADHD and autism together, or which professional can help.
Open the ADHD hubADHD: Overview
What ADHD can look like beyond the stereotypes, the different presentations, and the first practical steps.
Read the guideADHD Evaluation
Who evaluates ADHD, what a good evaluation includes, and the sleep, anxiety, language, learning, sensory, and medical factors that get checked first.
Read the guideADHD at School
School evaluation, IEPs and Section 504, executive-function support in the classroom, and accommodations that actually help.
Read the guideHome Routines & Executive Function
Starting tasks, remembering steps, time, transitions, mornings and bedtimes — environmental supports that reduce the daily friction.
Read the guideMedication options
The major ADHD medication families, what they may help, common side effects, and what a careful trial looks like.
Read the guideTherapy, Coaching & Parent Support
Counseling, OT, speech-language support, parent training, and ADHD coaching — what each offers and the limits of coaching.
Read the guideEmotions, Anxiety & Self-Esteem
Rejection sensitivity, shame, anxiety, and mood — support that builds on strengths and interests instead of compliance.
Read the guideADHD in Adults
Adult evaluation, support, work and college accommodations, medication, and finding ADHD-informed clinicians.
Read the guideADHD and Autism Together
When both are present: overlap, what changes in evaluation and support, and why they are not mutually exclusive.
Read the guideParenting, therapy, and everyday life
Practical support for parenting, communication, regulation, sensory needs, daily routines, relationships, activities, and finding community.9 guides
Parenting Tips
Sensory, speech, and behavior strategies from the therapy world, translated for real kitchens and bedtimes.
Steal some strategiesParenting the child in front of you
When typical parenting advice does not fit your autistic child, learn how to change the path without giving up guidance, connection, or hope.
Read the guideWhen your nervous system is full
Understand co-regulation, notice your own overload sooner, and build a realistic plan for staying steady enough—or repairing when you cannot.
Read the guideAccessible Books: Bookshare, NLS & Learning Ally
Three accessible-reading libraries for people with print disabilities — what each offers, who qualifies, what it costs, and how to reuse eligibility verification instead of starting from zero three times.
Read the guideService Dogs
What autism service dogs actually do, the honest costs and waits at the organizations serving Tennessee, and how to decide.
Read the guideAfter School, Classes & Extracurriculars
Adaptive sports, dance, gymnastics, theater, music, and camps — ages printed on everything.
Find an activitySupport Groups in the Area
Who each group is for, when it meets, and what it costs — led by our own free Thursday online group.
Find your peopleSensory-Friendly Hours: The Master List
Our verified list of recurring sensory-friendly hours near Murfreesboro, one page, each entry showing when we last checked it.
See the listThe Events Calendar
What's happening this month — sensory-friendly events, meetups, workshops, and resource fairs, updated regularly.
See what's coming up
Choosing care and therapy
Before adding another appointment, understand what each profession does, where it comes from, and what to ask.
11 guides
Choosing the right therapist
What matters more than a long list of initials—and the questions that reveal a good fit.
Read the guideSpeech-language therapy
Communication, speech, language, literacy, AAC, feeding, and swallowing—in plain English.
Read the guideOccupational therapy
Daily life, play, sensory processing, fine-motor skills, routines, and independence.
Read the guidePhysical therapy
Movement, mobility, balance, strength, equipment, and participation in everyday life.
Read the guideFeeding therapy
Who helps with chewing, swallowing, food variety, nutrition, and calmer mealtimes.
Read the guideCounseling and play therapy
Mental-health support through talking, play, art, movement, parent coaching, and relationships.
Read the guideABA and behavior support
What ABA is, who may provide it, and how to ask whether the approach respects your child.
Read the guideAutism, ADHD, and learning evaluations
Who can diagnose what—and why a therapy evaluation is not always a medical or school diagnosis.
Read the guideWhich Kind of Help Do We Need?
Speech therapy is about much more than speech sounds; OT is about much more than fine motor skills. Compare every profession, the overlap, the questions, and the red flags.
Read the guideTherapy styles: play, structure, and compliance
Two therapists can have the same license and run completely different rooms. Learn what the common labels actually look like.
Read the guideABA: Pros & Cons
The most-recommended and most-debated therapy — both sides, fairly, plus the questions to ask any provider.
Read the guide
Complex bodies and adaptive equipment
Wheelchairs, seating, feeding supplies, lifts, accessible vehicles, home modifications, communication access, and complex-care coordination — for children, transition-age people, and adults.
12 guides
Complex Bodies: Start at the Hub
What are you trying to figure out? A wheelchair, positioning or bathing equipment, feeding-tube supplies, a vehicle, access technology, paying for it, outgrown or broken equipment, a more accessible home, or supporting an adult.
Open the hubComplex Bodies: Overview
Which professional to contact first, how to describe the functional problem, why fit matters, and the evaluation-to-repair pipeline.
Read the guideWheelchairs, Seating & Mobility
Manual and power wheelchairs, adaptive strollers, seating systems, standers, gait trainers, ATPs, trials, growth, skin, transport safety, repairs.
Read the guideEveryday Adaptive Equipment
Positioning, bathing, toileting, dressing, transfers, sleeping, eating, play, school, lifts, shower chairs, activity chairs, adaptive car seats, orthotics.
Read the guidePaying for DME & Medical Supplies
What DME means, who does what, prior authorization, letters of medical necessity, denials and appeals, TennCare and waivers, loans, charities.
Read the guideAccessible Vans & Transportation
Rear- vs side-entry, ramps and lifts, transfer seats, hand controls, securement, evaluations, new vs used, funding, paratransit, questions for a dealer.
