High-Quality ABA: A Parent’s Guide to Choosing the Right Provider for Your Child

Your child just got a diagnosis… and all you know is that “they said to get ABA therapy”. What is it and what does this all mean for your child and family now? The thoughts can be overwhelming, much less trying to learn about the new world you’re stepping into with a new diagnosis. 

We understand that finding the right ABA provider isn’t easy— there may be  multiple providers in your area to pick from, but at the same time there may be enormous wait lists. Here are some considerations to help you make decisions around selecting the best ABA provider for your child. 

So what is ABA? ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis which is really the application of the science of behavior. Using behavioral principles, therapists can more easily arrange opportunities within play and daily routines to create impactful learning moments. ABA therapy is typically the primary recommendation when receiving an autism diagnosis as it’s considered the gold standard for autism treatment and has been backed by evidence of its effectiveness for decades. 

Although ABA has been around for decades, it recently has become more accessible and has transformed over the decades. ABA therapy from the 80’s looks different from ABA being utilized by many providers nowadays. So is all ABA the same today? No, not really. Although the field has generally shifted to be a more caring and compassionate environment, focused on getting parents involved, and teaching skills that will benefit the individual in their future– there are different models and ways ABA can fit into an individual’s life. 

The next section will outline some topics parents may be unfamiliar with while looking for an ABA provider and our recommendations for how to approach them through a lens of selecting a high-quality ABA provider.

Core Traits of High-Quality ABA Providers

• Treatment Plans. Treatment plans are an important part of your child’s ongoing treatment as this tracks the goals and current progress toward those goals. This plan is typically for extended periods of time such as 6 months or even up to a year. 

  • High-quality treatment plans are individualized for the child based on a variety of information including assessments, their strengths, current skill deficits, current age and learning history, etc. 

  • A high-quality plan will prioritize goals based on the child’s needs specific to their learning profile, culture, and lifestyle. 

  • A quality plan will be developed with input from the family, recognizing that a family's priorities must be considered to develop a meaningful plan for the child.

  • Ask: “How are the treatment plans developed?” and “Can you tell me about what the treatment plans look like and the types of goals that are typical for a child like mine?”

• BCBA Involvement. A BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. This is a Master’s level therapist who completes assessments with you and your child, develops goals and treatment plans, and leads the team of therapists to teach the skills outlined in your child’s treatment plan. 

  • High-quality ABA will be structured in a way that allows for the BCBA to be well connected to the team through frequent communication (weekly) and is able to observe therapy sessions regularly to ensure quality of care. 

  • BCBAs have an assigned caseload, it is important that this caseload is manageable for them to support all their clients effectively. 

  • Ask: “How often will I be able to connect with my child’s BCBA?”, “How many clients will my BCBA oversee?”

• Assessments and Review of Data. Reviewing data and updating assessments regularly is important in making sure that the techniques being used to teach your child are actually moving them toward their goals. If they aren’t, updates to those teaching strategies should be modified in order to prioritize progress.. 

  • High-quality ABA providers will update assessments every 6-12 months (or more often if the child necessitates through their progress) depending on the type of assessment. They will also continually test other skills monthly or bi-monthly as well. 

  • Ask: “How often are assessments done?” and “How often does the case manager review my child’s data?” 

• Parent Involvement. Research shows us that parent involvement is key to achieving the best possible outcomes for children receiving ABA. 

  • High quality ABA programs work to involve parents and caregivers when possible. This can be done in a variety of ways including ongoing meetings, updates on your child’s progress, participating in a therapy session, or observing a session. 

  • Ask: ‘How can I be involved?”

• Collaboration with Other Professionals. If a child receives services from other professionals such as school personnel, physical therapy, speech therapy, or occupational therapy, it’s important that all professionals are able to collaborate when possible as the child can receive the best care this way. 

  • High-quality ABA providers will have a structure that allows for cross collaboration whether it be remotely or on-site. 

  • Ask: “My child receives speech therapy 1 time a week, would the team be able to collaborate with them?” 

• Policies. Every organization has their own policies, which affect the way services are provided, types of services offered, and other aspects of the day-to-day interactions. 

  • High quality ABA services will have a variety of policies, procedures, and protocols in place to keep their clients and employees safe while still being able to provide the services offered. 

  • If there are things your child regularly requires, be sure to inquire about how that would work with the current policies. (examples: can the team provide nutrition through a G-tube or NG-tube, can they support with toileting and/or toilet training, are there transportation options available, can medications be administered, cultural practices recognized)

  • Ask: any specific needs of your child and/or family 

All in all, you know your child best. While ABA therapy is the gold standard, not all ABA is created equally– just like no individual with autism is the same! Figuring out what is most important to you and figuring out your options from there can really help you feel empowered and able to take the next step in your child’s autism journey. Seeking additional support from local organizations such as Autism Societies, counselors, or other family and friends is very common as it’s a lot to navigate; so please do this if you feel you need some encouragement or support. 

The steps below can help guide you through the process if you find it difficult getting started with the whole process. 

Step 1. Search for ABA providers in your area.

• Some diagnosticians include a list of ABA providers in the area somewhere in the diagnostic evaluation. That can be a good place to start. You could also search online, contact your insurance carrier for a list, or connect with an Autism Society in your area. 

• During this step, include all possible providers in your area so you know all the options available to you. 

Step 2. Look into the specific services offered for the providers in your area.

• Some providers only offer services in a clinic or in your home while others offer either or a blended model.

• Some providers offer other services such as speech, occupational therapy, and/or physical therapy. 

• If there are any other aspects of services you’re interested in, look into those options on their website or make a list to ask during step 3 (e.g., language(s) services are offered in, consultation services in the school setting).

Step 3. Start contacting the service providers that seem to fit some of the needs of your child and family. 

• Use a form online through their website or directly call to get your questions answered.

• Determine what the next steps would be from that provider if your child would be able to start services there (e.g., fill out any paperwork, required tour, etc.) 

• Determine if the provider accepts your insurance and/or what the costs would be 

• Attempt to find out how long waitlists are so you can start figuring out which service provider(s) are most likely to serve your child as soon as possible with the services you’re looking for. 

Step 4. Do some more research on the quality of services the providers offer while you wait to hear back and learn more. 

• Think about what matters most to you (some examples include: what parent involvement looks like, the types of goals targeted, who is working with your child on a regular basis). 

• When looking for a high-quality service provider, refer to the Core Traits of High-Quality ABA below that references areas to learn more about. 

Step 5. Follow up with providers that you are most interested in. 

• For organizations that accept your insurance, follow up on a regular cadence to see where your child stands on any waitlists and/or if the provider received any information you submitted to them. 

Step 6. Seize the opportunity to start receiving ABA services for your child as soon as you’re able (under the right circumstances).

Author: Valerie Zimmerman, MS, BCBA

Vice President of Clinical, Quality and Outcomes at Mindcolor Autism