County resource guide
Autism Resources in Delaware County, Ohio
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Delaware County. Ohio statewide resources also apply.
Delaware County — home to Delaware, Powell, and Lewis Center — is one of Ohio's fastest-growing suburban counties, located north of Columbus. Families benefit from direct access to Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus for world-class autism evaluation. The Delaware County Board of DD coordinates waiver services. Help Me Grow is available for children under 3. OCECD provides free IEP advocacy statewide, and Ohio's ABA insurance mandate applies.
Immediate resources
Key contacts for Delaware County
Phone numbers you can call today — no referral needed for most.
Federally funded PTI center serving Ohio families.
Provider directory
Local Providers29 providers in Delaware County
About our listings
Provider listings on Autism Parent Club are submitted by practices or researched from public sources. All listings are reviewed by a person before publication, and no provider has paid to appear here. Read how we verify listings, or use the “Suggest a correction” link below to flag anything inaccurate.
0 providers in Delaware County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Diagnostic clinics
Formal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Mount Gilead · multi-county
Nationwide Children's Hospital — Central Ohio (Morrow County)
Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus is the primary autism evaluation resource for Morrow County families. Mount Gilead is approximately 50 miles north of Columbus, making in-person visits to Nationwide Children's a practical option. The hospital also offers telehealth for families who prefer it.
Columbus is ~50 miles south. In-person and telehealth available. Nationwide Children's is the go-to for complex cases in central Ohio.
Powell
Nationwide Children's Hospital — Delaware County Outpatient
Nationwide Children's Hospital provides outpatient developmental pediatric services in Delaware County, one of Ohio's fastest-growing counties. Families in Powell and Lewis Center have convenient access to the Nationwide Children's network of autism services without traveling to Columbus.
Delaware County's rapid growth has expanded Nationwide Children's outpatient presence in this area.
Marion · multi-county
Nationwide Children's Hospital — Telehealth (Marion County)
Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus offers telehealth developmental and autism evaluation services for Marion County families. Marion is approximately 45 minutes north of Columbus, making in-person visits to Nationwide Children's a practical option as well. OhioHealth Marion General Hospital provides the local healthcare foundation with referral pathways.
Columbus is ~45 minutes south — Nationwide Children's in-person visits are realistic for most Marion County families. Telehealth also widely available.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Delaware
Delaware County Help Me Grow — Early Intervention
Ohio's Help Me Grow early intervention for Delaware County children birth to age 3. Free developmental evaluations and therapy for children with delays. Administered through Delaware County Board of DD.
FREE under IDEA Part C. No diagnosis required — any child under 3 with developmental concerns qualifies for evaluation.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Columbus · multi-county
Collective Behavioral Therapy
BCBA-owned and operated in-home ABA therapy in Columbus serving Franklin, Delaware, Licking, Pickaway, Fairfield, and Richland counties.
Source: https://www.collectivebehavioraltherapy.com
Columbus · multi-county
Hopebridge — Columbus
Center-based ABA therapy at multiple Columbus metro locations. BCBA-supervised with multidisciplinary approach integrating speech and OT. Accepts most commercial insurance and Ohio Medicaid.
Ohio requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Marion · multi-county
Hopebridge — Columbus / Marion Region
Center-based ABA therapy accessible to Marion County families from Columbus-area Hopebridge locations. In-home ABA services may also be available in Marion. BCBA-supervised with Ohio Medicaid and most commercial insurance accepted. The Columbus metro proximity gives Marion families solid ABA access.
Columbus ABA centers are accessible for Marion County families. In-home options may be available locally.
Marysville · multi-county
Hopebridge — Columbus Metro (Union County Outreach)
Center-based ABA therapy from Columbus-area Hopebridge locations serving Union County families, with potential in-home coverage in Marysville. BCBA-supervised with Ohio Medicaid and most commercial insurance accepted. Union County's proximity to Columbus gives families access to the full Columbus ABA provider ecosystem.
