Local resources in Toledo
Ordered by review count, then name. Providers cannot pay to be listed, ranked, or edited.
13 resources in Toledo
1. April ABA — Toledo
In-home ABA therapy provider covering Toledo and the surrounding area. Few specifics beyond service area are published on this page, so confirm ages, funding and wait times by phone.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
2. Avenues for Autism — Toledo
Toledo-area nonprofit offering ABA as part of a broader set of autism services. This page publishes little detail beyond that, so confirm ages, address and funding by phone.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
3. Clever Bee Academy — Toledo
The Toledo site bundles ABA with speech, occupational therapy and trauma support under one roof, which is the difference between one waiting list and three. It runs from six weeks to 12 years and offers both one-to-one and group care, so ask which your child would actually be in.
Ages 6 weeks to 12 years
4. Dr. Timothy Voss Pediatric Dentistry
Dr. Timothy Voss Pediatric Dentistry provides comprehensive preventive and therapeutic dental care to patients with additional healthcare needs, regardless of developmental disability, and can deliver care in a hospital setting at ProMedica Toledo Children's Hospital or Mercy Health St. Vincent Children's Hospital for children who cannot manage a traditional office visit.
Ages Infants through adolescents
5. Green Options for Autism of Lucas County (G.O.A.L.)
G.O.A.L. runs a School Age Educational Programme and an Adult Day Programme built around life skills and job training for autistic individuals across Lucas County, with its Academy offering early intervention from age 3. Private pay, Medicaid waivers and scholarships are all accepted as funding.
Ages 3 years and up (Academy); separate adult day programme
6. Harbor ABA Clinic — Toledo
ABA clinic run by Harbor, an established Toledo behavioural health nonprofit, so families may be able to access other family services from the same organisation. Confirm hours, funding and referral requirements by phone.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
7. Heartland ABA — Toledo
At-home ABA in Toledo for a wide age range, from toddlers through young adults. No address, hours or funding details are published on this page.
Ages Ages 18 months to 21
8. Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities
Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities is the county's access point for eligibility determination and Ohio's Individual Options and Level One Medicaid waivers, with evaluations provided at no cost. It also runs a 14-sport Special Olympics programme for athletes from age 8 and an annual Inclusion Resource Fair connecting families to community programmes.
Ages All ages
9. Magnet ABA — Toledo
Home- and community-based ABA in Toledo delivered where the family is, rather than at a centre. No address, hours or funding details are published on this page.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
10. Nationwide Children's Hospital — Toledo Autism Center
Nationwide Children's Hospital's Toledo-area Autism Center has psychologists complete comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for children roughly 12 months to 18 years old, with a multidisciplinary team and a dedicated feedback appointment covering individualised recommendations afterward. Care extends beyond diagnosis into treatment, education, research and advocacy.
Ages 12 months to 18 years
11. ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children's Hospital — Finnegan Family Autism Center
The Finnegan Family Autism Center's Autism Early Learning Program gives children about 18 months to 6 years old ABA-based early intervention, full-day (30 hrs/week) or half-day (15 hrs/week), taught one-on-one and in small groups by board-certified behaviour analysts. Parent involvement, including monthly observations and home visits, is required.
Ages About 18 months to 6 years
12. Toledo TOPSoccer
Toledo TOPSoccer, run by Toledo Football Academy, is a free, drop-in soccer programme for any athlete aged 5 and up, including autistic athletes and those with Down syndrome or cerebral palsy. Each athlete gets a volunteer buddy for the day, often a professional from special education, psychology or therapy fields; families can attend whenever suits them rather than committing to a season.
Ages 5 and up
13. Wonder Star ABA — Toledo
Names Toledo directly, which matters in a corner of the state most Cleveland and Columbus providers do not reach.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
The short answer for Toledo
- Under 3: Ohio Early Intervention's statewide line is 1-800-755-4769 (refer online too); locally, Lucas County's Family and Children First Council also runs a Help Me Grow Central Intake at (419) 665-3322.
- 3 and up: send a written evaluation request to Toledo Public Schools' Student Supports department, or to Ottawa Hills Local Schools' Director of Student Services Jeffery Pellerito (419-534-5379, jpellerito@ohschools.org).
- ProMedica's Finnegan Family Autism Center (419-291-7080) at Russell J. Ebeid Children's Hospital runs an ABA-based Autism Early Learning Program for ages 18 months to 6 years, with on-site speech-language therapy.
- The Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities (419-380-4000) is the local gateway to Individual Options and Level One Medicaid waivers, and separately runs a 14-sport Special Olympics program plus a youth program called Little Lightning.
- Autism Society Northwest Ohio (419-578-2766) runs its own recreation programs, including a $5 inclusive woodworking camp and a sensory-friendly option at its annual Haunted Trail event.
Toledo families work within Lucas County's disability-services system: Toledo Public Schools and neighboring Ottawa Hills Local Schools each publish their own Child Find contacts, ProMedica runs a dedicated autism center at its children's hospital, and the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities organizes both Medicaid waiver access and a genuinely active Special Olympics program.
