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Fort Collins provider comparison, facts checked September 14, 2026

How Budding Futures compares with eight other ABA providers in Fort Collins

Fort Collins has a handful of ABA centers of its own, plus in-home providers that cover Larimer County. This page puts Budding Futures next to eight other ABA providers that serve Fort Collins 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 Fort Collins 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 child building a block tower together
10 providers

on Health First Colorado's behavioral therapy list name Fort Collins 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. 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
3. BlueSprig Autism
In-homeCenterSchoolDaycare or communityTelehealth
Birth to 18 years
Yes
Yes
Website says yes
Not stated
want an age-banded center program with a start in the first years
4. Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD)
In-homeCenterSchoolDaycare or community
From 18 months
From 18 months
Online Skills for Parents program
On the state list
Says no waitlist
want a national provider with center, home and school options
5. Key Autism Services
In-homeCenterSchoolDaycare or communityTelehealth
From 6 months
From 6 months
Weekly parent and caregiver training
On the state list
Not stated
want in-home ABA that can start in the first year of life
6. New Dawn ABA
In-homeSchoolDaycare or communityTelehealth
18 months to 18 years
From 18 months
Parents coached as active partners
Website says yes
Says no waitlist
want in-home ABA from 18 months with no published waitlist
7. Brighter Strides ABA
In-homeSchoolDaycare or community
Not stated
Not stated
Yes
On the state list
Not stated
want ABA at home, daycare or school with no clinic visits
8. Soar Autism Center
Center
Not stated
Not stated
Not stated
Not stated
Not stated
want ABA, OT, speech and diagnostics under one roof
9. Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health
Center
3 to 21 years
Not stated
Family Guidance program
Not stated
Not stated
need a licensed day treatment program for an older child

Home or center: where each provider works

Six of the nine providers here offer ABA in your home: Budding Futures ABA, BlueSprig Autism, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Key Autism Services, New Dawn ABA and Brighter Strides ABA. Six run a center: Action Behavior Centers, BlueSprig Autism, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Key Autism Services, Soar Autism Center and Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health. Several do both, so ask which setting has openings for your child's age.

Budding Futures ABA, New Dawn ABA and Brighter Strides ABA do not run a center at all. With those providers, 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.

"I could see different kids having different experiences with in home vs center."

a parent on r/Autism_Parenting, on Reddit

Ages each provider takes, and who starts under 3

Budding Futures ABA, Action Behavior Centers, BlueSprig Autism, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Key Autism Services and New Dawn ABA 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. Brighter Strides ABA and Soar Autism Center do not publish an age range, so ask on the first call.

  • Budding Futures ABA: 18 months to 18 years
  • Action Behavior Centers: 18 months to 8 years
  • BlueSprig Autism: Birth to 18 years
  • Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD): From 18 months
  • Key Autism Services: From 6 months
  • New Dawn ABA: 18 months to 18 years
  • Brighter Strides ABA: Not stated
  • Soar Autism Center: Not stated
  • Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health: 3 to 21 years

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 Fort Collins.

Health First Colorado and insurance, provider by provider

Budding Futures ABA, Action Behavior Centers, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Key Autism Services and Brighter Strides ABA appear on Health First Colorado's Pediatric Behavioral Therapies provider list. BlueSprig Autism and New Dawn ABA say on their own websites that they take Health First Colorado. Soar Autism Center and Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health 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. Fort Collins is in Larimer County, where Medicaid is managed regionally by Northeast Health Partners. 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

Eight of the nine 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
  • Action Behavior Centers: BCBA family sessions twice a month
  • BlueSprig Autism: Yes
  • Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD): Online Skills for Parents program
  • Key Autism Services: Weekly parent and caregiver training
  • New Dawn ABA: Parents coached as active partners
  • Brighter Strides ABA: Yes
  • Soar Autism Center: Not stated
  • Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health: Family Guidance program

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, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) and New Dawn ABA say there is no waitlist. The other five 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 nine providers publish, counted

Take children under 36 of 9
Offer therapy in your home6 of 9
Offer therapy at a center6 of 9
Describe parent training on their site8 of 9
Publish anything about a waitlist4 of 9
Appear on the Health First Colorado provider list5 of 9

Counts include Budding Futures. "Publish anything about a waitlist" means the site says there is, or is not, a waitlist; four say there is none. Separately, 10 providers on the state's Pediatric Behavioral Therapies list name Fort Collins in their service area, and 8 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 brings ABA therapy to your home. There is no clinic to drive to. A registered behavior technician comes to your house, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) plans and supervises the work. Our therapists come to homes in Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor and Timnath.

What therapy looks like for a young child

Our youngest clients are 18 months old, and we stay with families through age 18. With toddlers, most of the work is play. A therapist might build first words around bubbles, a snack or a favorite song, because that is where a two-year-old is paying attention. Therapy is built on play and assent. Breaks are part of the plan, and punishment-based techniques are not.

Parent coaching and the same therapist

Parent coaching is part of every plan, usually 10 to 20% of the hours. You learn the same prompts and routines the therapist uses, so progress keeps going after the session ends. The same technician works with your child session after session.

Who runs your child's plan

Clinical oversight is closer than the minimum rules require. A BCBA supervises about 20% of therapy hours, four times the BACB floor, under our Clinical Director, Rachel Blackburn, BCBA. Assessments use VB-MAPP and ABLLS-R, and session data goes into CentralReach the same day.

School, insurance and start times

For school-age kids we also work with schools. We reach out, ask for access and share goals with teachers when you say yes. Some districts let an outside therapist in and some do not. More on how that works: school-based ABA in Fort Collins.

