County resource guide
Autism Resources in Hughes County, South Dakota
Local providers, school contacts, and support services for autism families in Hughes County. South Dakota statewide resources also apply.
Hughes County (Pierre) is home to South Dakota's state capital. Avera St. Mary's Hospital provides medical services. Pierre School District provides special education. South Dakota Parent Connection (SD PTI) provides free statewide advocacy. Families seeking specialized evaluations travel to Sioux Falls or Rapid City. SD's Birth to 3 program serves young children.
Provider directory
Local Providers22 providers in Hughes 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.
Faulkton · multi-county
Avera St. Luke's — Developmental Referrals (Faulk County)
Faulk County families in Faulkton access developmental and autism evaluation services through Avera St. Luke's in Aberdeen (Brown County, ~60 miles) or Sanford Pierre (~50 miles).
Philip · multi-county
Monument Health Rapid City — Developmental Referrals (Haakon County)
Haakon County families in Philip access developmental and autism evaluation services through Monument Health Rapid City (~90 miles west) or Sanford Pierre (~75 miles east). Philip is a very small town in one of SD's most sparsely populated counties.
Philip is equidistant between Rapid City and Pierre — telehealth is critical for most specialty services.
Kadoka · multi-county
Monument Health Rapid City — Developmental Referrals (Jackson County)
Jackson County families in Kadoka access developmental and autism evaluation services through Monument Health Rapid City (~100 miles west) or Sanford Pierre (~100 miles northeast). Jackson County is one of SD's most isolated counties.
Kadoka is ~2 hours from both major SD medical hubs. Telehealth is essential.
Highmore · multi-county
Sanford Pierre — Developmental Referrals (Hyde County)
Hyde County families in Highmore access developmental and autism evaluation services through Sanford Pierre (~60 miles south). Pierre is the state capital and serves as the regional hub for this remote central SD county.
Murdo · multi-county
Sanford Pierre — Developmental Referrals (Jones County)
Jones County families in Murdo are approximately 75 miles southwest of Pierre. Sanford Pierre is the closest regional hospital for developmental referrals, with comprehensive evaluations available in Rapid City or Sioux Falls.
Jones County is one of the least populated counties in the US. Telehealth is essential for all specialty services.
Kennebec · multi-county
Sanford Pierre — Developmental Referrals (Lyman County)
Lyman County families in Kennebec access developmental services through Sanford Pierre (~60 miles north), the closest regional hospital. Pierre is the state capital and offers developmental pediatrics referrals to Sioux Falls or Rapid City for comprehensive evaluations.
Pierre (Hughes County) is the closest hub, ~60 miles north of Kennebec.
Fort Pierre · multi-county
Sanford Pierre — Developmental Referrals (Stanley County)
Stanley County families in Fort Pierre are across the Missouri River from Pierre — literally minutes from Sanford Pierre, the regional hub for south-central SD. Fort Pierre families have unusually good access to the state capital's health services.
Fort Pierre is directly across the Missouri River from Pierre — under 5 minutes to Sanford Pierre.
Onida · multi-county
Sanford Pierre — Developmental Referrals (Sully County)
Sully County families in Onida access developmental and autism evaluation services through Sanford Pierre (~40 miles south). Pierre is the regional hub for this very small north-central SD county on the Missouri River.
Pierre · multi-county
Sanford Pierre Pediatrics
Sanford Health pediatric clinic in Pierre, the state capital, serving Hughes County and surrounding central SD counties. Developmental concerns can be referred to Sioux Falls specialists via Sanford's network.
Early Intervention (0–3)
Free services for children under 3 under IDEA Part C.
Pierre · multi-county
SD Department of Human Services — Developmental Disabilities
The SD DHS Developmental Disabilities Program administers waivers, Birth to 3, and adult services. Families in Hughes County can work directly with the state office, which is headquartered in Pierre.
State capital location — state DD program staff are accessible here for escalated questions.
