Autism Resources in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
12 providers in Media, Pittsburgh, Springfield, Upland and nearby, plus 12 national programs. Waitlists change often, so it’s worth calling a few.
0 providers in Delaware County. Filter by your child’s age — including 18+, which is the hardest to find anywhere.
Based in Delaware County
Diagnostic clinics
2 providersFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia — Specialty Care, Springfield
Springfield, PA
CHOP operates specialty care locations in Delaware County including developmental pediatrics services closer to families in Media and Springfield. Many Delaware County families also access the main CHOP campus in Philadelphia, which is within 20 minutes of most of the county.
Delaware County's proximity to Philadelphia makes CHOP highly accessible. Main campus is ~20 min away.
Crozer Health — Pediatric Developmental Services
Upland, PA
Developmental pediatric evaluations through Crozer Health serving Delaware County residents. Provides local access for families who prefer to stay closer to home rather than traveling to Philadelphia.
ABA therapy
1 providerApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Centria Autism — Delaware County
Media, PA · serves several counties
In-home and center-based ABA therapy serving Delaware County. BCBA-supervised programs accepting commercial insurance and Pennsylvania Medicaid. Serves the Media, Springfield, and Havertown areas.
Pennsylvania requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Advocacy & legal
1 providerLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
PEAL Center — Delaware County Families
Pittsburgh, PA · serves several counties
Pennsylvania's statewide PTI serving Delaware County families at no cost. Free IEP advocacy, IDEA rights training, and support navigating disputes with school districts. Critical resource before any IEP meeting.
FREE. Federally funded PTI serving all Pennsylvania families.
Also serving Delaware County
These 20 are based elsewhere, or operate nationally, and list Delaware 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
1 providerFormal autism evaluations by developmental pediatricians, psychologists, or neuropsychologists.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia — Exton Specialty Care
Exton, PA · serves several counties
CHOP's Exton specialty care center serves Chester County with developmental pediatric evaluations and autism diagnostic services. Chester County families in Exton, Malvern, and West Chester can access CHOP's nationally recognized autism expertise locally, with seamless referral to the Center for Autism Research for complex cases.
CHOP Exton is the most accessible CHOP location for Chester County. Ask about wait times versus the main Philadelphia campus.
ABA therapy
1 providerApplied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Centria Autism — Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA · serves several counties
In-home and center-based ABA therapy in the Philadelphia metro. BCBA-supervised. Accepts most commercial insurance and Pennsylvania Medicaid.
Pennsylvania requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Occupational therapy & sensory
1 providerOccupational therapy, sensory integration, and sensory diets.
CHOP — Occupational Therapy, Chester County
West Chester, PA · serves several counties
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia provides pediatric occupational therapy at Chester County outpatient locations. Services include sensory integration evaluation and intervention, fine motor assessment, and sensory diet development for autistic children. CHOP's OT team is experienced with a wide range of sensory processing profiles.
Ask specifically for sensory processing evaluation — CHOP's OT program has specialized protocols for autism.
Respite care
3 providersRespite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
PA Caregiver Support Program — check the age rules first
Statewide, PA · serves several counties
Pennsylvania reimburses caregivers up to roughly $600 a month toward respite and other caregiving costs — but read the eligibility before you pin hopes on it, because it is built around older adults. The routes are: caring for an older adult with Alzheimer's or a related disorder; being 55 or over and raising a child under 18; or being 55 or over and caring for an adult with a disability. A parent in their thirties caring for their own autistic child will often not qualify. Grandparents raising grandchildren frequently do, and are the group most likely to be missing out on it.
Apply through your county Area Agency on Aging. If the age rules exclude you, ask your county about ODP waiver respite instead — that is the route built for younger families.
ARCH National Respite Locator
Searchable by state, PA
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, PA
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
1 providerLegal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
PEAL Center
Pittsburgh, PA · serves several counties
Pennsylvania's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center serving western PA, and a key resource for Philadelphia families. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support. Knows Pennsylvania's special education rules inside out.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Essential before any IEP meeting or dispute.
