Local resources in Lancaster
Ordered by review count, then name. Providers cannot pay to be listed, ranked, or edited.
9 resources in Lancaster
1. ABYay! — Lancaster
ABYay! brings ABA therapy into the family home around Lancaster rather than running a centre, using a data-driven approach to track progress. Families wanting an in-home-only option may prefer this over a clinic-based provider.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
2. Acclaim Autism — Lancaster North
Clinic-based ABA therapy for early learners through adolescents, plus an early-intervention programme, social skills groups and summer/holiday programmes.
Ages Early learners through adolescents
3. Attain ABA — Lancaster
Attain ABA is a fast-growing multi-state ABA provider whose Lancaster-area coverage spans four counties rather than a single centre, and it accepts Medicaid alongside major commercial insurance. As a larger regional operator, exact local wait times are best confirmed directly.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
4. Conestoga Behavioral Services — Lancaster
Conestoga Behavioral Services is a Lancaster-based ABA provider covering the full 2-to-21 age range and billing through insurance, school contracts or private pay. It is a locally headquartered practice rather than a national chain, which some families prefer for continuity of staff.
Ages Ages 2 to 21
5. Helping Hands Family — Lancaster
Helping Hands Family runs a Lancaster clinic as part of its wider Pennsylvania network, staffed by BCBAs and RBTs. It is a large multi-state chain rather than an independent local practice, which can mean more standardised programmes but less individual flexibility.
Ages Ages not published in the sources we saw — ask when you call
6. Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development
Family-centred developmental and educational programmes including therapy services for infants, children and adolescents with developmental delays.
Ages Infants through adolescents
7. Special Olympics Pennsylvania — find a programme
Because the structure is county by county, there is normally a Lancaster County programme rather than a drive to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh — the finder confirms which sports run locally.
Ages All ages
8. Success On The Spectrum — Lancaster
Success On The Spectrum is a nationwide ABA franchise; its Lancaster location is locally owned by parents of autistic children and offers live video-monitored viewing rooms so parents can watch sessions as they happen. It combines ABA with speech and occupational therapy on site rather than referring those out.
Ages Up to 18
9. WellSpan — Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Diagnostic evaluations and therapy services including behaviour therapy, developmental therapy, speech and language support and occupational therapy.
Ages Children, adolescents and adults
The short answer for Lancaster
- Under 3: call Lancaster County Behavioral Health & Developmental Services at 717-399-7323 to start a free developmental evaluation.
- Ages 3–5: preschool early intervention runs through the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (IU13) — call the referral hotline at 717-606-1601.
- School age: send a written evaluation request to your child's school; the School District of Lancaster and Conestoga Valley School District both complete evaluations within 60 calendar days of signed consent.
- Penn State Health's Division of Developmental Pediatrics (717-531-8414) states on its own site that it is 'temporarily closing to referrals from providers outside of Penn State Health' due to capacity limits, and currently accepts new autism referrals only for patients age 14 and older.
- ABA for a Medicaid-enrolled child runs through Pennsylvania's IBHS program, funded in Lancaster County by PerformCare — member services 1-888-722-8646.
In Lancaster, early intervention for a child under 3 runs through the county's own Behavioral Health & Developmental Services office; at age 3, responsibility shifts to the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13, which runs preschool special education for the county. Both steps are based on a documented developmental delay, not a diagnosis.
This guide lists those numbers and links, the evaluation pathway at Penn State Health, ABA and speech/OT resources including the nonprofit Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development, Lancaster County's disability office, and the PH-95 Medicaid category many Pennsylvania families can use no matter their income.
Statewide programs, numbers, and rights are on the Pennsylvania page. This page adds the local entry points that are specific to Lancaster (Lancaster County).
Early intervention under 3: Lancaster County Early Intervention (birth–3) and Lancaster-Lebanon IU13 Preschool Early Intervention (3–5)
Lancaster County Behavioral Health & Developmental Services (BHDS) administers Early Intervention for children under 3 directly, assigning a service coordinator after a free developmental evaluation — a medical diagnosis is not required. At age 3, responsibility for special-education services moves to the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 (IU13), which runs preschool early intervention on the basis of a documented developmental delay across 13 recognized disability categories, including autism. At school age, the family's own district takes over.
- Lancaster County Early Intervention (birth–3) and Lancaster-Lebanon IU13 Preschool Early Intervention (3–5)
- Referral phone: 717-399-7323 (Lancaster County BHDS, birth to 3) · 717-606-1601 (IU13 Preschool EI referral hotline, ages 3–5)
New to early intervention? Read the plain-language guide first.
