Phoenix, AZ: State's 1st primary care clinic for kids with ASD opens

Aug 30, 2026, WJZZ, Phoenix: Arizona's 1st primary care clinic designed for children with autism opens in Phoenix

Arizona’s first primary care clinic designed specifically for children and young adults with autism and developmental disabilities recently opened in Central Phoenix.

Arizona Autism Family Medicine opened its doors through a partnership between Valle De Sol Community Health and Arizona Autism Charter Schools earlier this month.

General clinics can be extremely difficult sensory ordeals for children and young adults with autism, says Robert Hess III.

"They're much more thoughtful about how patients are engaged and the types of interactions that they have. So low light, less sound, there’s more sound-proofing, and then there are tools and resources inside the clinic that are specifically designed to address sensory needs," said Hess.

Hess said that general clinics anywhere can apply accessibility techniques such as dedicated quiet hours later at night or private waiting rooms to service neurodivergent patients.