Path to Services

Autism Diagnosis

Obtaining a formal ASD diagnosis is the first step on the path to services. This is important because autism currently is the only condition for which insurance providers will cover ABA services. If your child does not have a diagnosis but you have concerns regarding their development and are interested in receiving an evaluation, please feel free to contact us. While we don’t provide diagnostic evaluation services as an ABA therapy provider, we can offer guidance and resources to connect you with the appropriate local professionals and ensure your family’s needs are being met.

Consultation

Introduction to services at ACNC will begin with a preliminary phone interview to discuss your family’s needs. We will talk through your primary concerns and reasons for seeking treatment, collect some necessary background information, and answer any questions you may have. Together we will determine whether or not ABA therapy at ACNC is the best fit for your child.

Assessment & Treatment Plan

Once we have established that ABA therapy is the right fit, the next step is to complete a formal assessment with a BCBA. This process will not only allow us to evaluate skill deficits and behavioral concerns, but also identify key strengths that can form the foundation of future treatment success. The results of the assessment, in conjunction with a thorough discussion of your goals, will guide the direction of therapy for your child. We will develop an individualized plan that includes objective, client-specific goals and outlines a path to achieve them.

Services

After matching your child with a therapy team and determining the schedule that works best for your family, we are ready to begin services. The therapy team will consist of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and one or more behavior technicians. The role of the technician is to work with your child directly in a one-on-one format, implementing the therapy program while collecting data on your child’s progress. The BCBA is responsible for completing regular assessments, analyzing data on an ongoing basis, providing direct and indirect supervision, modifying treatment protocols as needed, conducting family training sessions, and otherwise overseeing and directing the course of treatment.

While ABA tends to be delivered on a more intensive schedule than other modes of therapy, the precise number of weekly treatment hours can vary widely depending on the individual needs of the client. Prior to beginning services, your child’s BCBA will present a clinical recommendation based on the amount of time per week considered necessary to address your child’s goals. We will work with you to determine a consistent schedule that aligns with our clinical recommendation.