Some of the best resources for Ohio parents are at Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI). A free parent manual is downloadable chapter by chapter. As you will note when you visit the site, a free hard copy is available through a grant from the Autism Society of Ohio. Another page on the site is a Services Database by zip code. OCALI also has a lending library of autism books and video materials that can be mailed to parents and professionals with free outgoing and return postage.

Parents should contact their local County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. They need to request a service and support administrator (caseworker) who can assist them in obtaining services. They also need to inquire about Medicaid waivers and ask to be put on a waiting list for any services of potential interest that may not be immediately available.

If the child is under 3 years of age, parents should get in touch with the Ohio Department of Health Help Me Grow program. When the child is about 2 ½, it is time to get in touch with the local school district, which needs to develop an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and initiate services when the child is 3. Parents in Ohio can choose to have an IEP developed by the local school district but implemented by private providers paid through the Ohio Autism Scholarship program.

The Autism Society of America is another highly recommended resource. It provides a comprehensive Information and Referral service via a toll free number, 1-800-3 AUTISM, as well as an online referral database, AutismSource.

Autism Speaks provides similar services and has a publication called the 100 Day Kit that gives concrete, albeit perhaps a little overwhelming, steps to take after a child is diagnosed.
 

For more information:

Go to the Autism health topic.