School districts and special education
A written request to your child's school is the first step toward a school-age evaluation in Lancaster. The School District of Lancaster completes an initial evaluation and presents the report to parents within 60 calendar days of written consent. Conestoga Valley School District follows the same 60-day window and develops an IEP within 30 calendar days of the evaluation report; it names specific autism placements, including an Expressions Autistic Support classroom for grades K-12 and an Itinerant Autistic Support option for grades 6-12.
- School District of Lancaster — 717-299-2700; Director of Special Education and Gifted Services Charles Hample
- Conestoga Valley School District — 717-397-2421; runs Expressions Autistic Support (K-12) and Itinerant Autistic Support (6-12) classrooms
Evaluation and diagnosis pathways in Lancaster
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.
- Penn State Health — Division of Developmental Pediatrics — autism and developmental evaluation serving the Lancaster area through Penn State Health Lancaster Medical Center · 717-531-8414 · the division's own site states it is 'temporarily closing to referrals from providers outside of Penn State Health' due to capacity limits, and that autism referrals are currently accepted only for patients age 14 and older for diagnosis or medication management
- NeurAbilities Healthcare — Lancaster ABA Autism Treatment Center — 1:1 ABA therapy at a dedicated Lancaster clinic · 856-346-0005
- Acclaim Autism — Lancaster Central — in-home, IBHS-licensed ABA therapy, BCBA-supervised, accepting Pennsylvania Medicaid · 888-805-8206
- Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development — nonprofit speech-language, occupational, and physical therapy for children from birth through age 21, serving more than 2,000 children a year, plus adaptive swim, music-therapy camps, and an inclusive preschool (S.T.A.R.S.) program · 717-393-0425
Disability services and waivers: Lancaster County Behavioral Health & Developmental Services — Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Program
Lancaster County BHDS's Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities office registers children for ID and autism services, including Medicaid waiver eligibility; call to reach a case manager. PerformCare is the separate HealthChoices plan that funds and authorizes IBHS-delivered ABA for Medicaid-enrolled children in Lancaster County.
- Lancaster County Behavioral Health & Developmental Services — Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Program
- Phone: 717-399-7355 (BHDS Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities) · 1-888-722-8646 (PerformCare member services)
Local organizations that help Lancaster families
- Special Olympics Pennsylvania — Lancaster County softball — non-unified summer softball season at Lancaster Bible College, Tuesday and Thursday evenings
- Special Strong Lancaster County — adaptive, inclusive fitness training for ages 8 and up, including autism-specific programming (717-734-7574)
- PAAutism.org (ASERT) — Pennsylvania's statewide autism resource and support-group directory
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.
- Penn State Health's Division of Developmental Pediatrics states on its own site that it is 'temporarily closing to referrals from providers outside of Penn State Health' due to capacity limits, and that its autism program currently accepts new referrals only for patients age 14 and older for diagnosis or medication management. (source)
- Beyond the 60-day evaluation and 30-day IEP clocks that Conestoga Valley already names, Act 62 layers on a state insurance benefit worth up to $36,000 a year for an autistic person under 21 on a state-regulated plan. (source)
- Pennsylvania's main long-term-support waiver list topped 11,600 people statewide in recent counts, with roughly 980 of those registrants specifically identified as autistic, and reported waits running past seven years for some categories. (source)
Paying for support in Lancaster
Under PH-95, income stops being a barrier: a Lancaster County child under 18 who meets Social Security's disability standard qualifies for Pennsylvania Medicaid, and that is what opens PerformCare-funded IBHS and ABA.
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 Lancaster parents
Sources
- [1]Lancaster County BHDS — Early Intervention Services. Open source
- [2]Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 — Preschool Early Intervention. Open source
- [3]School District of Lancaster — Special Education. Open source
- [4]Conestoga Valley School District — Special Education. Open source
- [5]Penn State Health — Developmental Pediatrics. Open source
- [6]NeurAbilities Healthcare — Lancaster. Open source
- [7]Acclaim Autism — Lancaster Central. Open source
- [8]Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development. Open source
- [9]Lancaster County BHDS — Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities. Open source
- [10]Lancaster County BHDS — HealthChoices. Open source
- [11]PA DHS — Behavioral Health MCOs by county (PerformCare). Open source
- [12]Special Olympics Pennsylvania — Sports. Open source
- [13]Special Strong Lancaster County. Open source
- [14]PAAutism.org (ASERT). 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.