County resource guide
Autism Resources in Highland County, Ohio
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Highland County. Ohio statewide resources also apply.
Highland County — home to Hillsboro — is a rural county in southern Ohio. The Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities coordinates Level One and Transitions waivers. Families typically travel to Columbus or Cincinnati for specialized autism evaluation and ABA therapy. Help Me Grow is available for children under 3. OCECD provides free statewide PTI advocacy.
Immediate resources
Key contacts for Highland County
Phone numbers you can call today — no referral needed for most.
Federally funded PTI center serving Ohio families.
Provider directory
Local Providers6 providers in Highland 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.
West Union · multi-county
Adena Health System — Developmental Pediatrics (Adams County)
Adena Health System serves southern Ohio including Adams County, with developmental pediatrics referrals available through Adena Regional Medical Center in Chillicothe (Ross County). Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is the premier regional autism evaluation center for Adams County families, approximately 80 miles west via US-68. Portsmouth (Scioto County) is also accessible for initial referrals.
Cincinnati Children's (~80 miles west) is the strongest regional evaluation hub for complex cases. Telehealth options from Cincinnati and Nationwide Children's are strongly recommended.
Hillsboro
Highland District Hospital — Developmental Pediatrics Referral
Highland District Hospital in Hillsboro is the primary hospital for Highland County. Columbus is approximately one hour north and Cincinnati about one hour south, giving families access to two major children's hospital autism programs.
Ask your pediatrician for a referral to Cincinnati Children's or Nationwide Children's in Columbus — both are approximately equidistant from Hillsboro.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Hillsboro
Highland County Help Me Grow — Early Intervention
Ohio's Help Me Grow early intervention for Highland County children birth to age 3. Free developmental evaluations and in-home therapy services for children showing signs of developmental delay.
FREE under IDEA Part C. No diagnosis required — home-based delivery is available throughout Highland County.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Hillsboro
Hopebridge Autism Therapy Center — Cincinnati / Columbus Region
Hopebridge provides center-based ABA therapy for autistic children. Highland County families are within an hour of Hopebridge centers in both the Cincinnati and Columbus metro areas.
Accepts most major insurance. Ask about telehealth ABA to reduce daily travel from rural Highland County.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Hillsboro
Autism Society of Ohio — South Central Region
The Autism Society of Ohio supports Highland County families through the OhioASD directory, statewide peer networks, and chapter events in Columbus and Cincinnati accessible from Hillsboro.
Statewide organization. Both Columbus and Cincinnati chapters host events within driving distance of Highland County.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Marion
Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD)
Ohio's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Provides free IEP advocacy, special education training, and one-on-one support for Highland County families.
FREE statewide PTI. Call before any IEP meeting, evaluation, or dispute — essential for rural families.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Highland 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 →Nearby counties in Ohio
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.
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