Autism Resources in Honolulu County, Hawaii

Honolulu

Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children — Developmental Pediatrics

Autism and developmental evaluations at Kapiolani Medical Center, Hawaii's only freestanding children's hospital and the state's primary pediatric specialist center. Multi-disciplinary team serving Oahu and statewide through telehealth for neighbor island families.

Hawaii's only children's hospital. Telehealth for neighbor island families — essential given inter-island geography.

Kailua

ABA Steps LLC — Oahu

ABA therapy throughout Oahu delivered in home, school, clinic, or community. Begins with comprehensive behavioral assessment by a qualified behavior analyst.

Source: https://www.abastepsllc.com

Honolulu

Autism Learning Partners — Hawaii

In-home and center-based ABA therapy on Oahu. BCBA-supervised. Accepts most commercial insurance under Hawaii's ABA insurance mandate.

Hawaii requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy. ABA access on neighbor islands is very limited.

Honolulu · multi-county

Easterseals Hawaii

Autism diagnostic evaluations and ABA therapy services provided by RBTs under BCBA supervision. In-home, telehealth, and in-clinic across Hawaii.

Source: https://www.eastersealshawaii.org/autism-services/

Honolulu · multi-county

Hawaii Behavioral Health

ABA therapy for children with ASD on Oahu, Hawaii Island, Kauai, and Maui. Includes one-to-one learning and social skills groups across home, school, clinic, and community.

Source: https://hibh.org/services

Honolulu

Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Honolulu

Center-based ABA, occupational therapy, and speech therapy integrated under one roof. Accepts Hawaii QUEST Integration (Medicaid) and commercial insurance per Hawaii's ABA mandate.

Accepts Hawaii QUEST Integration (Medicaid) and commercial insurance. Multi-disciplinary team.

Mililani · multi-county

Malama Pono Autism Center

ABA therapy on Oahu with RBTs supervised by BCBAs plus on-site speech therapists, OTs, and psychologists for evaluation and treatment planning. Also serves Maui.

Source: https://www.malamaponoautism.com

Statewide · multi-county

Hawaii respite — and why Kupuna Caregivers may not apply

Be careful with Hawaii's best-publicised program: Kupuna Caregivers pays up to $350 a week toward care, but it is for employed people caring for a senior relative, not for parents of disabled children. For an autistic child or adult, respite comes through the I/DD waiver alongside adult day health, personal assistance and residential habilitation. Hawaii reports no waiting list for that waiver, so the constraint is establishing DDD eligibility rather than queueing.

Contact the DDD intake office on your island. Ask what respite is authorised under the waiver rather than searching for a separate respite program.

~3,000 providers nationwide

ARCH National Respite Locator

A free national database of respite providers searchable by state and locality — home care agencies, community-based organizations and state programs. The single best starting point for finding respite anywhere in the country, and it is the tool state agencies themselves point families toward.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Before you pay out of pocket, check what your state's Medicaid waiver funds — respite is covered by nearly every state waiver, and many families never think to ask.

Most states run one

Your state's Lifespan Respite Care Program

Lifespan Respite Care Programs are federally seeded, state-run programs that help families of any age and any disability find and pay for respite — often including vouchers or subsidies that do not depend on having a Medicaid waiver. Most states have one, they are chronically under-used, and they are rarely mentioned by anyone else in the system.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Search for "[your state] Lifespan Respite" or use the ARCH directory. Ask specifically about voucher or subsidy programs — that is the part families most often miss.

Honolulu

Autism Society Hawaii

Hawaii's statewide autism chapter. Support groups, resource navigation, and family events for Oahu and the neighbor islands.

Honolulu

SPIN — Special Parent Information Network

Hawaii's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support for Hawaii families statewide. Serves Oahu families directly and supports neighbor island families through telehealth and referral.

FREE. Federally funded PTI. Call before any IEP meeting or dispute in Hawaii.

Wailuku · multi-county

SPIN — Special Parent Information Network (Maui Families)

Hawaii's federally funded PTI serves all islands including Maui County. Free IEP advocacy, workshops, and one-on-one support. Maui families are served primarily by telehealth and phone, with occasional in-person events.

FREE. Call before any IEP meeting. Maui and neighbor island families served via telehealth.

Honolulu

UH University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

Hawaii's federally designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the University of Hawaii. Offers consultation, training, and connection to resources across the islands, with attention to Hawaii's unique cultural and geographic context.

