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 Providers35 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 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 Hughes 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.
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.
Respite care
Respite care providers giving families a break — in-home, center-based, and overnight.
Statewide · multi-county
South Dakota Respite Care Program
A straightforward state program: up to $600 a year for the first eligible person in a family and $200 for each additional one, capped at $1,000 per family per year running June to May. Eligibility is unusually broad — developmental disability at any age, developmental delay from birth to three, serious emotional disturbance in a child, severe and persistent mental illness in an adult, a chronic medical condition in a child, traumatic brain injury, or an adopted child with or without a disability.
The program year runs 1 June to 31 May, so apply early in that window rather than late. South Dakota Parent Connection helps families with the paperwork.
~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.
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.
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
Are you a provider serving this county?
Help families find accurate information about your services. Submit your practice for review so parents in this area can better understand their options.
Missing a provider? Submit a listing — it’s free →
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 →Common questions
Answered from the providers currently listed for this county — these update as the directory does.
How many autism providers serve Hughes County, South Dakota?
We list 23 providers serving Hughes County, covering diagnostic clinics, ABA therapy, speech therapy, early intervention (0–3) 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 Hughes County accept Medicaid?
4 of the providers we list for Hughes County state that they accept Medicaid, including Centria Autism — Telehealth ABA (Hyde County), Centria Autism — Telehealth ABA (Lyman County), Centria Autism — Telehealth ABA (Stanley County) and Centria Autism — Telehealth ABA (Sully County). Coverage and plan participation change often, so confirm directly with the provider before your first appointment.
Where can I find ABA therapy in Hughes County?
ABA providers serving Hughes 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 Hughes County families?
Yes — 8 providers serving Hughes County offer telehealth or virtual sessions. This is often the fastest route to support for families in rural areas or on long local waitlists.
Does Medicaid pay for autism services in South Dakota?
South Dakota families can apply to the CHOICES and Family Support 360 waivers, a Medicaid waiver that can fund respite, therapies and in-home support. The typical wait is Generally served without a long queue; risk-based priority if a list forms, 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 Hughes County?
If none of the Hughes County providers is the right fit, these South Dakota counties currently have the most listed providers: Brown County (29), Codington County (28), Davison County (25), Pennington County (24). 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 South Dakota
You know things we don’t
Still missing from Hughes County
These are the things no database has and every parent knows. If you can answer one of them, another family in Hughes 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?
- Where do parents here actually talk to each other?
- Is there a group here where your child has made a friend?
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 Hughes County? We'll email you.
One email when we verify a new provider in Hughes 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 Hughes 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 Hughes County?
Add your practice so families searching for help can find you. Listings are free.
Add your practice →