Local resources in Syracuse
Ordered by review count, then name. Providers cannot pay to be listed, ranked, or edited.
13 resources in Syracuse
1. AccessCNY — ABA Therapy
A local non-profit whose ABA is not tied to one building: home, school, its own therapy room or out in the community are all on the table, which suits families whose difficulties show up somewhere specific.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
2. ADHD & Autism Psychological Services and Advocacy (AAPSA) — Syracuse
A psychological assessment and clinical support practice covering ADHD, autism and related conditions across the lifespan, with offices in both Syracuse and Utica. This is a broader mental-health practice rather than a dedicated ABA-only clinic.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
3. CNY Adaptive Sports
A long-established adaptive sports club covering greater Syracuse, with a named youth night rather than adults-only sessions a child might be squeezed into.
Ages Children and adults
4. Double Care ABA — Syracuse
An in-home ABA provider serving Syracuse, NY as part of a wider tri-state network.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
5. Empower ABA — Syracuse
An in-home ABA provider in Syracuse, part of a wider New York network also serving Rochester, Schenectady and Yonkers.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
6. Golden Care Therapy — Syracuse
An in-home ABA provider serving Syracuse directly at the family home.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
7. Golisano Center for Special Needs — diagnostic evaluation
Upstate's Golisano Center runs psychologist-led autism evaluations for children, adding speech, OT or medical specialists when a case needs a team — and for toddlers it offers a 12-minute FDA-approved eye-tracking assessment that helps catch autism earlier.
Ages Children
8. Golisano Center for Special Needs — Inclusive Fitness and Adaptive Design
A hospital-based programme rather than a club: fitness sessions run alongside a service that adapts equipment, which is useful where a standard bike, chair or racket is the obstacle.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
9. Kelberman — ABA Therapy, Syracuse
The Syracuse arm of a Central New York autism non-profit. Its ABA page says who writes the goals — a licensed behaviour analyst, with the family in the room — which is one of the three questions this site tells parents to ask.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
10. Kids First Services — Syracuse
An ABA provider offering evidence-based, personalised programming in Syracuse.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
11. Margaret L. Williams Developmental Evaluation Center
Upstate's developmental evaluation centre on Bassett Street, where young children with developmental questions are assessed as part of the university medical system.
Ages Birth to 7 years
12. Proud Moments ABA — Syracuse
A Syracuse ABA centre that publishes both a waiting-list position and a named list of insurers, so you can check coverage before the first call rather than during it.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you callWait Says it is accepting new clients with no waitlist — confirm when you call
13. Strides ABA — Syracuse
A stridesaba.com location page for Syracuse. This is a distinct company from the similarly named Stride Autism Centers — check the URL rather than the name.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
The short answer for Syracuse
- Under 3: call the Onondaga County Health Department's Early Intervention intake coordinator at 315-435-3230. No diagnosis is needed to start.
- 3 and up: submit a written evaluation request to your child's school. Syracuse City School District and its neighbors must evaluate at no cost under state Child Find law.
- For a medical evaluation, Upstate's Golisano Center for Special Needs (315-464-3555) offers autism evaluation and reportedly does not require a physician referral for new patients.
- Longer-term disability supports run through OPWDD's Central New York region at 607-240-4900, or the statewide Infoline at 866-946-9733.
Syracuse families start Early Intervention through the Onondaga County Health Department, pursue school evaluation through their district's Child Find duty, and can reach a no-referral-required autism evaluation clinic at Upstate Medical University — three separate doors worth opening at the same time.
This page lists the phone numbers, URLs, and publicly stated timelines behind each of them, plus the OPWDD region that covers longer-term disability supports.
Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the New York page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Syracuse (Onondaga County).
Early intervention under 3: New York State Early Intervention Program (EIP) — Onondaga County
New York administers Early Intervention county by county, and in Onondaga County that responsibility sits with the county Health Department's Special Children Services unit. A parent, physician, or child care provider can call the intake coordinator directly to start a referral, and no diagnosis is required first. Under state regulation (10 NYCRR §69-4.11), the family service plan must be completed within 45 days of referral, and services must begin within 30 days of a parent's signature — all at no cost to the family.
