FATHOM NORTHFranklin has something most suburbs don't: a landmark built, from the ground up, on the idea that every child belongs on the playground. That spirit is a good starting point for this page — a verified map of where Franklin parents can turn when autism enters the conversation.
Everything here was checked against an official source in July 2026. Neighbors in Oak Creek, Greendale, and Greenfield each have their own guide, because the districts and local programs genuinely differ.
Your school district: Franklin Public Schools (with one boundary quirk)
Most of Franklin is served by Franklin Public Schools — 8255 W. Forest Hill Avenue, main line (414) 529-8220. The district's Student Services page explains that it identifies and evaluates students with suspected special education needs from ages 3 to 21, and that parents, school staff, or community members can make a referral by contacting the Student Services office or the building principal of the child's school.
Published Student Services contacts, as of July 2026:
- Leo Eckman, Director of Student Services — (414) 525-7639, leo.eckman@franklin.k12.wi.us
- Jeannine Bombien, Student Services Coordinator — (414) 367-1556
- Chelsea Wegner, Administrative Assistant — (414) 525-7626
Now the quirk: the Oak Creek-Franklin Joint School District serves Oak Creek and a portion of the City of Franklin. If your Franklin address falls in that slice, your evaluation request goes to OCFSD instead — main line (414) 768-5880, with the process laid out on its special education page (and in our Oak Creek guide). Not sure which you're in? Either district office can confirm from your address.
Whichever district is yours, Wisconsin's rules are the same: put the referral in writing with your child's name and your concerns, the district cannot refuse it, and a 15-business-day review timeline starts when it arrives — no medical diagnosis required. The state's process is on the DPI referral page, and our printable school meeting checklist helps you prepare for the meetings that follow.
County services: Milwaukee County
Franklin is a Milwaukee County municipality, which means one phone number opens most doors for children's disability services. For the Children's Long-Term Support (CLTS) Waiver, a parent or guardian — the referral must come from you, not a provider — calls the Children's Resource and Referral Line, (414) 289-6799, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–3:30 p.m., for a telephone assessment followed by a meeting with an Options Counselor; the county's CLTS page notes families of children with an autism diagnosis share some extra information at that step. Already enrolled? Service issues go to the Children's Disability Information Line, (414) 289-5990.
For children under 3, the same number — (414) 289-6799 — reaches the Milwaukee County Birth to 3 Program, Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (English and Spanish). No diagnosis is needed; anyone can refer, and the county offers an online referral form and a free developmental screening you can do tonight.
Around town
Start with Kayla's Playground at Franklin Woods Nature Park, 3723 W. Puetz Road. The city describes it as an all-accessible, all-inclusive playground "for all children and families of any age and ability" — a fixture since October 2015, and a place where a child who finds typical playgrounds overwhelming can just be a kid. Details are on the city's page.
The Franklin Public Library (9151 W. Loomis Road, (414) 425-8214) runs a busy kids calendar — this summer it included a "Sensory Sprouts" sensory-kit pickup for ages 5 and under (July 16, 2026). No ongoing sensory storytime series is published, so watch the library's kids page for what's current. Beyond the playground, neither the city (Parks & Recreation, (414) 425-7500) nor the district's community recreation department publishes adaptive programming — the nearest verified options are Milwaukee County's Office for Persons with Disabilities recreation programs (Wil-O-Way programs, summer camps, free adaptive equipment loans) and Autism United of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa, (414) 988-1260.
Statewide help that reaches Franklin
- ForwardHealth (Wisconsin Medicaid) covers behavioral treatment for autism when medically necessary and prior authorized — Member Services: 800-362-3002.
- Katie Beckett Medicaid can qualify a child under 19 for a ForwardHealth card based on the child's needs, even when parents earn too much for other Medicaid — 888-786-3246.
- Wisconsin Wayfinder, the state's free children's resource network, helps families find supports — 877-947-2929.
- Autism United of Wisconsin offers programs, support groups, and information-and-referral phone support — (414) 988-1260.
- WI FACETS provides free IEP and special education help to Wisconsin parents — 414-374-4645 or toll-free 877-374-0511.
- In a mental health crisis, call or text 988; Milwaukee County's 24-hour line, (414) 257-7222, dispatches a mobile crisis team that serves all ages, children included.
Getting therapy near Franklin
Franklin sits within reach of every kind of pediatric therapy provider: dedicated ABA centers, hospital-system developmental clinics, and independent speech-language and occupational therapy practices. Which fits depends on your child — a center may suit a child who needs many hours and a coordinated team, a hospital clinic makes sense when diagnosis and therapy can happen in one system, and a private practice can be the simplest route for a single service like speech.
Whatever you choose, put your name on more than one list — openings move unpredictably, holding a spot costs nothing, and comparing providers side by side is the best protection against a bad fit. Interview each one the way you'd interview a caregiver: our 10 questions to ask any ABA clinic (also a printable PDF) tells you what good answers sound like. Still untangling which therapy does what? Start with ABA vs. speech vs. OT, then what a first ABA assessment looks like and our evaluation prep checklist.
Franklin questions we hear most
▾How do I find out if my Franklin address is in Franklin Public Schools or OCFSD?
▾Does my child need a diagnosis before requesting a school evaluation?
▾Is Kayla's Playground actually usable for a child with sensory differences?
▾My toddler isn't talking yet — who do I call first?
A note on accuracy: the contacts and programs on this page were verified against official sources in July 2026. Staff change and programs end — please confirm directly with each organization before making plans that depend on them.
That's the Franklin guide.
Franklin's local contacts are covered; the county directory carries the same starting numbers for all 72 counties — useful for grandparents, moves, or a friend one town over.