Northwest Autism Center: Building Community, Connection, and Lifelong Support

Northwest Autism Center (NAC) exists to build, facilitate, and coordinate comprehensive services for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities across their lives. Based in Spokane, NAC serves individuals, families, and communities throughout the Inland Northwest, reaching both rural and urban areas with a focus on inclusion, access, and community connection.

Rather than operating in silos, NAC’s work is grounded in community-based approaches that recognize people do not experience services in isolation. The organization works across education, healthcare, emergency services, and public policy to help ensure individuals with ASD and other developmental disabilities—and their families—can access effective supports and fully participate in community life. NAC’s vision centers on promoting the worth of every individual by expanding access to early diagnosis and treatment, best practices in education and healthcare, and the social supports needed for personal growth and belonging.

Across the lifespan, NAC provides a coordinated system of evidence-based supports, including community- and clinic-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, early intervention day-treatment programs, and specialized speech-language and occupational therapy. These services support communication, sensory regulation, daily living skills, and independence. When families encounter barriers—such as insurance denials—NAC advocates directly on their behalf and helps connect them to essential resources like transportation, housing, food, and interpretive services, recognizing that these supports are foundational to overall health and wellbeing.

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Beyond clinical services, NAC’s Skills and Recreation Program—launched with support from Dan Thompson funding—creates welcoming, low-barrier spaces for social connection, recreation, and life-skill development. Monthly activities such as game nights, crafts, sensory-focused events, and skill-building sessions offer opportunities to build confidence, friendships, and community outside of formal treatment.

One parent shared, “Before attending the program we really didn’t have any events or ways to socialize with peers. When we found the program he said, ‘this is what I have been waiting for all my life.’” Another reflected on the reliability of the program, saying it was meaningful “to have something scheduled on the calendar that is reliable,” especially in a landscape where opportunities are often limited.

NAC is expanding this work through partnerships with Eastern Washington University’s Wellness and Movement Sciences Department, creating hands-on learning opportunities for therapeutic recreation students while growing meaningful programming for youth and adults with ASD and other developmental disabilities. A recent six-week course for youth ages 10–14 introduced a new activity each week, helping participants explore interests, build friendships, and discover what kinds of activities resonate most.

Families consistently describe the impact of having spaces where their children feel accepted. One parent shared, “The kids feel welcome and accepted to be themselves. They mask all day at school, so it’s nice that there is a place where they don’t have to mask.” Another noted that while growth can be hard to see day to day, “it is nice to have a program like this—not only for the social aspect, but for the opportunity to grow.”

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In addition to direct services, NAC brings people together through community events such as its annual Steps for Autism walk and the Giving Tree holiday project, which provides personalized gifts to individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities living in residential settings across Spokane. These efforts reflect NAC’s belief that meeting community needs goes beyond treatment alone—it is also about connection, dignity, and belonging in everyday life.

Through advocacy, partnerships, and inclusive programming, Northwest Autism Center continues to build pathways to community participation and quality of life for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities across the Inland Northwest.

Learn more or connect with Northwest Autism Center:

• Call 509-328-1582 or email info@nwautism.org to connect with Northwest Autism Center. Services are available in downtown and north Spokane, including a dedicated Skills & Recreation Center. The Community Connections team can assist with referrals, education navigation, and community resources.
• Visit to learn about and enroll in programs, including free autism screenings (for Washington State residents up to age 21), Skills & Recreation programming, and clinical services such as ABA therapy, speech-language therapy, and occupational therapy.