- New York State Early Intervention Program (EIP) — Onondaga County
- Referral phone: 315-435-3230
New to early intervention? Read the plain-language guide first.
School districts and special education
Every New York district must identify and evaluate children with a suspected disability from birth through 21, free of charge, under its Child Find duty. Start with a written request to your child's school; state regulation (8 NYCRR §200.4) caps the initial evaluation at 60 calendar days from your written consent.
- Syracuse City School District — Special Education Department, 315-435-4425, Rockwest Building, 1005 W. Fayette Street
- North Syracuse Central School District — Special Education Department 315-218-2120, serving the northern Syracuse suburbs
Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Syracuse
These are hospital and university programs with public intake information. Listing here is informational — it is not a recommendation, and it is not medical advice. Public school evaluation is free and does not require any of these.
- Golisano Center for Special Needs (Upstate Medical University) — autism spectrum disorder evaluation and developmental pediatrics, plus early intervention and preschool therapy services, feeding disorder treatment, and a severe behavior program; new patients reportedly do not need a physician referral · 315-464-3555
Disability services and waivers: NYS OPWDD — Central New York region
OPWDD groups Onondaga County into its Central New York regional office, which also covers Cayuga, Cortland, Herkimer, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, and Oswego counties. Call the statewide Infoline (866-946-9733) to be transferred to your regional Front Door, or reach the region directly. The process moves through eligibility determination, a needs evaluation, and Care Manager-led service planning, including Medicaid's Home and Community Based Services Waiver for families who pursue it.
- NYS OPWDD — Central New York region
- Phone: 607-240-4900 (Central New York region) · 866-946-9733 (statewide Infoline)
Local organizations that help Syracuse families
- The Arc Onondaga — 315-476-7441; local chapter providing services and family support across Onondaga County
- 211 CNY — 1-844-245-1922; free referral line covering Onondaga County
- Proud Moments ABA — Syracuse — 315-992-1929; ABA therapy provider with two Syracuse-area locations
Documented waits and access notes
Wait times change. Each note below links to the public source it came from — confirm current status directly with the program.
- Syracuse City School District's CSE must have a recommended program in place within 60 school days of a family's consent, or within 30 school days of the recommendation if it's an approved private-school seat, under 8 NYCRR §200.4. (source)
- New York's autism mandate skips age and dollar caps altogether, but it does hold covered ABA to a 680-hour yearly limit per child — useful for a Syracuse family estimating what a plan will actually pay for. (source)
Paying for support in Syracuse
State-regulated commercial insurance in New York must cover autism screening, diagnosis, and treatment, including ABA, under Insurance Law §§3216, 3221, and 4303 — though self-funded employer plans fall outside that requirement. Onondaga County families covered by Medicaid can also reach ABA once a formal diagnosis is documented, through a Medicaid-enrolled Licensed Behavior Analyst.
Nothing here is a recommendation — we list what exists, note what a provider says about itself, and let parents tell you the rest.
Common questions from Syracuse parents
Sources
- [1]Onondaga County Health Department — Early Intervention. Open source
- [2]NYS DOH — county-by-county Early Intervention Official contact list. Open source
- [3]10 NYCRR §69-4.11 — Individualized Family Service Plan timelines. Open source
- [4]8 NYCRR §200.4 — special education evaluation and IEP timelines. Open source
- [5]Syracuse City School District — Special Education. Open source
- [6]North Syracuse Central School District — Special Education. Open source
- [7]Upstate Medical University — Golisano Center for Special Needs. Open source
- [8]OPWDD — Contact Us (regional office numbers). Open source
- [9]The Arc Onondaga. Open source
- [10]211 CNY. Open source
- [11]Proud Moments ABA — locations. Open source
Last checked 2026-08-11. Programs and links change — confirm with the agency before relying on any detail. This page is information, not legal or medical advice.