County resource guide
Autism Resources in Columbia County, Oregon
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Columbia County. Oregon statewide resources also apply.
Columbia County (St. Helens, Scappoose, Rainier) is a Portland-area county on the Columbia River with direct access to OHSU and the metro provider network. Providence St. Vincent Medical Center is accessible across the county. Columbia River School District provides special education. Oregon FACETS provides free IEP advocacy statewide. Oregon's ODDS and Early Intervention programs serve eligible residents.
Provider directory
Local Providers23 providers in Columbia 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 Columbia 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.
Astoria · multi-county
Columbia Memorial Hospital — Pediatric Services
Pediatric and developmental health services through Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, the main healthcare facility for Clatsop County and Oregon's northwest corner. Complex autism evaluations are typically coordinated through OHSU Portland — about 90 miles south on US-30.
For comprehensive autism evaluations, OHSU Portland (90 min south) is the primary referral destination.
St. Helens
Providence St. Helens — Pediatric Services
Pediatric and developmental health services through Providence St. Helens in St. Helens, Columbia County's main hospital. Given proximity to the Portland metro (about 30 miles north), many families also access OHSU, Legacy Health, or Portland-area specialists for comprehensive autism evaluations.
Close to Portland metro — OHSU and Legacy Portland are practical options for full evaluations.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
St. Helens
Columbia County EI/ECSE — Early Intervention
Oregon EI/ECSE early intervention services for children birth through age 5 in Columbia County. Home visits, developmental therapy, and ECSE preschool for children with autism and developmental delays administered through the Columbia County ESD. Free under federal IDEA Part C.
Free under IDEA. Contact Columbia County ESD for Child Find intake.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Astoria · multi-county
Centria Autism — North Oregon Coast
In-home and community-based ABA therapy serving Clatsop County and the north Oregon coast. BCBA-supervised individualized programs for children and teens. Accepts Oregon Health Plan Medicaid and commercial insurance under Oregon's ABA mandate.
Coastal delivery with telehealth parent training available for remote north coast communities.
St. Helens · multi-county
Centria Autism — Northwest Oregon
In-home and community-based ABA therapy serving Columbia County and the lower Columbia River corridor. BCBA-supervised programs for children and teens. Accepts Oregon Health Plan Medicaid and commercial insurance. Proximity to Portland allows access to Portland-area providers as well.
Respite care
Respite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
Statewide · multi-county
Oregon Lifespan Respite — and K Plan respite
Oregon's Lifespan Respite Care Program is deliberately open: it serves any individual or family regardless of age, income, ethnicity, race, need or situation, connecting families to providers and to the money to pay them. Separately, respite is funded through the K Plan — and because the K Plan is a state plan benefit rather than a capped waiver, there is no queue for it. Sixteen regional Area Agencies on Aging deliver locally.
Ask about K Plan respite specifically. Oregon families are often told to wait for a waiver when the K Plan route has no waiting list at all.
~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.
St. Helens · multi-county
Autism Society of Oregon — Lower Columbia Network
Parent support network for Columbia County families affiliated with the Autism Society of Oregon. Connects families in St. Helens, Scappoose, and Rainier with Portland-area autism support communities and statewide ASO resources and events.
Astoria · multi-county
Autism Society of Oregon — North Coast Network
Parent peer support network for Clatsop County families affiliated with the Autism Society of Oregon. Connects Astoria, Seaside, and Warrenton families with virtual statewide ASO resources, peer support, and family events. Strong virtual component given the county's remote north coast location.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Astoria · multi-county
FACT Oregon — North Coast Outreach
Free IEP advocacy and special education support for Clatsop County families from FACT Oregon, Oregon's federally funded PTI. Helps Astoria, Seaside, and Cannon Beach families navigate school district IEP processes. Phone and telehealth support primary for this remote northwest corner of Oregon.
FREE. Oregon's federally funded PTI — serves all 36 counties including remote coastal Clatsop.
St. Helens · multi-county
FACT Oregon — Northwest Oregon Outreach
Free IEP advocacy and special education support for Columbia County families from FACT Oregon, Oregon's federally funded PTI. Helps families in St. Helens, Scappoose, and Rainier navigate school district IEP processes. Close enough to Portland for in-person training events.
FREE. Oregon's federally funded PTI. Columbia County's Portland proximity means in-person events are accessible.
Tillamook · multi-county
FACT Oregon — Tillamook County
Free IEP advocacy and special education support for Tillamook County families from FACT Oregon, Oregon's federally funded PTI. Telehealth and phone consultations primary for this coastal county. Helps navigate Tillamook School District IEP processes — and coaches families on how to access Portland specialists.
FREE. Remote county — FACT Oregon telehealth is the primary IEP advocacy resource.
Activities, clubs & recreation
Clubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
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 Columbia 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 Oregon resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Oregon.
Oregon state guide →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Columbia County, Oregon?
We list 11 providers serving Columbia County, covering parent & family support, ABA therapy, early intervention (0–3), diagnostic clinics and advocacy & legal, 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 Columbia County accept Medicaid?
2 of the providers we list for Columbia County state that they accept Medicaid, including Centria Autism — North Oregon Coast and Centria Autism — Northwest Oregon. Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Columbia County?
ABA providers serving Columbia 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 Columbia County families?
Yes — 3 providers serving Columbia 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 Columbia County?
2 providers serving Columbia 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 Oregon?
Oregon families can apply to the K Plan (Community First Choice) and ODDS waivers, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is No waitlist for K Plan in-home services, 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 Columbia County?
If none of the Columbia County providers is the right fit, these Oregon counties currently have the most listed providers: Multnomah County (21), Marion County (16), Washington County (16), Benton 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 Oregon
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Columbia County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Columbia 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 Columbia County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Columbia 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 Columbia 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 Columbia County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
Add your practice →