Autism Resources in Tennessee

A statewide guide to autism services across Tennessee — for families in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and communities across the state.

Tennessee has two nationally recognized academic anchors — the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center's TRIAD in Nashville, one of the country's leading autism research and clinical programs, and the UTHSC Center on Developmental Disabilities (historically the Boling Center) in Memphis. The state's Medicaid program, TennCare, covers ABA for children, and the Tennessee Early Intervention System (TEIS) provides free birth-to-three services. Tennessee also faces real gaps — provider shortages outside the major metros, a long-standing waiver structure that leaves many families relying on state-plan services, and rural distances to specialty care.

This page walks through how the pieces fit together and where the gaps are.

We've written this as a starting point. Tennessee readers who know specifics better than we do — tell us what we got wrong or missed.