Autism Resources in Richland County, North Dakota
14 providers in Wahpeton and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in Richland County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in Richland County
Diagnostic clinics
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Sanford Wahpeton — Pediatric & Behavioral Health
Wahpeton, ND · serves several counties
Sanford Health clinic in Wahpeton provides developmental screening and behavioral health referrals for Richland County. Families needing comprehensive autism evaluation are typically referred to Sanford Fargo.
Early Intervention (0–3)
1 providerFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
ND Early Intervention Program — Richland County
Wahpeton, ND · serves several counties
IDEA Part C early intervention for children under 3 in Richland County. Free evaluations and home-based services, with proximity to the Fargo metro offering better referral access than western ND.
FREE under IDEA Part C.
Advocacy & legal
1 providerLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Pathfinder Services of North Dakota — Southeast Outreach
Wahpeton, ND · serves several counties
Free IEP advocacy and parent training for Richland County through Pathfinder. Wahpeton families can access both Pathfinder and Minnesota PTI resources given the proximity to the MN border.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. MN border families: Minnesota has a separate PTI as well.
Also serving Richland County
These 23 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list Richland County in the area they cover. Worth calling to confirm how far they actually travel, and whether telehealth or in-home visits are an option.
Diagnostic clinics
2 providersFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Sanford Children's — Autism Spectrum Disorders
Fargo, ND · serves several counties
Comprehensive autism evaluations at Sanford Children's Hospital in Fargo, the dominant pediatric health system in the upper Great Plains. Multi-disciplinary team serving Cass County and families from across North Dakota and western Minnesota.
The dominant pediatric program for the upper Great Plains. Serves ND and western MN families.
Sanford Wahpeton — Pediatric Referrals for Sargent County
Forman, ND · serves several counties
Sanford Health in Wahpeton (Richland County) is the nearest clinic with pediatric referral capacity for Sargent County families. Sargent County is very rural southeast ND; comprehensive autism evaluations require travel to Wahpeton (~35 miles east) or Fargo (~75 miles north).
Very rural southeast ND. Wahpeton (~35 miles) and Fargo (~75 miles) are the realistic destinations for specialist care.
Early Intervention (0–3)
2 providersFree services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
ND Early Intervention Program — Ransom County
Lisbon, ND · serves several counties
North Dakota's IDEA Part C Early Intervention for Ransom County. Free evaluations and home-based services for children under 3 in Lisbon and surrounding southeast ND.
North Dakota Part C early intervention — statewide coordinator line. Statewide contact verified August 2026.
ND Early Intervention Program — Sargent County
Forman, ND · serves several counties
North Dakota's IDEA Part C Early Intervention Program for Sargent County. Free evaluations and home-based services for children under 3 in Forman and surrounding southeast ND communities.
FREE under IDEA Part C. No referral needed.
ABA therapy
2 providersApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Autism Learning Partners — Fargo (Ransom County)
Lisbon, ND · serves several counties
Ransom County families have better ABA access than most rural ND counties due to the I-29 corridor to Fargo. Autism Learning Partners and other Fargo ABA providers are ~75 miles north. ND Medicaid covers ABA.
Centria Autism — Telehealth ABA (Sargent County)
Forman, ND · serves several counties
Telehealth ABA therapy for Sargent County families. No local ABA providers; telehealth BCBAs are the primary option. Fargo center-based ABA is accessible via I-29 for some families. Accepts ND Medicaid.
ND Medicaid covers ABA. Fargo ABA providers are accessible via I-29 for Sargent County families.
Respite care
3 providersRespite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
SPED — caregiver payments and up to $1,142 a month of respite
Statewide, ND · serves several counties
North Dakota's Service Payments for Elderly and Disabled program is aimed specifically at people NOT eligible for Medicaid, which makes it unusual and valuable. A family caregiver who enrolls as a provider and lives with the person they care for can receive payments of up to $48 a day, and respite services worth up to $1,142 a month. In a rural state where paid carers are scarce, paying the family member who is already doing the work is often the only arrangement that functions.
