County resource guide
Autism Resources in Howard County, Maryland
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Howard County. Maryland statewide resources also apply.
Howard County (Columbia, Ellicott City) is Maryland's most affluent county and has excellent access to both Kennedy Krieger in Baltimore and Children's National in DC. Howard County Public School System is highly regarded for its special education programs. Parent's Place of Maryland provides free IEP advocacy statewide. Maryland requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy, and the provider density here is strong.
Provider directory
Local Providers18 providers in Howard County
About our listings
Provider listings on Autism Parent Club are submitted by practices or researched from public sources. All listings are reviewed for accuracy before publication. To suggest a correction, use the “Suggest a correction” link below.
Diagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Kennedy Krieger Institute — Autism Programs
Baltimore · serves multiple counties
One of the world's foremost centers for autism research and clinical care, headquartered in Baltimore. The Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) at Kennedy Krieger offers comprehensive diagnostic evaluations, behavioral treatment, and specialized programs for complex presentations. An Autism Treatment Network (ATN) site and federally designated Center of Excellence. Families travel from across Maryland and the mid-Atlantic region for care here.
Kennedy Krieger Institute — Community Services (Towson Region)
Towson · serves multiple counties
Kennedy Krieger Institute, headquartered in Baltimore City, serves Baltimore County families through its community-based evaluation and outpatient programs. The Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) is approximately 15 minutes from Towson. Internationally recognized for diagnostic precision and behavioral treatment research — an essential resource for Baltimore County families.
Columbia · multi-county
Howard County General Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics
Howard County General Hospital (Johns Hopkins Medicine) in Columbia offers developmental pediatrics services with autism evaluation pathways. Part of the Johns Hopkins system, with referral pathways to Johns Hopkins Children's Center and Kennedy Krieger for complex cases. Howard County's location between Baltimore and DC gives families access to multiple premier autism centers.
Johns Hopkins Medicine affiliation provides strong referral pathway to Hopkins Children's Center for complex evaluations.
Annapolis · multi-county
University of Maryland Medical Center — Developmental Pediatrics
University of Maryland Medical Center's developmental pediatrics program, accessible from Anne Arundel County via the Baltimore–Annapolis corridor, offers comprehensive autism evaluations. The UMMC Children's program is academically rigorous and coordinates with Kennedy Krieger for complex cases. Annapolis families have roughly equal access to Baltimore-based centers and DC-area providers.
Anne Arundel families have good access to both Baltimore and DC-area evaluation centers.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Baltimore · multi-county
Easterseals Greater Washington-Baltimore
Comprehensive early intervention, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and ABA services for children with autism and developmental disabilities across the Baltimore metro and DC suburbs. Serves families from infancy through school age with community-based and center-based options.
Columbia
Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program — Howard County
Free IDEA Part C early intervention for Howard County children birth to age 3. Service coordination, developmental therapy, speech, OT, and family support at no cost. Administered through Howard County Health Department. One of Maryland's most resourced ITP programs given the county's high per-capita investment in services.
FREE. Howard County ITP is among the best-funded in Maryland. Call immediately — do not wait for a diagnosis.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Maryland · multi-county
Autastic Therapy
ABA and Autism Waiver services across 13 Maryland counties including Montgomery, Howard, Baltimore, Prince George's, and more.
Source: https://autastictherapy.com
Annapolis · multi-county
Autism Learning Partners — Annapolis
Center-based ABA therapy in Annapolis serving Anne Arundel County families. BCBA-supervised with individualized programming. Accepts most commercial insurance under Maryland's ABA insurance mandate and Maryland Medicaid. Convenient location for families in the Annapolis metro.
Maryland's ABA insurance mandate requires commercial insurers to cover ABA therapy.
Laurel · multi-county
Autism Learning Partners — Laurel
Center-based ABA therapy in Laurel serving Prince George's County families. BCBA-supervised with individualized treatment planning. Accepts most commercial insurance under Maryland's ABA insurance mandate and Maryland Medicaid. Multilingual staff available — important in a diverse county.
Maryland's ABA insurance mandate covers most commercial plans. Ask about Spanish-speaking staff — significant Spanish-speaking population in PG County.
Rockville · multi-county
Behavior Frontiers — Maryland
In-home and center-based ABA therapy in Montgomery County and the DC suburbs. BCBA-supervised with naturalistic approach. Accepts most commercial insurance under Maryland's ABA insurance mandate.
