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Colorado Springs provider comparison, facts checked September 14, 2026

How Budding Futures compares with nine other ABA providers in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs has a deep ABA market, with centers along North Academy Boulevard, Tutt Boulevard and Quail Lake Loop, and many military families here also need to check TRICARE. This page puts Budding Futures next to nine other ABA providers that serve Colorado Springs families, one question at a time: where therapy happens, which ages each one takes, Health First Colorado, parent training and availability. If you already know you want therapy at home, our page on in-home ABA therapy in Colorado Springs covers how it works there.

Budding Futures ABA publishes this comparison. We list ourselves first because we can describe our own program in the most detail. The order is not a ranking, and every fact about another provider comes from that provider's own website or the state Medicaid list.

A therapist and young child playing a matching game in a living room
30 providers

on Health First Colorado's behavioral therapy list name Colorado Springs in their service area. This page compares the ones parents are most likely to call.

The comparison at a glance

Each row is one provider and each column is one thing parents compare. Budding Futures is the first row because we publish this page. Tap a name to jump to its full write-up, or read the sections below for one question at a time.

"Not stated" means the provider's website did not say, not that the answer is no. "On the state list" means the provider appears on Health First Colorado's Pediatric Behavioral Therapies provider list. Checked September 14, 2026.
ProviderSettingAgesUnder 3Parent trainingHealth First ColoradoAvailabilityFits families who
1. Budding Futures ABA
Publisher of this guide
In-homeSchool
18 months to 18 years
From 18 months
Built into every plan, 10 to 20% of hours
On the state list
Says no waitlist
want therapy at home, starting as young as 18 months
2. InBloom Autism Services
Center
18 months to 5 years
From 18 months
Direct coaching with a BCBA
Not stated
Not stated
want a play-based center built for toddlers and preschoolers
3. Action Behavior Centers
Center
18 months to 8 years
From 18 months
BCBA family sessions twice a month
On the state list
Says no waitlist
want a center for a child 18 months to 8
4. Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education
CenterTelehealth
18 months to 12 years
From 18 months
About 1 hour a week with your BCBA
Website says yes
Says no waitlist
want a clinic with small caseloads for a child 18 months to 12
5. Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG)
In-homeCenterSchoolDaycare or community
18 months to 10 years
From 18 months
Ongoing family training
Website says yes
Not stated
want home, clinic and school support from a local group
6. ACES ABA
In-homeCenterSchoolDaycare or communityTelehealth
From 18 months
From 18 months
At least 1 hour a month recommended
Not stated
Not stated
want home, center or school ABA from a long-running Colorado provider
7. Family Support Center
In-homeCenterDaycare or community
15 months to 17 years
From 15 months
Yes
Not stated
Not stated
want ABA, speech and OT under one roof in Southern Colorado
8. By Your Side Autism Therapy
In-homeCenterDaycare or community
From 2 years
From 2 years
Caregiver sessions in every plan
On the state list
Not stated
want center or in-home ABA with caregiver sessions built in
9. Mindcolor Autism Centers
Center
2 to 9 years
From 2 years
Monthly family guidance sessions
On the state list
Mentions a waitlist
want a full-day center program for ages 2 to 9
10. Alpine Autism Center
Center
Not stated
Yes
BCBA-led training at home
Not stated
Not stated
want a long-running nonprofit center

Home or center: where each provider works

Five of the ten providers here offer ABA in your home: Budding Futures ABA, Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG), ACES ABA, Family Support Center and By Your Side Autism Therapy. Nine run a center: InBloom Autism Services, Action Behavior Centers, Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education, Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG), ACES ABA, Family Support Center, By Your Side Autism Therapy, Mindcolor Autism Centers and Alpine Autism Center. Several do both, so ask which setting has openings for your child's age.

Budding Futures ABA does not run a center at all. With that provider, sessions happen at home and, depending on the provider, in daycare, the community or at school. Budding Futures works in homes across Colorado and inside schools when the district allows it.

