Autism Resources in Montgomery County, Ohio

Dayton

Dayton Children's Hospital — Autism Evaluation Center

Dayton Children's Hospital is the primary pediatric health system for Montgomery County and the Miami Valley region. Their Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders offers comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluations with developmental pediatricians, psychologists, and the full allied health team. An Autism Treatment Network site and a top regional resource for southwest Ohio.

Autism Treatment Network affiliate. Primary referral center for the Miami Valley. Expect waitlists — ask about their streamlined evaluation pathways.

Dayton · multi-county

Dayton Children's Hospital — Preble County Families

Dayton Children's Hospital is the primary pediatric specialty referral for Preble County. The autism evaluation program at Dayton Children's provides comprehensive multi-disciplinary assessments, and Preble County's proximity to Dayton (~30 miles east) makes this the most accessible major pediatric center for Eaton-area families.

Primary pediatric referral for Preble County. ~30 miles east of Eaton.

Dayton

Montgomery County Help Me Grow — Early Intervention

Ohio's Help Me Grow program provides IDEA Part C early intervention for Montgomery County children birth to age 3. Free developmental evaluations, service coordination, speech, OT, PT, and family support delivered in natural environments. Administered through Montgomery County DD Board. One of Ohio's highest-capacity county EI systems given the size of the Dayton metro.

FREE under federal law (IDEA Part C). No diagnosis required — call as soon as you have developmental concerns about a child under 3.

Eaton · multi-county

Centria Autism — Preble County

In-home and center-based ABA therapy serving Preble County. BCBA-supervised programming accepts most commercial insurance and Ohio Medicaid. In-home delivery is especially valuable for rural Preble County families with transportation constraints.

Ohio Medicaid accepted. In-home ABA available for rural families.

Dayton · multi-county

Hopebridge — Dayton

Center-based ABA therapy at multiple Dayton metro locations serving Montgomery County families. BCBA-supervised with multidisciplinary approach integrating speech and OT services. Accepts most commercial insurance and Ohio Medicaid. Ohio requires commercial insurers to cover ABA therapy.

Ohio's ABA insurance mandate covers commercially insured children. Medicaid accepted.

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.

Dayton · multi-county

Autism Society of the Greater Dayton Area

Active Dayton chapter providing parent support groups, family events, resource navigation, social programming, and community building for autistic individuals and families across Montgomery County. Connected to the Autism Society of Ohio's statewide network and the OhioASD resource directory.

Dayton

Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities (Montgomery County DD)

Ohio's county-level DD Board for Montgomery County provides service and support administration, eligibility determination, and connection to county-funded programs and HCBS waiver services for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. One of Ohio's larger county DD Boards given Montgomery County's population, with a robust service infrastructure across the lifespan.

Start here for any county-level DD services. Ohio's county DD Boards are a unique state resource — apply early for HCBS waiver waitlists.

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.