Hawaii's UCEDD. Cultural competency and neighbor island reach are key strengths.

Maui · multi-county

Camp Imua

A FREE week-long camp at Camp Maluhia in the West Maui Mountains for school-age children with additional needs, running since 1976. Every camper is paired with TWO youth volunteer counsellors, which is a level of one-to-one support almost nothing else offers. Surfing, kayaking, hiking, horse riding and helicopter tours.

Free to families. Two volunteer counsellors per camper.

Honolulu · multi-county

Hawaii Autism Foundation

Funds and runs programs for autistic people and their families across Hawaii, with an explicit focus on transition support towards adulthood rather than childhood alone.

200+ locations nationwide

ACEing Autism

Weekly Saturday tennis clinics built specifically for autistic children aged 5 to 18, run by volunteers at more than 200 locations across the country, serving over 7,000 players. Sessions run in six-week blocks of an hour. This is the clearest example of the interest-based model working: the sport supplies the structure, the turn-taking and the reason to be there, so the social side happens sideways rather than being the task.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Cost varies by location — around $120 for a six-week session at some sites, with scholarships available. Use the map on their site to find your nearest program, schedule and local contact.

~4,000 camps nationwide

American Camp Association — camp finder

A free searchable directory of close to 4,000 summer camps that can be filtered for camps serving autistic campers, by distance, session length, activities and cost. The best single starting point for finding a day or overnight camp anywhere in the country.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Registration for specialized camps typically opens December–February and popular overnight camps fill within days. Start the funding conversation in autumn.

Nationwide — find your local chapter

Best Buddies

One-to-one friendship matching between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, plus employment, leadership and inclusive living programs. Over 4,000 chapters across all 50 states, serving school-age through adult. If what your family wants is a friend rather than an activity, this is the most direct answer in the country.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

A national organization, not a local listing — use the finder on their site, or call 1-800-89BUDDY, to locate your nearest chapter.

Local affiliates across most of the country

Easterseals — camps and recreation

Day and overnight camps run through local Easterseals affiliates, several of them autism-specific, with weekend respite and family camp sessions as well. Many affiliates operate sliding-scale fees, and several camps serve adults alongside children.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Programs vary a great deal between affiliates — check what your nearest one actually runs rather than assuming the national description applies.

Week-long camps hosted nationwide

iCan Shine (iCan Bike)

Teaches people with disabilities to ride a conventional two-wheeled bicycle, using adapted roller bikes over a week-long camp that gradually transfers balance to the rider. Learning to ride a bike is a milestone a lot of autistic children are quietly written off for, and this is the program that most reliably delivers it. Camps are hosted by local organizations across the country, so availability is by host town rather than by chapter.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Check their site for host locations and dates — camps run in different towns each year, so somewhere near you may host this year and not next.

Local chapters in a number of US cities

KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now)

Volunteer-led one-to-one recreation for children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities, at no cost to families or carers. The one-to-one model is the point: a volunteer is paired with your child for the session, which makes it workable for people who cannot manage a group setting unsupported.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Free to families. Runs through local chapters in a number of US cities rather than everywhere — check whether yours has one.

900+ divisions nationwide

Little League Challenger Division

Baseball for children and adults with a physical or intellectual disability, across more than 900 divisions. The main division serves ages 4–18, or up to 22 if still enrolled in school; the Senior League Challenger Division serves 15 and above with no upper age limit.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Use the league finder on their site to locate the nearest Challenger division, or ask about starting one.

200+ communities

Miracle League

Baseball on purpose-built accessible fields in more than 200 communities. Every player bats and every player scores, so ability differences do not decide the game.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Check their location list for the nearest field — coverage is good but not universal.

Every state — county-level programs

Special Olympics

Year-round sports training and competition at no cost to the athlete or their family, for children and adults alike. Programs run at county level in every state.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Eligibility centers on intellectual disability or a closely related developmental disability. If your child is autistic without an intellectual disability, have a direct conversation about fit before signing up rather than after.

Through local clubs and state associations

TOPSoccer (US Youth Soccer)

The Outreach Program for Soccer — recreational soccer for children and adults with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities, usually with buddy support on the pitch. Run through ordinary local soccer clubs rather than as a separate organization.

A national programme with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.

Ask your state youth soccer association which local clubs run TOPSoccer — it is often not advertised on the club's own website.