Which setting fits your child

If this sounds like your childLook atWhy
Most struggles happen at home: meals, sleep, potty training, getting dressedIn-homeThe therapist works on the routine in the place it happens.
Your child is 18 months to 3 and not in daycareIn-home or a toddler centerBoth work. Home keeps a young child in a familiar place; a center adds other kids.
You want peer play and a classroom-style dayCenter-basedCenters can run groups and practice-classroom programs a home cannot.
You need several hours of care away from home while you workCenter-basedA center schedule doubles as structured time out of the house.
A new adult at home is likely to upset your childCenter-based to startHome is some children's one safe space. Starting elsewhere can be gentler.
Your child is in preschool or school and struggles thereA provider that works with schoolsAsk whether they can support your child at school where the district allows it.

"The RBTs and BCBA came over once a week for few weeks to spend one hour with him to make him get used to them at home. They played, walked around the block, did puzzles."

a parent on r/Autism_Parenting, on Reddit

Ages each provider takes, and who starts under 3

Budding Futures ABA, InBloom Autism Services, Action Behavior Centers, Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education, Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG), ACES ABA, Family Support Center, By Your Side Autism Therapy, Mindcolor Autism Centers and Alpine Autism Center say they work with children under 3. Some centers stop at age 5, 8 or 10, so the upper age matters too if your child is already in school. Alpine Autism Center does not publish an age range, so ask on the first call.

  • Budding Futures ABA: 18 months to 18 years
  • InBloom Autism Services: 18 months to 5 years
  • Action Behavior Centers: 18 months to 8 years
  • Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education: 18 months to 12 years
  • Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG): 18 months to 10 years
  • ACES ABA: From 18 months
  • Family Support Center: 15 months to 17 years
  • By Your Side Autism Therapy: From 2 years
  • Mindcolor Autism Centers: 2 to 9 years
  • Alpine Autism Center: Not stated

For a child under 3, Colorado's free Early Intervention program can run alongside ABA, and with your permission the two teams share goals. Here is how that works with Budding Futures: early intervention ABA in Colorado Springs.

Health First Colorado and insurance, provider by provider

Budding Futures ABA, Action Behavior Centers, By Your Side Autism Therapy and Mindcolor Autism Centers appear on Health First Colorado's Pediatric Behavioral Therapies provider list. Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education and Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG) say on their own websites that they take Health First Colorado. InBloom Autism Services, ACES ABA, Family Support Center and Alpine Autism Center do not say either way.

If your child has Health First Colorado, the state's behavioral therapy benefit does not require an autism diagnosis when therapy is medically necessary. Colorado Springs is in El Paso County, where Medicaid is managed regionally by Colorado Community Health Alliance (CCHA). With private insurance, ask each provider to check your exact plan before the first session, because the same carrier can cover ABA differently from one employer plan to the next.

Parent training: who builds it in

Ten of the ten providers describe parent training or parent involvement on their websites. The wording differs from site to site, so the list below uses each provider's own description.

  • Budding Futures ABA: Built into every plan, 10 to 20% of hours
  • InBloom Autism Services: Direct coaching with a BCBA
  • Action Behavior Centers: BCBA family sessions twice a month
  • Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education: About 1 hour a week with your BCBA
  • Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG): Ongoing family training
  • ACES ABA: At least 1 hour a month recommended
  • Family Support Center: Yes
  • By Your Side Autism Therapy: Caregiver sessions in every plan
  • Mindcolor Autism Centers: Monthly family guidance sessions
  • Alpine Autism Center: BCBA-led training at home

At Budding Futures, parent coaching takes 10 to 20% of therapy hours and is written into every plan, so the skills your child learns with the therapist keep working at dinner and bedtime.

Availability and waitlists as published

On their websites, Budding Futures ABA, Action Behavior Centers and Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education say there is no waitlist. Mindcolor Autism Centers mentions a waitlist or an intake that depends on openings. The other six do not publish anything about availability.

Openings change month to month, so ask two questions on the first call: is there a wait for the assessment, and is a therapist free at the hours your child needs.

What the ten providers publish, counted

Take children under 310 of 10
Offer therapy in your home5 of 10
Offer therapy at a center9 of 10
Describe parent training on their site10 of 10
Publish anything about a waitlist4 of 10
Appear on the Health First Colorado provider list4 of 10

Counts include Budding Futures. "Publish anything about a waitlist" means the site says there is, or is not, a waitlist; three say there is none. Separately, 30 providers on the state's Pediatric Behavioral Therapies list name Colorado Springs in their service area, and 3 more name only the county.