Family Voices of North Dakota will talk you through it — in a state this rural a phone call to someone who knows beats any directory.
ARCH National Respite Locator
Searchable by state, ND
A free national directory of respite providers and programs, run by ARCH, the National Respite Network and Resource Center. ARCH says it is not a complete list, so it works best alongside…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
ARCH's advice is to contact your State Respite Coalition or Lifespan Respite program first. Before you pay out of pocket, also check what your state's Medicaid waiver funds.
Your state's Lifespan Respite program
39 states and DC have been funded, ND
Lifespan Respite programs are federally funded, state-run programs that help family caregivers of children or adults, regardless of special need, find and pay for respite.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
ARCH lists every state's Lifespan Respite contact and respite coalition on this page. Ask specifically about voucher or stipend programs — that is the part families most often miss.
Advocacy & legal
2 providersLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Pathfinder Services of North Dakota
Forman, ND · serves several counties
Free IEP advocacy and parent training for Sargent County families. Remote and phone advocacy primary for this rural southeastern ND county.
FREE. Federally funded PTI.
Pathfinder Services of North Dakota
Lisbon, ND · serves several counties
Free IEP advocacy for Ransom County families. I-29 access means Fargo Pathfinder events are accessible for families in Lisbon (~75 miles north).
Pathfinder Services of North Dakota — state Parent Training & Information Center. Statewide contact verified August 2026.
Activities, clubs & recreation
12 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
Family Voices of North Dakota - recreation and camps
Edgeley, ND · serves several counties
The state family-to-family organization keeps a recreation and camps listing and will tell you what runs in your area if you ring. In a state this rural, a phone call to someone who knows is worth more than any directory.
North Dakota Autism Center
Fargo, ND · serves several counties
Runs community activities alongside its services, including sensory-friendly pool parties with the YMCA that are FREE and open to everyone, with the sound system off to reduce noise. Small, free, sensory-aware community events are exactly what is missing in most rural states.
ACEing Autism
227 programs in 32 states, ND
Tennis clinics for kids, teens and, in some locations, adults on the autism spectrum.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Cost varies by location and scholarships are available. Use the Find a Program search on their site with your zip code.
American Camp Association — camp finder
About 3,900 camps, ND
A free searchable directory of about 3,900 camps, with a filter for disabilities and other special needs alongside distance, activities, session length and cost. A good single starting…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Choose day or overnight, then use the "Disabilities and Other Special Needs" filter. Specialized camps can fill early, so start looking in the winter before.
Best Buddies
All 50 states — find your local program, ND
One-to-one friendship matching between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, with programs from elementary school through college and adulthood, plus…
A national program 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 1-800-89-BUDDY, to locate your nearest program.
Easterseals — camps and recreation
Local Easterseals across the country, ND
Day and residential camps for children and adults with disabilities, plus sports, social activities and community outings run by local Easterseals.
A national program 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 locations — use the Find your Easterseals search on the page and check what yours actually runs.
See all 12 activities, clubs & recreation providersShow fewer
iCan Shine (iCan Bike)
Camps hosted in different towns each year, ND
Teaches people with disabilities to ride a conventional two-wheeled bicycle over a five-day camp, 75 minutes a day. iCan Shine says about 80% of participants ride independently by the end…
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Check their Camp Locations page for dates — camps run in different towns each year, so somewhere near you may host this year and not next.
KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now)
Six cities only: Chicago, DC–Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, St. Louis, ND
Free, non-competitive, one-to-one recreation for youth ages 5 to 21 with physical or developmental disabilities, led by trained volunteer coaches.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Free to families. KEEN runs in six cities plus two university campus chapters (Vanderbilt and the University of Virginia) — outside those, it is not available yet.
Little League Challenger Division
Through local Little Leagues — use the League Finder, ND
Little League's adaptive baseball program for anyone with a physical or intellectual challenge.
A national program 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. Little League's rule is that a player who can take part in regular Little League with reasonable accommodations should do so.
