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Between therapy appointments, IEP prep, school emails, and everything else that comes with raising or supporting a child with autism, the last thing you need is another hour falling down a Google rabbit hole looking for resources that may or may not be worth your time.
Below is a list of free tools and resources organized by who they are most useful for. Some are from this site. Others are from organizations that have been around for years. All of them are free.
Free Tools for Autism Parents and Families
These are some of the most useful free autism resources for families, available without a subscription or purchase.
Social Story Creator
Our free Social Story Creator lets you build custom printable social story cards right in your browser. You upload a photo, write a short caption, and repeat for each page. When you are done, you print and cut out the cards. No app download, no account, no cost. It works for any situation your child might find stressful or confusing, from doctor visits to starting a new school year.
IEP Cheat Sheet
If your child receives special education services, IEP meetings can feel like walking into a room where everyone is speaking a different language. FAPE, LRE, BIP, ESY. It adds up fast. Our free IEP Cheat Sheet puts the most important information on one printable page: key terms explained, your rights as a parent, questions to ask at the meeting, and the timelines the school is required to follow. Print it before your next meeting and bring it with you.
Support Organization Directory
Our Support Organization Directory lists autism and special needs organizations across the United States, organized by state and category. You can filter by government and benefits resources, parent and family support, advocacy and legal help, or respite and wellness services. It is a good starting point when you are not sure what kind of help is available in your area.
Autism Speaks
Autism Speaks offers a free resource guide and a 100 Day Kit for families who have recently received a diagnosis. Their website also includes a tool kit for school-age children and a directory of local resources. These are free to download and have been used by families for many years.
The CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early. Program
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers free developmental milestone materials including checklists, a free app, and printable resources for tracking early development. These are especially useful for families with younger children or those in the early stages of seeking an evaluation.
Autism Articles for Parents
If you are looking for autism parenting articles from established publications, we also maintain a curated reading list on our Articles Worth Reading page. It pulls from trusted sources and covers real family stories, special education topics, and autism research articles for parents. We update it regularly as good pieces come out.
Free Autism Resources for Special Education Teachers
Special education teachers often spend their own time and money pulling together materials for their students. If you have ever stood in a Staples at 9pm laminating things for tomorrow's class, this section is for you. The Social Story Creator and IEP Cheat Sheet from the section above work just as well in a classroom setting as they do at home.
The IRIS Center
The IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University offers free online modules for educators covering autism, behavior, reading, and more. The modules are research-based and designed for teachers and teacher candidates. They can be completed independently and are free to access.
OCALI
The Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI) provides free training resources, guides, and webinars for educators. Even if you are not in Ohio, their resources are available to anyone and cover practical strategies for supporting students with autism in the classroom.
Free Autism Resources for Speech Therapists
Speech therapists working with children on the autism spectrum often focus on social communication, core vocabulary, and functional language. These free autism resources for speech therapists support those goals.
Core Words Books
Our Core Words books are designed to support high-frequency vocabulary development, which is a common goal in AAC therapy and early language intervention. They are available on Amazon and are a useful companion for therapists working on functional communication.
ASHA's Autism Resources
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) maintains a collection of free clinical resources, practice guidelines, and evidence maps related to autism spectrum disorder. These are intended for licensed professionals and include information on assessment and treatment approaches across age groups.
PrAACtical AAC
PrAACtical AAC is a free blog and resource hub specifically for professionals and families working on augmentative and alternative communication. It covers core vocabulary, AAC implementation strategies, and evidence-based practices. The archive is extensive and free to browse.
A Note on Finding More
This list is not exhaustive. New tools and organizations emerge regularly, and what works best often depends on the child, the setting, and the specific goal. A few tips for finding reliable resources beyond this list:
- Check whether the resource cites research or is developed by credentialed professionals.
- Look for resources from universities, government agencies, or established nonprofit organizations.
- Ask your child's school team or therapist what they recommend. Many professionals have a short list of go-to resources they have already vetted.
- When in doubt, simpler is usually better. A tool that is easy to use consistently will do more good than a comprehensive one that never gets opened.
We will continue to add to this site over time. If there is a tool or type of resource you would like to see here, feel free to reach out.