Autism Resources in Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the center of Rhode Island's autism services, and because the state is small, the Providence area serves much of it. The city is home to Bradley Hospital — founded in 1931 as the nation's first psychiatric hospital exclusively for children — and its Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, along with Hasbro Children's Hospital, both now part of the Brown University Health system. This guide walks through what's available to Providence families: diagnosis, therapy, schools, community and sensory-friendly activities, and how Rhode Island's funding programs work.