The providers, one by one

Each write-up covers setting, ages, parent involvement, insurance and availability, using only what the provider publishes. Budding Futures comes first because this is our site and we can describe our own program in the most detail. The rest follow in no particular order.

1Budding Futures ABA

Fits families who want therapy at home, starting as young as 18 months

Budding Futures is an in-home ABA practice. Therapy happens in your living room, your kitchen and the bathroom your child actually uses, with a behavior technician in the room and a BCBA running the plan. In Colorado Springs our therapists travel to families, including homes in Fountain and Monument.

What therapy looks like for a young child

We see children from 18 months up to 18 years. Early sessions for a toddler center on play and daily routines, using Natural Environment Teaching, so new skills show up during meals, bath time and getting dressed. Sessions are play-based and assent-based. Your child can take breaks, and we do not use punishment-based techniques.

Parent coaching and the same therapist

Every plan includes structured parent coaching, typically 10 to 20% of treatment hours. That time is for you: how to prompt a request, how to handle a transition, what to do when a meltdown starts. We also keep the same technician with your child from week to week.

Who runs your child's plan

Rachel Blackburn, BCBA, leads the clinical team. Your child's BCBA starts with a VB-MAPP or ABLLS-R assessment at home, then supervises about 20% of therapy hours, four times the BACB minimum. Each session is recorded in CentralReach, so progress shows up as data you can see.

School, insurance and start times

When a child is in school, we reach out to the school and work to get our therapist in the classroom. Access depends on the district's rules for outside providers, so we cannot promise it, but we ask. More on how that works: school-based ABA in Colorado Springs.

On insurance: Health First Colorado (Medicaid) is accepted under Provider Types 83 and 84, and so are Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem BCBS and TRICARE. The benefits check is free. There is no balance billing, and most Health First Colorado families pay nothing out of pocket. No waitlist. Most families finish intake in a couple of weeks and begin as soon as authorization clears.

Setting
In-home, School
Ages
18 months to 18 years
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Built into every plan, 10 to 20% of hours
Health First Colorado
On the state provider list
Availability
Website says no waitlist
Location
Therapists come to homes across Colorado Springs

2InBloom Autism Services

Fits families who want a play-based center built for toddlers and preschoolers

InBloom focuses on children 18 months to 5 years at two Colorado Springs learning centers. Therapy is play-based, and the centers include simulated classroom spaces to get children ready for school. InBloom also offers in-house diagnostic evaluations in Colorado Springs, and parents get direct coaching from a BCBA. Its center closest to Colorado Springs is at 1050 S Academy Blvd, Suite 140, Colorado Springs, CO 80910.

Worth a call if your child is under 5 and you want a center designed around early learning and school readiness.

From InBloom Autism Services's website (source 1, source 2), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
Center
Ages
18 months to 5 years
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Direct coaching with a BCBA
Health First Colorado
Not stated
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
1050 S Academy Blvd, Suite 140, Colorado Springs, CO 80910

3Action Behavior Centers

Fits families who want a center for a child 18 months to 8

Action Behavior Centers runs center-based ABA for children 18 months to 8 years old. Its site says in-home therapy is only offered in Texas, so in Colorado this is a center program. Each child's BCBA leads Family Guidance sessions twice a month, the company offers autism diagnostic evaluations, and its site says there is no waitlist. Its center closest to Colorado Springs is at 6825 Silver Ponds Heights, Colorado Springs, CO 80908.

Worth a call if you want a structured center with other kids, your child is under 9, and you may also need a diagnosis.

From Action Behavior Centers's website (source 1, source 2, source 3), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
Center
Ages
18 months to 8 years
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
BCBA family sessions twice a month
Health First Colorado
On the state provider list
Availability
Website says no waitlist
Nearest location
6825 Silver Ponds Heights, Colorado Springs, CO 80908
A therapist giving a child a high five at a play table

4Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education

Fits families who want a clinic with small caseloads for a child 18 months to 12

Cultivate runs three Colorado Springs clinics for children 18 months to 12 years and does not offer in-home therapy. It recommends parents spend at least an hour a week with their child's BCBA, and it says it keeps caseloads smaller on purpose. The site says there is no waitlist and lists Health First Colorado, TRICARE and major commercial plans. Its center closest to Colorado Springs is at 6140 Tutt Boulevard, Ste 200, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80923.