Autism-friendly dentists
1 providerDentists experienced with autistic patients — desensitisation visits, sensory accommodations, and staff who take the time it takes.
Penn Dental Medicine — Care Center for Persons with Disabilities
Philadelphia, PA · serves several counties
A dedicated care center at the University of Pennsylvania with a Personalized Care Suite built for patients with disabilities, including autistic patients, staffed by an interdisciplinary faculty. Dental school clinics trade time for expertise: appointments run longer because students do the work under supervision, and there can be a wait for a first visit. In exchange you get a team that treats disabled patients every day, usually at a lower cost, and they generally accept Medicaid.
Activities, clubs & recreation
12 providersClubs, sports, camps, and social programs that welcome autistic children and teens — inclusive, adaptive, and special-needs specific.
Camp Kinney
Philadelphia, PA · serves several counties
Kinney Center, 5600 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131
An American Camp Association-accredited summer camp designed specifically for autistic people aged 5 to 21, built on a reverse-inclusion model where neurotypical peers join the program rather than the other way round.
Expressions Day Camp
Philadelphia, PA · serves several counties
A seven-week Philadelphia summer program for children and teenagers with social skill challenges, with separate divisions for ages 6–12 and 13–18. Aimed squarely at verbal, capable autistic young people — the group that often finds disability-specific provision a poor social fit and mainstream camp unsupportive.
ACEing Autism
227 programs in 32 states, PA
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, PA
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, PA
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, PA
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, PA
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, PA
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, PA
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, PA
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, PA
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, PA
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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School evaluation
Request a School Evaluation
Under IDEA, your school district must evaluate your child for free if you request it in writing. The request goes to your own district — the one you live in. If that is listed below, this is who to call in Delaware County. If not, ask your district’s special education office; your rights are the same.
Delaware County Intermediate Unit — Preschool Special Education / Early Intervention (ages 3-5)
Ages 3 to 5. Ask for extension 6502 to request a screening. For a school-age child, contact your child's own school district.
Checked against each organization’s own website, September 2026. Numbers change, so confirm when you call.
Learn how to write your evaluation request →About autism services in Delaware County
Delaware County (Media, Chester, Drexel Hill) is part of the Philadelphia suburbs with strong access to CHOP's main campus and regional satellite services. The county's numerous school districts — including Upper Darby, Haverford Township, and Springfield — serve a dense suburban and urban population with varying special education program quality. PEAL Center provides free IEP advocacy statewide.
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.
Communities served
Cities in Delaware County
Serving families across Delaware County including Chester, Upper Darby, Haverford, Radnor, Springfield, Marple, Ridley, Concord, Newtown and Middletown and more.
See all Pennsylvania resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania 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, Pennsylvania?
We list 12 providers serving Delaware County, covering activities, clubs & recreation, ABA therapy, diagnostic clinics, occupational therapy & sensory and respite care, 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 Centria Autism — Delaware County and Centria Autism — Philadelphia. 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.
Can autism therapy happen at home in Delaware County?
2 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.
How do I get a free evaluation for a child under 3 in Delaware County?
Early intervention for children under 3 in Pennsylvania is run by Bureau of Early Intervention Services and Family Supports, Office of Child Development and Early Learning, Departments of Education and Human Services, not by the school district. You can call (800) 692-7288 to make a referral. Under Part C of IDEA you can request an evaluation yourself — you do not need a doctor's referral, and the evaluation is free. From age 3, evaluations move to your local school district.
Does Medicaid pay for autism services in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania families can apply to the Consolidated, Community Living and P/FDS Waivers (ODP), a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is Varies by county and urgency category, 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 Pennsylvania counties currently have the most listed providers: Cambria County (17), Philadelphia County (17), Montgomery County (15), Bucks County (14). 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 Pennsylvania
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.
- 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?
- 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.
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