The short version
- Your child's age and home county decide where to start. Under 3, you go to Early Intervention Colorado. From 3 to 5, you go to Child Find at your school district.
- Aurora sits in Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties. Developmental Pathways covers Arapahoe and Douglas. North Metro Community Services has covered Adams County, including its part of Aurora, since July 1, 2024.
- Early Intervention and school evaluations decide who qualifies for services. A medical autism diagnosis comes from a diagnostic clinic, such as JFK Partners and Children's Hospital Colorado on the Anschutz campus.
- You can start the public routes and the clinic route at the same time. Anyone can refer a child to Early Intervention, and Colorado does not require parent consent for a Child Find referral.
An autism evaluation in Aurora starts with two facts: how old your child is and which county your home is in. Those two answers decide which public program takes your referral. A clinical diagnosis is a separate track that you can start at the same time.
The pediatric guideline is a good reason not to wait. The CDC reports that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends autism-specific screening at the 18-month and 24-month well-child visits. If you have concerns before that, or after, you do not need to wait for a visit.
Which route fits my child?
| Your child | Where to go | What it decides |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3, home in Arapahoe or Douglas County | Developmental Pathways, Early Intervention | Eligibility for Early Intervention services |
| Under 3, home in Adams County (including Aurora’s Adams County neighborhoods) | North Metro Community Services, Early Intervention | Eligibility for Early Intervention services |
| 3 to 5, not yet in kindergarten | Child Find at Aurora Public Schools or Cherry Creek | Whether a preschool IEP is needed |
| Any age, medical diagnosis | JFK Partners or Developmental Pediatrics at Anschutz, or your pediatrician | A clinical autism diagnosis |
Aurora crosses county lines. The City of Aurora says it sits in Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas counties. Early Intervention regions follow county lines, so check which county your address is in first.
How does Early Intervention work for a child under 3?
Anyone can refer a child to Early Intervention Colorado, including you. The state’s referral line is 833-733-3734.
North Metro Community Services lists three ways a child can qualify. The child has a significant delay in cognitive, physical, communication, social-emotional or adaptive development. Or the child has a diagnosis on the state’s Established Conditions Database. Or the child lives with a parent who has an intellectual or developmental disability. Per the North Metro page, the program is voluntary and delivers services through a parent education model, where families work alongside the therapist.
Federal rules set a clock. The 45-day timeline runs from the day the program receives your referral to the finished evaluation, assessments and first Individualized Family Service Plan meeting. It pauses if the family is unavailable for documented reasons, or if a parent has not given consent despite repeated attempts to reach them.
If your child is found eligible, ask the team directly whether their evaluation can support an autism diagnosis or whether you also need a clinical one. Early Intervention decides eligibility for its own services. Those are different questions.
Who handles Early Intervention in Adams County versus Arapahoe and Douglas?
The state split the contracts by region. Developmental Pathways serves Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties. Its Early Intervention page takes referrals online, by phone, by email at eireferrals@dpcolo.org, or by fax.
Adams County changed hands. According to Developmental Pathways, its program stopped serving the Adams County part of Aurora on July 1, 2024. North Metro Community Services won the Adams County region and now does the evaluations, service coordination and direct services there. Referrals for those families go through the Colorado Early Intervention Care Navigation team. North Metro also has an online referral form in English and Spanish.
What is Child Find for children 3 to 5?
At age 3, responsibility moves from Early Intervention to the school district. The Colorado Department of Education says referrals can come from any source, parent consent is not required to refer, and parents must stay involved throughout the evaluation. Child Find is provided at no cost.
Aurora Public Schools. The APS Child Find page describes a free service for preschool-aged children not yet enrolled in school. Children 3 to 5 use the Child Find Referral/Intake form. APS then contacts you to schedule a play-based screening, and your family and the team decide together whether a fuller evaluation is needed. The Child Find office is at 303-326-3631, and the page lists a text line at 303-653-1689.
Cherry Creek School District. Cherry Creek’s Child Find page says the process feels like a play session to your child. If the team suspects a delay that could affect learning at preschool, it offers a formal special education evaluation. If the evaluation shows your child needs support, the team writes an IEP, and a preschool classroom spot is free for children with IEPs. The main line is 720-554-4001.
Use the district that serves your address. If you are unsure which one that is, ask either office.
Once you consent to an evaluation, the federal rule gives the school 60 days to complete it. You can request an evaluation yourself in writing. Keep a copy.
Does a school evaluation give my child a diagnosis?
Not necessarily. The state describes the school process as deciding whether a child has an educational disability that requires special education and related services. That decides IEP eligibility. It is not the same as a clinical diagnosis.
If you disagree with a school evaluation, you can ask for an independent evaluation at public expense. The school must either pay for it or ask for a hearing to show its own evaluation was appropriate. It must also consider a private evaluation you share, if the evaluation meets the school’s criteria.
How do I get a diagnostic evaluation at Anschutz?
Two programs on the Anschutz Medical Campus work together on this. JFK Partners says its referral questions are mostly diagnostic, with a focus on autism. It offers team evaluations and single-discipline assessments in psychology or speech and language. Its diagnostic assessments run through Developmental Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado, and advanced trainees deliver many services under faculty supervision.
Children’s Hospital Colorado says its Developmental Pediatrics program evaluates autism spectrum disorders from infancy through adolescence. Both pages list 720-777-6630.
Neither page names a referral form, accepted insurance or a wait time. Ask all three when you call, and ask whether they keep a cancellation list.
What can I do while I wait?
- Start every route that applies. Early Intervention or Child Find does not depend on a clinic appointment, and a clinic appointment does not depend on either.
- Write down what you see, with dates: words, play, routines, meltdowns, sleep, food. Short notes help every evaluator.
- Ask for copies of every report. You will need them for school, insurance and Medicaid.
- Read what comes next in our guide to the first 90 days after an autism diagnosis. If you are thinking about therapy before a diagnosis, see ABA without a diagnosis in Aurora.
An Aurora ABA clinic can run a comprehensive assessment alongside these steps, and our early intervention ABA program is built for young children. We accept all major insurance, including Medicaid, with no waitlist, and families start within two weeks of approval. Contact us with questions.
Sources
- City of Aurora, About Aurora
- CDC, Clinical Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Early Intervention Colorado, Referral Line
- Developmental Pathways, Early Intervention contract for Arapahoe, Douglas and Elbert counties
- Developmental Pathways, Early Intervention (referral and eligibility)
- Developmental Pathways, Early Intervention transition for the Adams County part of Aurora
- North Metro Community Services, Early Intervention
- 34 CFR 303.310, 45-day timeline for evaluation and initial IFSP
- Aurora Public Schools, Child Find
- Cherry Creek Schools, Child Find
- Colorado Department of Education, Child Find for children ages 3 through 5
- 34 CFR 300.301, Initial evaluations
- 34 CFR 300.502, Independent educational evaluation
- JFK Partners, Assessment and treatment services
- Children's Hospital Colorado, Developmental Pediatrics