Worth a call if you want clinic-based ABA with regular BCBA time for you, including military families on TRICARE.

From Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education's website (source 1, source 2, source 3), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
Center, Telehealth
Ages
18 months to 12 years
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
About 1 hour a week with your BCBA
Health First Colorado
Website says it accepts Medicaid
Availability
Website says no waitlist
Nearest location
6140 Tutt Boulevard, Ste 200, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80923

5Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG)

Fits families who want home, clinic and school support from a local group

CBLG offers ABA at its North Academy clinic, at home and at school, for ages 18 months to 10 at that location. It says every CBLG location is licensed by the state Department of Human Services. It accepts TRICARE, Medicaid, Aetna, Anthem, Cigna and UHC. Its center closest to Colorado Springs is at 2976 N. Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO.

Worth a call if you want flexibility between home and clinic and a provider that takes TRICARE.

From Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG)'s website (source 1, source 2, source 3), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
In-home, Center, School, Daycare or community
Ages
18 months to 10 years
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Ongoing family training
Health First Colorado
Website says it accepts Medicaid
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
2976 N. Academy Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO

6ACES ABA

Fits families who want home, center or school ABA from a long-running Colorado provider

ACES ABA has operated in Colorado since 2009 and serves children from 18 months at home, in centers and at school. Therapy is play-based and child-led, with methods including DTT, NET and PECS. ACES recommends at least an hour of parent training a month and offers Spanish-language services. Its center closest to Colorado Springs is at 1330 Quail Lake Loop, Suite 120, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.

Worth a call if you want a provider with both a center and in-home option and a long Colorado track record.

From ACES ABA's website (source 1, source 2, source 3), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
In-home, Center, School, Daycare or community, Telehealth
Ages
From 18 months
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
At least 1 hour a month recommended
Health First Colorado
Not stated
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
1330 Quail Lake Loop, Suite 120, Colorado Springs, CO 80906

7Family Support Center

Fits families who want ABA, speech and OT under one roof in Southern Colorado

Family Support Center has served Southern Colorado since 2012, with ABA therapists, occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists on one team. It works with children 15 months to 17 years at home and in its centers, and offers diagnostic consultations for families who do not have a diagnosis yet. Its center closest to Colorado Springs is at 1330 Quail Lake Loop STE 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80906.

Worth a call if your child needs more than ABA, or you still need a diagnosis before therapy can start.

From Family Support Center's website (source 1, source 2, source 3), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
In-home, Center, Daycare or community
Ages
15 months to 17 years
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Yes
Health First Colorado
Not stated
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
1330 Quail Lake Loop STE 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80906

8By Your Side Autism Therapy

Fits families who want center or in-home ABA with caregiver sessions built in

By Your Side has operated since 2009 and offers ABA at its Colorado Springs center and at home, with an early intervention band for ages 2 to 5. Caregiver support sessions are built into every treatment plan. It offers diagnostic services and accepts Medicaid and major insurers including Aetna, Anthem and Cigna. Its center closest to Colorado Springs is at 8415 Explorer Drive, Suite 130, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.

Worth a call if your child is 2 or older and you want caregiver sessions written into the plan from the start.

From By Your Side Autism Therapy's website (source 1, source 2, source 3), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
In-home, Center, Daycare or community
Ages
From 2 years
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Caregiver sessions in every plan
Health First Colorado
On the state provider list
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
8415 Explorer Drive, Suite 130, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

9Mindcolor Autism Centers

Fits families who want a full-day center program for ages 2 to 9

Mindcolor runs center programs in age bands: Growing Minds for ages 2 to 5, with 6 to 8 hours a day, and Colorful Connections for ages 6 to 9. It offers diagnostic evaluations and accepts TRICARE and Medicaid. Its intake depends on openings at each center, so ask about the wait when you call. Its center closest to Colorado Springs is at 7606 N Union Blvd, Ste 100, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.

Worth a call if you want a full-day, school-like center schedule and can wait for an opening if there is one.

