S. Carolina: Not enough autism providers for growing population

April 30, 2026, South Carolina families face autism provider shortage, turn to alternative care

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. - Thousands of South Carolina families raising children with autism are unable to find help as providers struggle to keep up with demand.

Finding help for a child with autism in South Carolina can take years because the state does not have enough providers, though one family found help from a chiropractor.

Growing demand, limited providers

As the number of residents grows, the number of providers isn’t keeping up. Many families are left to find solutions on their own.

“One of the challenges we have is that there’s a growing population of people with autism diagnosis in South Carolina,” James Merklinger, executive director of the Autism Society of South Carolina, said. “We don’t have enough providers around the state, and one thing that’s important to highlight is that people with autism, it is a spectrum, so the needs vary greatly.”

The services that do exist are concentrated in metropolitan areas. Even there, Merklinger said it’s not enough. Families often have to find their own way, leaning on each other to navigate a system that can’t keep up and find services that fit their needs. . . .

While the provider gap in South Carolina is far from solved, the SC Autism Society said it is available to help connect families to providers in their area and find support groups.

Because autism is a spectrum, the right support looks different for every family, but it is out there.