About The Center

The Knapp Center for Childhood Development is the only fully evidenced based ABA program in our tri-county area. The Knapp Center opened in October 2010 as a diagnostic and treatment facility for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder. Our staff utilizes evidenced based methodology of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). All our staff are trained, certified and/or licensed in ABA and all our patients receive 1:1 care with our highly qualified staff.

Since our inception in 2010, the Knapp Center services have expanded to meet the needs of the community we serve. Below is our historical timeline of our milestones in our journey of serving those with autism.


The Knapp Center is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism, providing evidenced based treatment and advocating for the needs of children with autism and their families. We have remained true to our mission, which includes:

The mission of the Knapp Center for Childhood Development is to collaborate with individuals with developmental disabilities and their families to improve overall quality of life and community inclusion. The Center accomplishes this mission through individualized treatment programs, training, and workshops, advocacy, community partnerships, and measuring the outcomes of our programs in order to continuously improve the quality of care offered.


The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) has recognized the Knapp Center for Childhood Development with a 2-Year Accreditation (2017-2019), acknowledging the organization as a top ABA service provider in the country. The BHCOE Accreditation recognizes exceptional behavioral health providers that excel in the areas of clinical quality, staff satisfaction and qualifications, and consumer satisfaction.

“The Knapp Center clearly strives for and achieves clinical excellence while utilizing current best practices in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). This provider exemplifies dedication to providing ethical and effective care while maintaining consumer and staff satisfaction,” said Sara Gershfeld Litvak, Founder of BHCOE. “We are excited to congratulate the Clinical Director, Dr. Julie Knapp, and her team on running a top-quality ABA program that is an indispensable resource for the Boardman area autism community and beyond.”

BHCOE Accreditation is the only ABA-specific accreditation. Acting as a third-party, the organization systematically measures and reports on existing quality criteria in the behavior analysis community using standardized methods and practices, and accredits only those service agencies that meet these standards. The Knapp Center has received this award of distinction, being recognized as a top 10% of ABA providers in the country, and first in Ohio to receive this recognition.

“At the Knapp Center, we are passionate about providing research-driven, effective care to our clients to make meaningful social, behavioral, and cognitive changes. We take pride in our team of dedicated and skilled therapists who are the foundation of the quality services we provide. We strive to be a premier employer and a premier provider of ABA services and feel honored to receive this Award of Accreditation from the BHCOE that reflects our values,” said Dr. Julie Knapp, PhD, BCBA-D, “We are incredibly excited to be the first provider in Ohio to earn this Accreditation from the BHCOE and we look forward to continuing to provide ethical and effective behavior analysis while striving for the highest standards within our industry.”

About Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) The Behavioral Health Center of Excellence is a trusted source that recognizes top-performing behavioral health providers. BHCOE offers a third-party measurement system that differentiates top services providers from exceptional services providers. The BHCOE criterion features standards that subject-matter experts developed to measure state-of-the-art behavioral health services. For more information, visit www.bhcoe.org.