Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Soar Autism Center Announce Partnership to Expand Access to Early Autism Care

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Soar Autism Center today announced a new partnership to bring best-in-class autism care to patient families in the Philadelphia region. This first-of-its kind collaboration will establish the CHOP-Soar Autism Center network, providing teams of outpatient autism therapists to fully support families following diagnosis through therapy.

Families of children with autism often struggle to find access to quality, coordinated, and research-backed autism care. Delays in care are common, with families often experiencing long waitlists following an autism diagnosis. Recognizing this gap, CHOP and Soar are uniting to create a partnership that coordinates both medical and therapeutic support.

Each CHOP-Soar Autism Center – beginning with the first location near CHOP Pediatric Primary Care in Newtown, Pennsylvania – will offer speech, occupational, and behavioral therapy services for children through age 6 under one roof, providing integrated, in-center care during children's most critical years of development. The centers will offer full- and half-day program options using a research-based, play-focused approach that helps young children with autism build communication, social, and cognitive skills in a nurturing environment.

"At CHOP, we are committed to delivering the best possible care for our patients, and we recognize that families in the autism community often struggle to access the services and therapy they need," said Nathan J. Blum, MD, Chief of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Our new partnership with Soar is grounded in collaboration, allowing us to extend the reach of CHOP's network in a new and innovative way. Whether it's cutting-edge research from our Center for Autism Research or recently established Lurie Autism Institute, we know that bringing together knowledge and resources benefits all those touched by autism."

Each CHOP-Soar Autism Center will provide tailored care that values each child's individuality and potential. Therapists will collaborate directly with each child's medical team – whether within the CHOP Primary Care network, the CHOP Autism Integrated Care Program, or another care provider – to ensure each family receives coordinated, comprehensive care and support every step of the way.

"Our mission has always been to provide children with the most effective and compassionate care possible," said Ian Goldstein, MD, MPH, Co-Founder and CEO of Soar Autism Center. "Partnering with CHOP allows us to elevate that mission, coupling Soar's autism therapy services with CHOP's unmatched clinical and research excellence."

The CHOP-Soar Autism Center network builds upon CHOP's comprehensive approach to care and longtime commitment to children living with autism. In addition to expanding autism care through this partnership, CHOP has led robust research in this space, recently bolstered by the creation of the Lurie Autism Institute to help understand the causes of autism and how to develop interventions, support systems and therapies.

The first CHOP-Soar Autism Center in Newtown, PA, opened earlier this month, with plans for several additional locations across CHOP's existing footprint over time. 

For more information about CHOP-Soar Autism Center or to inquire about enrollment, visit https://www.chop-soar.com or reach out to our media contacts.

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: 
A non-profit, charitable organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. CHOP also operates the Middleman Family Pavilion and its dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia, the Behavioral Health and Crisis Center (including a 24/7 Crisis Response Center) and the Center for Advanced Behavioral Healthcare, a mental health outpatient facility. Its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit https://www.chop.edu.

About Soar Autism Center:
Soar Autism Center – initially founded in Denver, CO – is a rapidly growing network of interdisciplinary autism centers spanning metro regions across Colorado and Arizona dedicated to transforming early intervention for young children. Serving children up to age six, Soar provides an integrated model of care that brings together speech, occupational, and behavioral therapy under one roof. Soar's programs are rooted in the Early Start Denver Model, or ESDM, which is a research-backed developmental-behavioral approach that uses play, relationships, and natural routines to help young children build foundational skills. This unique evidence-based and child-centered model creates life-changing outcomes that help children make meaningful progress and "soar." With a commitment to expanding access to high-quality, coordinated autism services, Soar continues to grow its footprint to support families and caregivers in their autism journey. For more information, visit https://www.soarautismcenter.com.

Contact: Ben Leach
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
(609) 634-7906
[email protected]

Emily Looney
CHOP-Soar Autism Center
(215) 440-6640
[email protected]

SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia