Tompkins County, New York

Ithaca · multi-county

Cayuga Health System — Developmental Pediatrics

Cayuga Health System, the primary hospital for Tompkins County, provides developmental pediatric services and autism evaluation referrals for Ithaca-area families. Cornell University's presence in Ithaca contributes to a relatively strong local resource landscape. For comprehensive ADOS-2 evaluations, families are referred to Golisano Children's in Rochester (1 hour) or SUNY Upstate in Syracuse (1 hour).

Ithaca has a relatively strong resource base for rural NY due to Cornell University. Both Rochester and Syracuse are ~1 hour for full evaluation.

Owego · multi-county

UHS Tioga (Guthrie Health) — Developmental Referrals

Tioga County families access developmental pediatric services through the UHS / Guthrie Health network, with full autism evaluations referred to UHS Binghamton (30 min east) or Golisano Children's in Rochester (1.5 hours north). Owego, the county seat, is a short drive from Binghamton's stronger specialist network.

UHS Binghamton (30 min east) is the primary autism evaluation destination for Tioga County families.

Ithaca

Tompkins County Early Intervention Program

Tompkins County's Early Intervention program provides free evaluations and services for children birth to age 3 with developmental delays or autism signs. Coordinated through the county Health Department in Ithaca, EI service coordinators guide families through IFSP development and transition to CPSE at age 3.

FREE for eligible children. Tompkins County has a good EI provider network relative to its population size.

Owego · multi-county

Behavioral Intervention Associates — Tioga County

BCBA-supervised ABA therapy serving Tioga County with in-home and community-based services. Owego's proximity to Binghamton gives families access to the broader Southern Tier ABA network. Accepts commercial insurance under New York's ABA mandate and NY Medicaid.

NY ABA mandate applies. Binghamton providers (30 min east) are well-accessible for Tioga County families.

Ithaca · multi-county

Behavioral Intervention Associates — Tompkins County / Ithaca

BCBA-supervised ABA therapy serving Tompkins County with in-home and center-based options in the Ithaca area. Ithaca's university town environment supports a relatively robust therapy provider landscape for rural New York. Accepts commercial insurance under New York's ABA mandate and NY Medicaid.

NY ABA insurance mandate applies. Ithaca has better ABA access than many similarly-sized NY communities due to Cornell.

Ithaca · multi-county

Autism Society — Finger Lakes / Ithaca Chapter

The Finger Lakes Autism Society chapter serves Tompkins County and the Ithaca area with parent support groups, family programming, and community connections. Cornell University's community creates a thoughtful environment for autistic adults — the chapter connects families to both local and university-linked resources.

Ithaca · multi-county

OPWDD — Finger Lakes DDSO (Tompkins County)

Tompkins County families access OPWDD-funded autism and developmental disability services through the Finger Lakes Developmental Disabilities Services Office. Services include day habilitation, community habilitation, respite, and Medicaid waiver supports. Cornell University students and researchers have also developed community programs for autistic individuals in Ithaca.

Apply for OPWDD eligibility early. Ithaca has Cornell-connected community programs worth exploring.

Owego · multi-county

Parent Network of Western New York — Tioga County

Federally funded PTI providing free IEP coaching and IDEA rights support for Tioga County families. Phone and virtual consultations available for families in Owego, Newark Valley, and surrounding Tioga communities.

FREE federally funded PTI. Virtual access is available for all Tioga County families.