Murfreesboro & surrounding areas · Tennessee
Our Special Village
It takes a village. Welcome to ours.
An autism-focused resource hub for families in Murfreesboro and surrounding areas — built around autism, open to every kind of difference and disability. Honest guides, a parent-built Resource Directory, a live calendar, and people who truly get it.
Three places to begin
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New here?
I’m new—help me begin
Your guide to the first 30 days of this parenting journey.
Start Here -
Find help
Resource Directory
Local therapists, evaluators, schools, advocates, and everyday services — filter by insurance, age, setting, and location. Listings are never paid.
Open the directory -
Right now
Urgent help
911, 988 (call or text), a missing-child plan, Tennessee’s crisis lines, and what to tell dispatch about an autistic child.
Open urgent help
Updated regularly
Happening soon
6:30–8:00 PM
OnlineAutistic adults 18+ · self- or clinically diagnosed
Peer connection online; registration is required.
Support group7:00–8:00 PMFree
Online — sign up to get the linkParents and caregivers · any diagnosis or none
Cameras are optional, you may come late or leave early, and meetings are not recorded.
Support group11:00 AM–12:30 PM Central
OnlineEarly intervention providers
No cost
An online professional-development session from Vanderbilt TRIAD.
Training
The heart of the village
Come sit with us on a Thursday — from your couch.
Parents and caregivers are welcome with any diagnosis or no diagnosis. The free group meets online Thursdays from 7:00–8:00 PM. Cameras are optional; come late, leave early, or simply listen. Meetings are not recorded.
Monthly deep dive
Village Hall
Once a month, a guest expert joins us online to teach one practical topic and answer parent questions live. Our first one, on Saturday, October 10, is free, and registration is open.
More from the village
Explore the village
Village Businesses
Businesses run by families of kids with autism and other special needs — a mobile sensory room, adaptive clothing, family-run laundry, hand-painted Bibles, and more. When the village shops, the village thrives.
Meet the businessesWall of Hope
A wall for real wins and hopeful stories from local families — first words, first friends, first jobs. The first stories are being gathered now, and yours could carry another family through a hard week.
Visit the hope wallPopular guides
Resource Directory
The big one: more than 200 verified listings and resources, with coverage details, ages, and Village Picks.
Browse providersEarly intervention through TEIS
Free birth-to-three services, how to self-refer without a doctor, and the option to stay with TEIS until kindergarten.
Read the guideIEPs and 504s: school support plans
The Tennessee timelines, your rights, a sample SAT meeting request, and the free advocates who’ll walk in with you.
Read the guideABA therapy: what it is, pros and cons
The most-recommended and most-debated therapy — both sides, fairly, plus the questions to ask any provider.
Read the guideKatie Beckett: help paying for care
TennCare based on your child’s needs — not your income. Part A vs. Part B, and exactly how the application flows.
Read the guideTennessee paid family caregiver (Brevy)
Brevy’s Tennessee guide to pathways that may pay family caregivers — open their article for current program details.
Read the guideTeens & Independent Living
The road to adulthood: transition IEPs, ECF CHOICES, ABLE accounts, and alternatives to conservatorship.
Read the guide- Browse every guide
Help keep the village going
Family support and clearly labeled sponsorship help maintain free guides, local listings, and community programs. Support never buys a listing or recommendation.
This space is for our first sponsors
Our Special Village is free and ad-free, and it stays that way because local businesses help carry it. We are looking for our first few founding sponsors.
Stay connected
NewsletterOne helpful email each month: the month ahead, deadline watch, what’s new in the library, and one hopeful story. Free, and no spam.
CalendarSensory-friendly events, support-group meetings, respite nights, and upcoming community programs around Middle Tennessee, updated regularly.
Online Support GroupA free, low-pressure hour with parents and caregivers who understand, online every Thursday from 7:00–8:00 PM. Cameras are optional and meetings are not recorded.
Village HallA monthly online conversation with a guest expert about one practical topic, followed by live Q&A. Registrants receive the presentation recording.