Miracle League
300 leagues — check for one near you, ND
Baseball for children and adults with physical or mental disabilities, played on custom-designed rubberized turf fields that accommodate wheelchairs and other assistive devices.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Use the Find a Miracle League page on their site — there are 300 leagues, so coverage is good but not universal.
Special Olympics
Nationwide — find your local program, ND
Year-round sports training and competition for children and adults.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Eligibility requires an intellectual disability, a cognitive delay measured by formal assessment, or significant learning or vocational problems due to cognitive delay, identified by an agency or professional. If your child is autistic without a cognitive delay, have a direct conversation about fit before signing up rather than after. Ask your local program about any costs.
TOPSoccer (US Youth Soccer)
Through local soccer clubs, ND
The Outreach Program for Soccer — recreational soccer for children and adults with intellectual, emotional or physical disabilities, offered through local US Youth Soccer clubs.
A national program with local chapters — we have not verified a chapter in this county. Use their finder to locate the nearest one.
Find your state association's TOPSoccer clubs through the link on their page, or ask your state association office directly — it is often not advertised on the club's own website.
Not sure which kind of therapy you need?
Start with our plain-language guide to ABA, speech and OT — what each one is, and questions to ask on the first call.
Read the guideFor providers
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About autism services in Richland County
Richland County (Wahpeton) sits on the Minnesota border in southeast North Dakota near the Fargo-Moorhead area. Breckenridge providers in Minnesota are accessible to many families. Wahpeton Public Schools provides special education. Pathfinder Services of ND provides free statewide advocacy.
Helpful guides
Guides for Richland 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.
See all North Dakota resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in North Dakota.
North Dakota state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Richland County, North Dakota?
We list 14 providers serving Richland County, covering ABA therapy, activities, clubs & recreation, early intervention (0–3), advocacy & legal and diagnostic clinics, plus 1 more. Some are based in the county and others serve it from nearby areas. Every listing is reviewed by a person before it is published.
Which autism providers in Richland County accept Medicaid?
1 of the providers we list for Richland County state that they accept Medicaid, including Centria Autism — Telehealth ABA (Sargent County). Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Richland County?
ABA providers serving Richland County are listed in the ABA therapy section of this page, with phone numbers and websites. Many deliver services in the family's home or at school as well as in a clinic. Ask about waitlists when you call — they vary widely and change month to month.
Are there telehealth autism services for Richland County families?
Yes — 1 provider serving Richland County offers telehealth or virtual sessions. This is often the fastest route to support for families in rural areas or on long local waitlists.
Can autism therapy happen at home in Richland County?
3 providers serving Richland County deliver services in the family's home. Many children do better in a familiar setting than in an unfamiliar clinic room, and in-home visits remove the travel burden.
Does Medicaid pay for autism services in North Dakota?
North Dakota families can apply to the Autism Spectrum Disorder Waiver (ages 0–20) and the traditional IID/DD Waiver, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is Minimal on the DD waiver; 52 waiting on the ASD waiver, and your place is usually set by the date you apply — so applying early matters even if you are unsure what services you need. Many waivers also disregard parental income, so families who don't qualify for regular Medicaid often still qualify here.
What if I can't find an autism provider in Richland County?
If none of the Richland County providers is the right fit, these North Dakota counties currently have the most listed providers: Stark County (22), Billings County (20), Burleigh County (19), Emmons County (18). Many providers travel or offer telehealth, so it is worth calling even if they are not based nearby. You can also tell us about a provider we are missing.
Nearby counties in North Dakota
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Richland County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Richland Countygets an afternoon back. It takes about a minute and you don’t need to know the business details — a name and a rough location is enough for us to check.
- Which dentist here has managed a cleaning without it becoming a fight?
- Who cuts your child's hair without a meltdown?
- Where do parents here actually talk to each other?
- Is there a group here where your child has made a friend?
We check everything before it goes up, and nobody pays to be listed. How we verify.
Get told when this page changes
New provider in Richland County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Richland County — no newsletter, no digest, nothing else. Some counties hear from us a few times a year and some stay quiet for months; we would rather send you nothing than send you filler.
We store your address and county, and nothing else. How we handle it.
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 Richland 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 Richland County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
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