Maryland requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Baltimore · multi-county
Hopebridge — Baltimore
Center-based ABA therapy in the Baltimore metro. BCBA-supervised with multidisciplinary approach integrating speech and OT. Accepts most commercial insurance and Maryland Medicaid.
Columbia · multi-county
May Institute — Columbia
May Institute is a nationally recognized autism treatment provider with programs in the Columbia area serving Howard County. BCBA-supervised ABA therapy with research-backed approaches. Accepts most commercial insurance under Maryland's ABA mandate and Maryland Medicaid.
May Institute is a nationally respected, research-affiliated ABA provider — strong option for complex cases.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Rockville · multi-county
Autism Society of Maryland
Maryland's statewide autism organization with active Montgomery County programming. Support groups, resource navigation, family events, and policy advocacy.
Annapolis · multi-county
Autism Society of Maryland — Anne Arundel County
The Autism Society of Maryland provides support group programming, family resource events, and advocacy connections for Anne Arundel County families. Annapolis's location between Baltimore and DC gives AUSM Anne Arundel access to a wide range of regional resources and events.
Columbia · multi-county
Autism Society of Maryland — Howard County
The Autism Society of Maryland serves Howard County families with active support group programming, family events, recreational opportunities, and advocacy connections. Columbia's planned community design and strong social infrastructure make the Howard County AUSM chapter particularly active.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Towson · multi-county
Parent's Place of Maryland
Maryland's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support for Maryland families. Knows Maryland's special education regulations, IEP timelines, and due process procedures.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Essential before any IEP meeting or dispute in Maryland.
Annapolis · multi-county
Parents' Place of Maryland (PPM) — Anne Arundel County
Maryland's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center supporting Anne Arundel County families with free IEP advocacy, special education rights training, and dispute resolution guidance. Provides phone consultations, workshops, and one-on-one support for families navigating Anne Arundel County Public Schools.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Call before any IEP meeting or dispute in Anne Arundel County.
Columbia · multi-county
Parents' Place of Maryland (PPM) — Howard County
Maryland's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center supporting Howard County families with free IEP advocacy, special education rights training, and dispute resolution guidance. Howard County Public Schools is large and well-resourced — PPM helps families navigate it effectively.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Essential before any IEP meeting or dispute in Howard County Public Schools.
Missing a provider? Submit a listing — it’s free →
School districts & government services
Public programs and school district contacts for Howard County.
School & special education
Services & benefits
- Maryland DDA — Howard County Regional Office
Contact DDA's Howard County office for Community Pathways Waiver intake.
Adult services
- Maryland DDA — Howard County Regional Office
Contact DDA's Howard County office for Community Pathways Waiver intake.
Respite & support
- Maryland DDA — Howard County Regional Office
Contact DDA's Howard County office for Community Pathways Waiver intake.
Helpful guides
Guides for Howard County families
Step-by-step help on the topics that matter most.
School & IEP
Navigating the IEP process
Your rights under IDEA, how evaluations work, and what every IEP section means.
Finding help
ABA, OT, speech and waitlists
How to find qualified providers, navigate insurance, and get off waitlists faster.
Getting started
Where to start after diagnosis
A week-by-week checklist for the first 90 days — from evaluation to early intervention.
Benefits & money
SSI, Medicaid waivers, ABLE accounts
Federal benefits your child may qualify for and how to apply without losing your spot.
Mental health
Co-occurring conditions and support
Managing anxiety, ADHD, and depression alongside an autism diagnosis.
Daily life
Sensory processing and OT
Understanding sensory needs, sensory diets, and how occupational therapy helps.
Adulthood
Employment, housing, legal planning
Supported employment, housing options, guardianship alternatives, and ABLE accounts.
Communities served
Cities in Howard County
Serving families across Howard County including Columbia, Ellicott City, Laurel, Elkridge, Jessup, Clarksville, Fulton, Cooksville, West Friendship and Glenelg and more.
See all Maryland resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Maryland.
Maryland state guide →Nearby counties in Maryland
See something that needs fixing?
Providers move, phone numbers change, and links break — it happens. If anything on this page is out of date, wrong, or no longer working, please tell us and we’ll fix it. Keeping this accurate for autism families is the whole reason we’re here.
Report a correction →Help the community
Know a great provider in Howard County?
If a therapist, clinic, or specialist helped your family, tell us about them and we’ll add them to the directory so other families can find them too.
Tell us about a provider →For providers
Are you a provider serving Howard County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
Add your practice →