Budding Futures accepts Health First Colorado (Medicaid) as Provider Types 83 and 84, plus Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Anthem BCBS and TRICARE. We check your benefits for free before therapy starts. We do not balance-bill families, and most Health First Colorado families pay $0 out of pocket. We have no waitlist. Intake usually takes a couple of weeks, and therapy starts once the insurance approval is back.

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 Fort Collins

2Action 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 Fort Collins is at 3351 Eastbrook Drive, Suite 101, Fort Collins, CO 80525.

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
3351 Eastbrook Drive, Suite 101, Fort Collins, CO 80525

3BlueSprig Autism

Fits families who want an age-banded center program with a start in the first years

BlueSprig runs six Denver-area centers and offers center, in-home and school services. Its programs are grouped by age, starting with Sprouts for the youngest children and running through Trailblazers at 18. It accepts Medicaid, TRICARE, Kaiser and other major plans, and asks families to come with an existing autism diagnosis. Its center closest to Fort Collins is at 1613 Prospect Pkwy Suite 110, Fort Collins, CO 80525.

Worth a call if your child already has a diagnosis and you want a center program that grows with them.

From BlueSprig Autism's website (source 1), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
In-home, Center, School, Daycare or community, Telehealth
Ages
Birth to 18 years
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Yes
Health First Colorado
Website says it accepts Medicaid
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
1613 Prospect Pkwy Suite 110, Fort Collins, CO 80525
A therapist giving a child a high five at a play table

5Key Autism Services

Fits families who want in-home ABA that can start in the first year of life

Key Autism Services works with children from 6 months old, at home and at its Centennial center, which has 14 therapy rooms, a sensory gym and a mock classroom. Parents get weekly training sessions. It accepts Medicaid and major commercial plans.

Worth a call if your child is very young and you want in-home therapy with a center option in the metro.

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

Setting
In-home, Center, School, Daycare or community, Telehealth
Ages
From 6 months
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Weekly parent and caregiver training
Health First Colorado
On the state provider list
Availability
Not published

6New Dawn ABA

Fits families who want in-home ABA from 18 months with no published waitlist

New Dawn ABA provides in-home and school ABA for ages 18 months to 18 years in Colorado; its only center is in Missouri. It accepts Medicaid, says it has no waitlist, and coaches parents as active partners. Its Colorado BCBA is certified in Practical Functional Assessment and Skills-Based Treatment.

Worth a call if you want therapy at home and a fast start matters.

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

Setting
In-home, School, Daycare or community, Telehealth
Ages
18 months to 18 years
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Parents coached as active partners
Health First Colorado
Website says it accepts Medicaid
Availability
Website says no waitlist

7Brighter Strides ABA

Fits families who want ABA at home, daycare or school with no clinic visits

Brighter Strides has no center in Colorado. Its therapists work in homes, daycares, schools and after-school programs. It accepts Medicaid, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Denver Health, UMR and UnitedHealthcare, and describes its care as assent-based.

Worth a call if your child spends the day at daycare or preschool and you want therapy to follow them there.

From Brighter Strides ABA's website (source 1), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
In-home, School, Daycare or community
Ages
Not stated
Under 3
Not stated
Parent involvement
Yes
Health First Colorado
On the state provider list
Availability
Not published

8Soar Autism Center

Fits families who want ABA, OT, speech and diagnostics under one roof

Soar Autism Center offers ABA, occupational therapy, speech therapy, diagnostics and medical services at each center. Its ABA is based on the Early Start Denver Model, a play-based approach, and its clinicians pursue ESDM certification. Its center closest to Fort Collins is at 3801 Automation Way, Suite 130, Fort Collins, CO 80525.

Worth a call if your child needs a diagnosis or several therapies and you want one center to handle it.

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

Setting
Center
Ages
Not stated
Under 3
Not stated
Parent involvement
Not stated
Health First Colorado
Not stated
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
3801 Automation Way, Suite 130, Fort Collins, CO 80525

9Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health

Fits families who need a licensed day treatment program for an older child

Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health runs a state-licensed ABA day treatment program in Fort Collins for ages 3 to 21, beyond standard clinic sessions. Its Family Guidance program builds a plan for the whole family, and it offers translation services. Its center closest to Fort Collins is at 6203 S Lemay Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80525.

Worth a call if your child is 3 or older and needs a more intensive, structured day program.

From Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health's website (source 1, source 2), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
Center
Ages
3 to 21 years
Under 3
Not stated
Parent involvement
Family Guidance program
Health First Colorado
Not stated
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
6203 S Lemay Ave, Fort Collins, CO 80525

What Budding Futures does differently for Fort Collins 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, Action Behavior Centers, BlueSprig Autism, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Key Autism Services, Soar Autism Center and Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health are the providers on this list that run one.

Questions about comparing ABA providers in Fort Collins

Which providers on this Fort Collins list take Health First Colorado?
Budding Futures ABA, Action Behavior Centers, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Key Autism Services and Brighter Strides ABA appear on Health First Colorado's Pediatric Behavioral Therapies provider list. BlueSprig Autism and New Dawn ABA 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?
No. On this list, Budding Futures ABA, New Dawn ABA and Brighter Strides ABA do not run a center, so 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.
How do the providers compare on parent training?
Eight of the nine 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 Fort Collins parents are most likely to find and call. We kept providers with a location in or near Fort Collins, 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. Action Behavior Centers: website
  2. BlueSprig Autism: website
  3. Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD): website
  4. Key Autism Services: website
  5. New Dawn ABA: website
  6. Brighter Strides ABA: website
  7. Soar Autism Center: website
  8. Seven Dimensions Behavioral Health: website
  9. Health First Colorado: Pediatric Behavioral Therapies provider list and benefit page

Talk to a BCBA about your child in Fort Collins

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.

Or call (720) 613-8837

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