ABA therapy
Applied Behavior Analysis therapy — typically requires insurance authorization.
Highmore · multi-county
Centria Autism — Telehealth ABA (Hyde County)
Telehealth ABA therapy for Hyde County families in this very small, remote central SD county. BCBA-supervised parent training and behavior support. SD Medicaid accepted.
SD Medicaid covers ABA therapy. Pierre is the nearest in-person hub.
Kennebec · multi-county
Centria Autism — Telehealth ABA (Lyman County)
Telehealth ABA therapy for Lyman County families in south-central SD. BCBA-supervised parent training and behavior support. SD Medicaid accepted. No in-person ABA providers serve this rural county.
SD Medicaid covers ABA therapy. Telehealth is the only realistic ABA option in Lyman County.
Fort Pierre · multi-county
Centria Autism — Telehealth ABA (Stanley County)
Telehealth ABA therapy for Stanley County families in Fort Pierre. Pierre/Sanford is the nearest in-person hub, just across the river. SD Medicaid accepted for eligible children.
SD Medicaid covers ABA therapy. Pierre in-person options are a short bridge drive away.
Onida · multi-county
Centria Autism — Telehealth ABA (Sully County)
Telehealth ABA therapy for Sully County families in Onida. BCBA-supervised parent training and behavior support. SD Medicaid accepted. Pierre is the nearest in-person hub at ~40 miles.
SD Medicaid covers ABA therapy.
Pierre · multi-county
Hopebridge — Telehealth ABA (Pierre Area)
Telehealth ABA therapy for Hughes County. Pierre is an isolated capital city with few local autism specialists — telehealth through national providers like Hopebridge fills the gap.
SD Medicaid covers ABA therapy. Contact Hopebridge to verify coverage before starting.
Speech therapy
Speech-language pathology, AAC, pragmatic language, and feeding.
Pierre · multi-county
Sanford Pierre — Speech-Language Pathology
Outpatient pediatric speech therapy at Sanford Pierre for children with autism-related communication delays. Serves Hughes County and rural families from Stanley, Sully, and surrounding counties.
Advocacy & legal
Legal advocates, special education advocates, and disability rights organizations.
Faulkton · multi-county
South Dakota Parent Connection
Free IEP advocacy and one-on-one support from SD's federally funded PTI for Faulk County families. Phone and remote support essential in this remote north-central SD community.
FREE. Federally funded PTI.
Kennebec · multi-county
South Dakota Parent Connection
Free IEP advocacy and one-on-one support from SD's federally funded PTI for Lyman County families. Phone and remote consultations are essential in this remote south-central SD community.
FREE. Federally funded PTI.
Highmore · multi-county
South Dakota Parent Connection
Free IEP advocacy and one-on-one support from SD's federally funded PTI for Hyde County families. Remote and phone support essential in this isolated central SD county with very few local professional resources.
FREE. Federally funded PTI.
Fort Pierre · multi-county
South Dakota Parent Connection
Free IEP advocacy and one-on-one support from SD's federally funded PTI for Stanley County families. Fort Pierre families have the advantage of easy access to Pierre, where the SD DHS and state education office are also located.
FREE. Federally funded PTI.
Onida · multi-county
South Dakota Parent Connection
Free IEP advocacy and one-on-one support from SD's federally funded PTI for Sully County families. Phone and remote support essential in this very small, remote north-central SD county.
FREE. Federally funded PTI.
Pierre · multi-county
South Dakota Parent Connection — Pierre Outreach
SDPC free IEP advocacy for Hughes County families. As the state capital, Pierre families can also sometimes get in-person appointments with the Sioux Falls SDPC office more easily than other rural counties.
FREE. Federally funded PTI.
For providers
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Helpful guides
Guides for Hughes 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 South Dakota resources
Waivers, PTI centers, and state programs apply to all families in South Dakota.
South Dakota state guide →Nearby counties in South Dakota
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