Columbus ABA centers are highly accessible from Marysville (~35 miles). Multiple provider options available.
Powell · multi-county
Hopebridge — Powell/Delaware County
Center-based ABA therapy in the Powell area serving Delaware County's rapidly growing suburban communities. BCBA-supervised with multidisciplinary approach. Accepts most commercial insurance and Ohio Medicaid.
Respite care
Respite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
Statewide · multi-county
Respite through your County Board of Developmental Disabilities
Ohio runs respite locally: your County Board of DD certifies respite homes and handles enrollment, authorisation and service coordination. All three DODD waivers — Individual Options, Level One and SELF — include respite as a funded service, so if you hold any of them respite should be available to you. County boards also fund some family support respite outside the waivers, which is worth asking about separately.
Two separate questions to ask your county board: what respite your waiver funds, and what family support funds the board itself holds. They are different pots and families are usually told about only the first.
~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.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Marysville · multi-county
Autism Society of Ohio — Central Ohio / Union County
Autism Society of Ohio support for Union County families. Connects Marysville-area families with the Columbus chapter's programming and the OhioASD resource directory. Honda's international workforce has created a particularly diverse autism parent community in Union County.
Columbus · multi-county
Autism Society of Ohio — Columbus
Ohio's statewide autism organization with strong Columbus programming. Support groups, resource fairs, family events, and the OhioASD resource directory.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Delaware
Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities
Delaware County's DD Board provides service coordination, eligibility determination, and access to county and state-funded disability supports. One of Ohio's most rapidly growing counties, Delaware County DD has expanded services to meet rising demand.
Ohio county DD Boards are a unique state resource. Apply early as Delaware County's rapid growth creates demand for services.
Marion · multi-county
Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD)
Ohio's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support for Ohio families. Knows Ohio's specific special education rules and procedures.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Essential before any IEP meeting or dispute.
Marion · multi-county
Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD)
Ohio's federally funded PTI headquartered in Marion (Delaware County's neighbor) actively serves Delaware County families. Free IEP advocacy, IDEA rights training, and school district navigation for families in one of Ohio's fastest-growing regions.
FREE. Ohio's federally funded PTI — essential for any IEP meeting or dispute.
Activities, clubs & recreation
Clubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
Dublin · multi-county
Ability Matters Ohio
Outdoor and therapeutic recreation and education for children, adults and veterans with disabilities, based in Dublin. Sporting events and camps across skill levels, with adaptive equipment provided.
Columbus · multi-county
Autism Society of Central Ohio
Runs monthly activities aimed at skill development and community inclusion, alongside support groups. Local Autism Society chapters usually know about programs that appear in no directory at all, so they are worth a call even when their own calendar is not the fit.
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.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Delaware 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 Ohio resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Ohio.
Ohio state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Delaware County, Ohio?
We list 17 providers serving Delaware County, covering activities, clubs & recreation, parent & family support, ABA therapy, advocacy & legal and early intervention (0–3), plus 2 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 Delaware County accept Medicaid?
2 of the providers we list for Delaware County state that they accept Medicaid, including Hopebridge — Columbus and Hopebridge — Powell/Delaware County. Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Delaware County?
ABA providers serving Delaware 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 Delaware County families?
Yes — 2 providers serving Delaware County offer 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 Delaware County?
3 providers serving Delaware 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 Ohio?
Ohio families can apply to the DODD Individual Options (IO) and SELF Waivers, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is 2–5 years, varying by county board, 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 Delaware County?
If none of the Delaware County providers is the right fit, these Ohio counties currently have the most listed providers: Franklin County (20), Licking County (17), Union County (16), Cuyahoga County (15). 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 Ohio
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Delaware County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Delaware 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?
- Is there a group here where your child has made a friend?
- Which pediatrician here actually listens, and doesn't rush the appointment?
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 Delaware County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Delaware 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 Delaware 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 Delaware County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
Add your practice →