This is a very common question among parents of children with special needs. I always recommend voicing your concerns to your child’s pediatrician first. Next, you can seek out a professional who can perform a formal diagnostic evaluation on your child. This is typically done by someone who has a Doctorate degree in Psychology. This evaluation will consist of multiple assessments used to identify potential markers of Autism Spectrum Disorder. If the results of this evaluation indicate that a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder has been met, I recommend then reaching out to an ABA therapist who provides high quality and ethical therapy. If you are not ready or do not wish to receive the formal diagnostic evaluation, you can simply skip that step and reach out to a local ABA provider. That being said, MOST health insurance companies will fund a portion (if not all) of ABA therapy services if the individual receiving treatment has a formal diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. While having the diagnosis is not a requirement to receive ABA therapy, it may assist with the financial stress of the cost of therapy.
The frequency of ABA therapy is based upon the individual needs of each child and a professional recommendation should be provided to you upon initial ABA assessment conducted by a BCBA. Therapy frequency can range from 2 hours each week to 30 hours each week. It really depends on the unique needs of the child. Another factor in frequency of therapy is scheduling. A child who regularly attends school may receive less therapy than a child who does not simply based on schedule availability.
The location in which therapy takes place depends on the needs of the individual child. If a child is demonstrating struggles in the home setting, but not in the school setting, therapy should take place in the home. At times, therapy may be clinic based. This is helpful for rapport building and working on a variety of skill acquisition goals in a controlled setting. However, if this is the case, periodic sessions in the home should take place in order to ensure that the therapist and caregivers are working together.
Yes! All of our providers are approved to provide therapy in Walton County public schools.
Absolutely not! Research shows early intervention is very effective in promoting long term skill acquisition. According to the CDC, early intervention is particularly important because a child’s brain is most adaptable during the first few years of life, and early experiences significantly shape neural connections that are crucial for learning, behavior, and health.
