County resource guide
Autism Resources in Richland County, South Carolina
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Richland County. South Carolina statewide resources also apply.
Richland County (Columbia) houses USC School of Medicine's developmental pediatrics program and Prisma Health for evaluation services. PRO-Parents is South Carolina's federally funded PTI providing free IEP advocacy. South Carolina requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Provider directory
Local Providers12 providers in Richland 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.
Lexington · multi-county
Prisma Health — Pediatric Developmental & Behavioral Health (Lexington)
Developmental and behavioral health evaluations at Prisma Health's Lexington Medical Park clinic. Serving fast-growing Lexington County families with convenient midlands-area access. Connected to Prisma's broader pediatric network for follow-on care.
Columbia · multi-county
USC School of Medicine — Developmental Pediatrics
Autism and developmental evaluations through the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, serving Columbia and Richland County families. Connected to Prisma Health for pediatric services in the Midlands region.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
West Columbia · multi-county
Able SC — Resource Navigation (Lexington)
Able SC is South Carolina's largest disability-led advocacy and resource organization. Lexington County families can access help navigating BabyNet (SC's Part C early intervention program), Medicaid waiver waitlists, and school transition services.
FREE. Community Resource Specialist can help you find BabyNet providers and Medicaid waivers.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Columbia
ABS Kids — Columbia
ABA therapy and autism diagnosis services in Columbia serving Richland County, South Carolina. Open since 2024.
Source: https://www.abskids.com/locations/columbia/
Columbia · multi-county
Hopebridge — Columbia
Center-based ABA therapy in the Columbia metro. BCBA-supervised with multidisciplinary approach integrating speech and OT. Accepts most commercial insurance and South Carolina Medicaid.
South Carolina requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Lexington · multi-county
Hopebridge — Lexington
Center-based ABA therapy in Lexington, serving the rapidly growing Lexington County and Irmo communities. BCBA-supervised with multidisciplinary approach integrating speech and OT. Accepts major commercial insurance and SC Medicaid.
South Carolina requires commercial insurance to cover ABA therapy.
Parent & family support
Parent groups, sibling programs, and family peer support.
Irmo · multi-county
Autism Society of SC — Midlands Parent Network
The Autism Society of South Carolina's Midlands chapter connects Lexington County families with monthly support groups, family events, and peer mentorship. Bridges Lexington and Richland County communities sharing the Columbia metro.
Columbia · multi-county
Autism Society of South Carolina
South Carolina's statewide autism organization. Support groups, resource navigation, family events, and the SC Autism Resource Directory. Active in both Columbia and the Upstate region.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Columbia · multi-county
PRO-Parents of South Carolina
South Carolina's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center. Free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support for SC families statewide. Knows South Carolina's special education regulations and IEP procedures inside out.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Essential before any IEP meeting or dispute in South Carolina.
Winnsboro · multi-county
PRO-Parents of South Carolina — Fairfield County
Free IEP advocacy and IDEA rights support for Fairfield County families through SC's federally funded PTI. Helps navigate Fairfield County School District IEP processes. Columbia's proximity means in-person PRO-Parents events are accessible.
FREE. Columbia proximity (30 min) means Fairfield families can access the full range of Midlands autism services.
Camden · multi-county
PRO-Parents of South Carolina — Kershaw County
Free IEP advocacy and IDEA rights support for Kershaw County families through SC's federally funded PTI. Helps navigate Kershaw County School District IEP evaluations and meetings. The county's proximity to Columbia makes in-person PRO-Parents events accessible.
FREE. Columbia proximity means Kershaw families can access full range of Midlands autism services.
Lexington · multi-county
PRO-Parents of South Carolina — Midlands Outreach
SC's federally funded Parent Training and Information Center serves Lexington County families with free IEP advocacy, training, and one-on-one support. Especially valuable for Lexington School District One families navigating evaluations and IEP meetings.
FREE. Federally funded PTI. Can attend IEP meetings with you.
For providers
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School districts & government services
Public programs and school district contacts for Richland County.
School & special education
Services & benefits
- SC DDSN — Richland County Office
Contact DDSN's Columbia/Richland regional office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Adult services
- SC DDSN — Richland County Office
Contact DDSN's Columbia/Richland regional office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Respite & support
- SC DDSN — Richland County Office
Contact DDSN's Columbia/Richland regional office for waiver enrollment and DD services.
Helpful guides
Guides for Richland 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 Richland County
Serving families across Richland County including Columbia, Forest Acres, Cayce, West Columbia, Blythewood, Irmo, Dentsville, Hopkins, Eastover and Olympia and more.
See all South Carolina resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in South Carolina.
South Carolina state guide →Nearby counties in South Carolina
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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