Families often have many questions at once. What does the diagnosis mean? What should happen next? How does treatment work? What should I know about school, insurance, daily routines, safety, or the transition to adulthood?
The Family Resources pathway brings The Dailey Institute’s family-facing information together in one place. Start with the question that matters most today, then move through other resources as your child and family’s needs change.
You do not need to learn everything at once. Good information should make the next step clearer, not make the process feel more complicated.
Tools and information for everyday challenges.
Reliable, research-based information in one place.
Strategies that fit your family's needs.
Helping your child build skills, confidence, and independence.
You can enter through Family Resources when you want a family-focused pathway, or browse directly by topic when you already know what you need. Individual guides, checklists, FAQs, worksheets, templates, quick references, and downloads can provide additional support for specific questions.
The goal is simple: help families find credible information quickly, understand their options, and make informed decisions that fit their child and family.
Use the topics below to find resources, tools, and guidance designed specifically for families. Each topic connects you to in-depth information, practical strategies, and answers to common questions.
Receiving an autism diagnosis can bring relief, concern, uncertainty, validation, or many emotions at the same time. Our Newly Diagnosed resource explains what the diagnosis means, what families can do first, how to understand service options, how to build a support team, and how to prepare for appointments and next steps.
Learn about autism, development, communication, sensory differences, social development, emotional regulation, behavior, individual strengths, and common misconceptions. These resources are designed to help families understand the individual child rather than reduce autism to a checklist of deficits.
Families should understand what treatment is, why goals are being recommended, how progress is measured, and what quality care should look like. Our ABA & Treatment resources explain assessment, treatment planning, behavior and functional assessment, caregiver training, treatment hours, progress measurement, provider selection, collaboration, and transition from services.
School systems introduce a different set of processes, rights, teams, and terminology. Family resources explain special education, IEPs, Section 504, evaluations, parent rights, classroom supports, accommodations, school behavior, collaboration, transitions, bullying, and learning at home.
Insurance should not feel like a language families have to decode alone. Learn how referrals, diagnostic documentation, prior authorization, medical necessity, ABA authorization, Medicaid, commercial insurance, cost sharing, denials, appeals, reauthorization, provider changes, and waitlists can affect access to care.
Many of the questions families face happen outside appointments. Our Family Support resources address everyday routines, communication, regulation, safety, sleep, toileting, feeding, siblings, outings, travel, holidays, caregiver well-being, independence, and changes in routine.
Community participation can create opportunities for recreation, relationships, learning, independence, and belonging. These resources address inclusion, activities, safety, wandering, healthcare and dental visits, personal care, public places, transportation, social participation, emergency preparedness, first responders, and finding local programs.
Transition is a process, not a single event at graduation. Families can begin early by building practical skills, identifying strengths and preferences, understanding transition planning, exploring education and employment, learning about adult services and benefits, and considering decision-making supports.
Start with the needs in front of your family now. Learn what the diagnosis means, identify immediate health or safety concerns, understand available services, and begin building a support team. You do not need to make every long-term decision immediately.
Services should be based on an individualized assessment of the child’s strengths, needs, communication, health, development, family priorities, and functional goals. Ask providers what they recommend, why they recommend it, how progress will be measured, and how the plan will change when needs change.
Ask for the rationale and information supporting the recommendation. Families should be able to ask questions, discuss alternatives, and understand their rights. School and healthcare processes differ, so use the resource pathway that matches the setting.
Prioritize current guidance from qualified healthcare professionals, government agencies, established professional organizations, and well-supported clinical sources. Be cautious with claims that promise cures, guarantee outcomes, or recommend the same intervention for every child.
No. Prioritize safety, health, communication, meaningful participation, and goals that matter in daily life. Families and professionals can sequence goals rather than making the child and family work on everything simultaneously.
Progress should be connected to meaningful goals and measured over time. It may include stronger communication, greater independence, improved safety, participation in routines, new skills, reduced barriers, or needing less support for a task.
There is no single path that every autistic child or family should follow. Needs, strengths, priorities, communication, health, environments, and goals differ from person to person and change over time.
With the right resources, support, and opportunities, children with autism can learn, grow, and reach their full potential.
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