Read the guideFeeding Tubes & Enteral Supplies
G-tubes and GJ-tubes at a general level, pumps, bags, syringes, formula, replacement schedules, supply companies, authorization, travel, school.
Read the guideRespiratory, Continence & Medical Supplies
Oxygen, suction, nebulizers, CPAP, pulse oximetry, continence and catheter supplies, reordering, delivery failures, backup plans.
Read the guideHome Accessibility & Transfers
Ramps, door widths, flooring, accessible bathrooms, roll-in showers, ceiling and portable lifts, rentals, home evaluations, funding.
Read the guideAAC & Access Technology
Speech-generating devices, switch access, eye gaze, keyguards, mounting, partner-assisted communication, environmental controls, access assessments.
Read the guideEquipment Repair & Replacement
Who to call, warranty, supplier repair departments, authorization, loaners, growth, unsafe or painful equipment, documenting problems.
Read the guideComplex Care Coordination
Primary care, specialists, therapy, nursing, suppliers, pharmacy, nutrition, school or adult programs, transportation, insurance, care plans, communication passports.
Read the guide
Funding, rights, and planning
Insurance, Tennessee programs, benefits, legal and advocacy guides, safety, future planning, and decision-making.
11 guides
How Families Pay for This
The overview: every funding path in Tennessee and what each actually covers — start here, then drill into the guides below.
See the whole landscapeTennCare & Medicaid
The income route, the disability route, and how to apply through TennCare Connect.
Read the guideKatie Beckett Program
TennCare based on your child's needs — not your income. Part A vs. Part B, and exactly how the application flows.
Read the guideUsing your Katie Beckett funds
Practical Tennessee Katie Beckett Part B ideas for therapy, respite, equipment, supplies, activities, and documentation.
Read the guideFamily Support Program
Up to $6,000 a year for respite, equipment, and home modifications — application window opens January 1.
Read the guideECF CHOICES
Employment and community-living supports through TennCare — capped enrollment, so apply early.
Read the guideABLE Accounts
Savings for disability expenses that don't risk SSI or Medicaid — finally, a safe place for birthday money.
Read the guideIEA (Individualized Education Account)
Tennessee's education savings account for students with qualifying IEPs — private school, curriculum, therapies, and more.
Read the guidePrivate Insurance, and What the Words Actually Mean
How therapy coverage works, every insurance word in plain English, a worked example, and what to do when a bill arrives. An EOB is not a bill.
Read the guidePlanning for Adulthood & for When You're Gone
Trusts, ABLE accounts, letters of intent, decision-making supports — the questions nobody else answers.
Read the guideWhen childproofing isn’t enough
A layered home-safety plan for children who open, climb over, copy, or dismantle ordinary safeguards.
Read the guide
Adults and transition
Autistic children grow into autistic adults. Some live independently; others need significant lifelong support. Both belong here.
13 guides
Adults & Transition: Start at the Hub
Autistic adults, families, and caregivers planning what comes next — choose what brings you here and the most relevant guides come first.
Open the Adults hubAdulthood and Transition: Overview
What may change in adulthood, what does not change, and which decisions deserve attention first.
Read the guidePreparing for Adulthood
School transition planning, records, decision-making, healthcare transition, service applications, transportation, the end of school-based services.
Read the guideBenefits and Funding
SSI and SSDI, TennCare, ECF CHOICES vs CHOICES vs MAPs vs Family Support, ABLE TN, and paying for ongoing care.
Read the guideAdult Healthcare, Therapy & AAC
Primary care, dentistry, gynecology, mental healthcare, speech therapy, AAC, OT, PT, feeding care, leaving pediatric providers.
Read the guideEmployment, Day Programs & Community Life
Competitive and supported employment, VR, volunteering, meaningful day programs, recreation, social opportunities.
Read the guideHousing and Daily Support
Living with family, supported living, residential services, in-home assistance, personal care, transportation, respite, evaluating providers.
Read the guideLegal and Financial Planning
Supported decision-making, powers of attorney, conservatorship when appropriate, special-needs trusts, ABLE, representative payees, letters of intent.
Read the guideFuture Planning and Aging Caregivers
Successor caregivers, emergency backup plans, documenting routines and communication, housing, finances, healthcare, preserving preferences.
Read the guideSafety, Relationships & Self-Advocacy
Consent, sexuality education, abuse prevention, online safety, wandering, first responders, crisis planning, communication rights.
Read the guideFind Adult Services
Adult day programs, employment, residential and in-home support, adult therapy and AAC, healthcare, transportation, respite, recreation, and planning professionals.
Open the adult directoryTeens & Independent Living
The road to adulthood: transition IEPs, ECF CHOICES, ABLE accounts, and alternatives to conservatorship.
Read the guideVocational Rehabilitation
Tennessee's free job training and employment help — including Pre-ETS for students as young as 14, plus Project SEARCH and beyond.
Read the guideStay connected
Newsletter
One helpful email each month: the month ahead, deadline watch, what’s new in the library, and one hopeful story. Free, and no spam.
Calendar
Sensory-friendly events, support-group meetings, respite nights, and upcoming community programs around Middle Tennessee, updated regularly.
Online Support Group
A free, low-pressure hour with parents and caregivers who understand, online every Thursday from 7:00–8:00 PM. Cameras are optional and meetings are not recorded.
Village Hall
A monthly online conversation with a guest expert about one practical topic, followed by live Q&A. Registrants receive the presentation recording.