You can reach Kyo’s Client Services team by calling (877) 264-6747 or by emailing clientservices@kyocare.com. You may also schedule an appointment with our team to start the process of enrolling in ABA therapy by visiting our enrollment page.
Choosing a provider who will understand your child’s needs and provide a therapy model that fits with your values can be a daunting task. There are numerous ABA therapy agencies and therapy options, and it can often be difficult to tell from a website what those therapy services will look like. When looking for a provider, it can be helpful to ask to speak to a clinician in your area, to discuss their experience, methodology, and philosophy of treatment. Let them know what style of ABA you are looking for and ask if that’s something they provide. Don’t be afraid to ask about the training and experience that is required of the staff that will be working directly with your child. Provider availability and wait lists may also be a factor in your decision; ask what the wait times are for the providers in your area. Gather information on how much involvement will be required of caregivers and how convenient it is to change the time, location, or therapist, if needed. ABA is a goal-based therapy with measurable outcomes for your child. Talk with the provider about how progress with therapy will be measured.
Just because you start with one ABA agency doesn’t mean you have to stay with them, if you feel it’s not working for you or your family. You can request to change providers and try another agency that may be better aligned with your preferences.
Before starting ABA therapy, caregivers should consult their child’s physician. Your child may need to be assessed and given a formal diagnosis or recommendation from their physician in order to qualify for services. Next caregivers should contact their insurance provider or the ABA provider of their choice. The ABA provider will work with you and your insurance company to secure authorization to begin an assessment for ABA services. After the assessment is completed, the assessing clinician will determine whether ABA therapy is appropriate for your child. If so, they will submit their recommendation for treatment to your insurance provider. In some cases, ABA therapy may be provided by your child’s school district as part of your child’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP), or it may be provided through a community health center or public agency. Some families who do not have ABA as a covered benefit may elect to pay for services out of pocket.
At Kyo, starting ABA services is easy. You can book an appointment directly on our website to enroll directly. Our client services team or local regional director will be able to let you know if there is a wait time for an assessment.
If your child is receiving ABA therapy you may be wondering how to tell if your child is enrolled in a “high-quality” program. We recommend parents consider the following things when evaluating their child’s program:
The type and amount of insurance coverage your child can receive is determined by your individual insurance plan, as well as your child’s needs. Generally, state funded insurance plans must comply with all state laws regarding ABA therapy for qualifying individuals. Self-funded or federal insurance plans are not required to follow state law, as they are regulated by federal laws. All 50 states currently have laws in place requiring some level of coverage for individuals with an autism diagnosis; however, the amount of coverage can vary by state. In most states, Medicaid also covers ABA services for individuals under the age of 21, when ABA treatment is deemed to be medically necessary by their physician.
To learn more about insurance coverage in your state, look here.
If you are interested in enrolling in services with Kyo, we welcome you to contact our client services department to determine whether ABA therapy is a covered benefit under your health insurance plan. Kyo is proud to be in network with most major private insurance companies, as well as Medicaid and TRICARE. To see which insurance providers we work with in your area, please refer to our locations web page, or book an appointment to speak with one of our team members.
ABA therapy can be started at any age, but research has shown that it is best to start as early as possible. Children under the age of five have been shown to make the quickest gains over time in targeted skill areas. Each year, one in four children under the age of five are identified by their family doctors as being “at risk” for developmental delays. Such identifications are made by pediatricians during routine screenings at annual check-ups. Pediatricians and preschool teachers often recommend speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or ABA therapy (Applied Behavior Analysis) as interventions, depending on a child’s specific needs. Many states now provide resources and therapy options for “at risk” children under the age of five who cannot otherwise access treatment without a formal diagnosis. Reach out to your pediatrician if you have concerns about your child’s development.
The BCBA assessing your child will consider many factors when making an individualized recommendation for weekly therapy hours. These include standardized assessment scores, developmental level, age, severity of behaviors, and family priorities. We believe quality of time, over quantity, creates the best possible results.
An ABA assessment at Kyo includes the following steps:
An autism diagnosis is not required to receive ABA therapy, but it is usually required in order for the cost to be covered by medical insurance. While most private insurance companies require a formal autism diagnosis to qualify for coverage of ABA therapy, there are some insurance policies that only require that ABA therapy be prescribed by a physician. If a family would like to try ABA therapy without a formal diagnosis, they can choose to pay out of pocket, but this can be cost-prohibitive for many families. While ABA therapy is most commonly prescribed for people diagnosed with autism, research has shown that ABA therapy can also be an effective treatment for other developmental disorders. Consult your child’s physician to see if ABA therapy is an option for your child.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is an intensive treatment model based on the science of behavior and learning. ABA therapy is useful in teaching new skills and in decreasing challenging behaviors. ABA therapy has been extensively researched and is widely accepted as the best treatment for people diagnosed with autism. It is considered an evidence-based best practice treatment by the U.S. Surgeon General and the American Psychological Association.
ABA therapy is generally provided by a team of trained clinicians, including a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) and several behavior therapists. The BCBA generally oversees your child’s program, completes the assessment of your child, creates a skill acquisition and/or behavior intervention plan, and works with your insurance provider to get authorization for your child’s program. Some health plans also provide funding for a mid-level program supervisor; they implement the plan created by the BCBA and provide additional guidance to the behavior therapists. Behavior therapists (also called behavior technicians) work directly with your child to implement their treatment plan during therapy sessions.
ABA therapy is often provided in a child’s natural environments including their home, school or other community locations where they regularly spend time and require support. Sometimes ABA is provided in therapy centers. The BCBA who assesses your child will make a recommendation for the location of therapy services based on their observations of your child and information that you provide to them during the evaluation process.
Each child’s therapy program is guided by their unique interests and goals. Generally speaking, ABA therapy sessions involve a behavior therapist working directly with your child to teach new skills. Therapy sessions are often naturalistic and play-based, with the therapist using a fun, quick pace of instruction. While some skills may be taught using highly structured learning tasks, many skills can be learned through play. The behavior therapist may bring additional materials to sessions such as visual schedules, token boards and novel games in order to work on your child’s goals. During some sessions a program supervisor or Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) will provide feedback and modeling to the behavior therapist to ensure the programs are being implemented correctly.
ABA therapy focuses on developing skills that are determined to be important for the child and their family. Programs generally target two main areas: behavior regulation and skill acquisition. All of the goals in your child’s program will be based on an assessment of their current skills and designed specifically for them.
Choosing a therapy and a provider for your child is a significant decision. We believe all families should research the options available to them before deciding on what services will be most beneficial for their child. There is a seemingly endless amount of information available on the internet about ABA therapy, its various methodologies, and its efficacy. When looking for information, it’s important to consider the source. While there is a large body of scientific research on ABA, there are also some websites providing misinformation and/or a very narrow view of ABA therapy.
Some resources we recommend are:
This free printable resource for families of children with autism provides an overview of what ABA therapy is and when to use it.
View ResourceReady to enroll your child in Kyo’s therapy services? Please schedule a convenient time to connect with us below. Not ready to enroll just yet? Call us at (877) 264 6747 or email clientservices@kyocare.com to set up a free consultation or to learn more about Kyo’s services in your region.