From Mindcolor Autism Centers's website (source 1, source 2, source 3), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
Center
Ages
2 to 9 years
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Monthly family guidance sessions
Health First Colorado
On the state provider list
Availability
Website mentions a waitlist
Nearest location
7606 N Union Blvd, Ste 100, Colorado Springs, CO 80920

10Alpine Autism Center

Fits families who want a long-running nonprofit center

Alpine Autism Center is a private nonprofit that opened in Colorado Springs in October 2005. It provides one-to-one ABA at its center using methods including Discrete Trial Teaching, Natural Environment Teaching and Verbal Behavior, and BCBAs train parents in the home so progress carries over. Its center closest to Colorado Springs is at 2760 Fieldstone Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919.

Worth a call if a nonprofit with a long local history matters to you and you prefer center-based care.

From Alpine Autism Center's website (source 1, source 2, source 3), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
Center
Ages
Not stated
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
BCBA-led training at home
Health First Colorado
Not stated
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
2760 Fieldstone Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80919

What Budding Futures does differently for Colorado Springs families

  • Therapy comes to you. Budding Futures does not run a center. Sessions happen in your home and, when the district allows it, inside your child's school.
  • From 18 months to 18 years. A toddler can start with us, and the same team can stay with your child through the school years.
  • Parents are coached, not just updated. Ten to 20% of therapy hours go to parent coaching, written into the plan.
  • One therapist your child knows. We keep the same technician with your child, so sessions do not restart with a stranger.
  • A named BCBA on every plan. Rachel Blackburn, BCBA, is our Clinical Director, and about 20% of hours are supervised by a BCBA when clinically appropriate.
  • No current waitlist. We do not have a waitlist for the assessment right now, and most Health First Colorado families pay $0.

If you want a center with other kids and a classroom-style day, InBloom Autism Services, Action Behavior Centers, Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education, Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG), ACES ABA, Family Support Center, By Your Side Autism Therapy, Mindcolor Autism Centers and Alpine Autism Center are the providers on this list that run one.

Questions about comparing ABA providers in Colorado Springs

Which providers on this Colorado Springs list take Health First Colorado?
Budding Futures ABA, Action Behavior Centers, By Your Side Autism Therapy and Mindcolor Autism Centers appear on Health First Colorado's Pediatric Behavioral Therapies provider list. Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education and Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG) say on their own websites that they take Health First Colorado. Coverage details change, so ask each provider to confirm your child's plan before the first session.
Is Budding Futures the only provider here without a center?
Yes. Budding Futures is the only provider on this list that does not run a center. Sessions happen at home, and inside a school when the district allows it. Every other provider here runs at least one center.
How do the providers compare on parent training?
Ten of the ten providers describe parent training or parent involvement on their websites, in their own words. At Budding Futures, parent coaching takes 10 to 20% of therapy hours and is part of every plan. Ask each provider how many hours a month go to parents.
Can we switch ABA providers after we start?
Yes. Coverage belongs to your child, not to the provider. A new provider usually runs its own assessment and asks your plan for its own authorization, so ask how long that takes before you end services with the old one.

How we built this comparison

We started with Health First Colorado's Pediatric Behavioral Therapies provider list and the providers Colorado Springs parents are most likely to find and call. We kept providers with a location in or near Colorado Springs, or a service page naming it, and read each one's website on September 14, 2026. Every fact about another provider matches text on its own site. If a site did not say something, the table says "Not stated." Providers change hours, ages and insurance often, so confirm details when you call.

  1. InBloom Autism Services: website
  2. Action Behavior Centers: website
  3. Cultivate Behavioral Health & Education: website
  4. Colorado Behavior and Learning Group (CBLG): website
  5. ACES ABA: website
  6. Family Support Center: website
  7. By Your Side Autism Therapy: website
  8. Mindcolor Autism Centers: website
  9. Alpine Autism Center: website
  10. Health First Colorado: Pediatric Behavioral Therapies provider list and benefit page

Talk to a BCBA about your child in Colorado Springs

Tell us your child's age and what you are seeing at home. We will check your insurance for free and tell you honestly whether in-home ABA is the right fit, even if another provider on this list suits you better.

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