Autism Society Northwest Ohio also stands out here — it runs its own recreation programming rather than only offering referrals. This page lists the doors that are open to Toledo families right now, with a phone number, the source, and the date each fact was checked.
Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the Ohio page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Toledo (Lucas County).
Early intervention under 3: Ohio Early Intervention, with local intake through Lucas County's Family and Children First Council
Ohio Early Intervention serves children under 3 who show a developmental delay or have a diagnosed disability, and no formal diagnosis is required to make a referral — a parent, relative, physician, or child care provider can all start the process. In Lucas County, the Family and Children First Council administers a Help Me Grow Central Intake line for the northwest Ohio region alongside the statewide number, plus Early Head Start and home-visiting programs. Evaluation and the resulting family service plan are free either way.
- Ohio Early Intervention, with local intake through Lucas County's Family and Children First Council
- Referral phone: (419) 665-3322
New to early intervention? Read the plain-language guide first.
School districts and special education
Toledo-area districts, including Toledo Public Schools and Ottawa Hills Local Schools, carry Ohio's statewide Child Find duty: locate and evaluate children ages 3 to 21 with suspected disabilities, and preschoolers 3 to 5, at no cost to families. Contact the district directly to start; state rules then give districts 30 calendar days to secure consent or explain in writing why they won't evaluate, and 60 calendar days from consent to finish.
- Toledo Public Schools — Student Supports department, main district line 419-671-0001
- Ottawa Hills Local Schools — Director of Student Services Jeffery Pellerito, 419-534-5379, jpellerito@ohschools.org
Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Toledo
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.
- ProMedica Russell J. Ebeid Children's Hospital — Finnegan Family Autism Center — an ABA-based Autism Early Learning Program for children roughly 18 months to 6 years, delivered by a team including board-certified behavior analysts and registered behavior technicians, plus on-site speech-language therapy and collaboration with the University of Toledo's occupational therapy department · 419-291-7080
Disability services and waivers: Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities
The Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities is Toledo's access point for developmental-disability eligibility, adult and children's services, and Ohio's Medicaid home- and community-based waivers, including Individual Options and Level One — both assessed by documented need rather than ranked by application date since a 2018 statewide policy change. The board also runs a notably active recreation arm directly: a 14-sport Special Olympics program for athletes 8 and up, and a youth program called Little Lightning for ages 8 to 15.
- Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities
- Phone: 419-380-4000
Local organizations that help Toledo families
- Autism Society Northwest Ohio — 7140 Port Sylvania Drive, Toledo — 419-578-2766; runs support groups, Sibshops for siblings, an inclusive woodworking camp, and a sensory-friendly Haunted Trail event at Maumee Bay State Park
- Lucas County Family and Children First Council — (419) 725-0703; administers Help Me Grow, Early Head Start, and home-visiting programs for the region
- Toledo Zoo — accessibility program — free sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones and fidget tools, plus visual schedule cards and quiet areas; 419-385-5721
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.
- Lucas County's Help Me Grow Central Intake operates under the same federal Part C rule as the rest of Ohio: 45 calendar days from referral to a completed evaluation and first IFSP meeting. (source)
- Toledo-area districts' 60-day-from-consent evaluation window is bounded statewide by a 90-calendar-day cap measured from referral, whichever comes first. (source)
- Coverage of Ohio's county-board system has put typical waits for the Lucas County board's Individual Options or Level One waiver at roughly two to ten years. (source)
- Ohio's autism insurance mandate for fully-funded plans reaches people through age 21 and can cap the ABA hours it requires at 20 per week. (source)
Paying for support in Toledo
Ohio Revised Code 3923.84 requires most fully-insured plans to cover autism screening, diagnosis, and treatment, but the mandate carves out self-funded employer coverage and ACA marketplace plans. For services beyond insurance, the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities is Toledo's local starting point for Ohio's Individual Options and Level One Medicaid waivers, both allocated by documented need rather than a first-come queue since 2018.
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 Toledo parents
Sources
- [1]Ohio Early Intervention (statewide referral system). Open source
- [2]Ohio Administrative Code 3301-51-06 — evaluation timelines. Open source
- [3]Ohio Department of Education & Workforce — Special Education. Open source
- [4]Ohio Revised Code 3923.84 — coverage for autism spectrum disorder. Open source
- [5]Disability Rights Ohio — DD Medicaid waiver waiting lists. Open source
- [6]Toledo Public Schools — Child Find. Open source
- [7]Ottawa Hills Local Schools — Student Services / Child Find. Open source
- [8]ProMedica — Finnegan Family Autism Center. Open source
- [9]Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Open source
- [10]Lucas County Board of DD — Special Olympics. Open source
- [11]Autism Society Northwest Ohio. Open source
- [12]Lucas County Family and Children First Council. Open source
- [13]Toledo Zoo — accessibility program. 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.