Lakewood provider guide, updated September 14, 2026

ABA Therapy Providers in Lakewood for Newly Diagnosed Kids: 9 Compared

Eight of the nine providers below take children under 3, and seven offer therapy in your home. Lakewood sits close to several long-running Jefferson County providers, including a nonprofit and a practice that focuses on children under 3.

Budding Futures ABA publishes this guide. 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 laughing during a play session
14 providers

on Health First Colorado's behavioral therapy list name Lakewood in their service area. This guide compares the ones parents of young children are most likely to call.

ABA therapy in Lakewood: providers at a glance

Use this table to cross off providers fast. Start with the Under 3 and Setting columns, because age and setting rule out the most options for a newly diagnosed young child. Tap a name to jump to its full write-up.

"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. Behavior Balance Point
In-homeCenterTelehealth
From birth (early intervention)
Yes
Parent coaching for early intervention
On the state list
Not stated
want early intervention coaching for a child under 3
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. 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
5. Continuum Behavioral Health
In-homeCenterTelehealth
Not stated
Yes
A dedicated Caregiver Support Specialist
Website says yes
Not stated
want a Lakewood-based team with a named caregiver specialist
6. 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
7. Firefly Autism
In-homeCenter
3 months to adulthood
From 3 months
Yes
Not stated
Not stated
want a nonprofit that serves every age
8. Handprints Therapies
Center
Not stated
Yes
Not stated
On the state list
Not stated
want ABA plus speech, PT and OT at one clinic
9. Consultants for Children, Inc.
In-homeCenterSchoolDaycare or community
Up to 21 years
Not stated
Wraparound family support
Website says yes
Not stated
want ABA plus family support and counseling from one agency

Just diagnosed? Four things to decide before you start ABA therapy

New to ABA? ABA therapy, short for applied behavior analysis, is an evidence-based therapy for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The goal is to help children communicate, play and get through daily routines with less struggle. Board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) assess each child against developmental milestones and write a personalized therapy plan, and registered behavior technicians (RBTs) work on the goals in it: communication, social skills and social interaction, daily living skills and behavior. Good providers individualize that plan and tailor it to your family, so it should look different from one child, and one Lakewood provider, to the next.

Home, center or a mix

In-home ABA teaches skills where your child uses them: meals, bath time, bedtime. A center offers peers, a practice classroom and a set schedule. Some providers do both.

Does the provider take your child's age

On this list, eight of nine providers say they take children under 3, and some centers stop at age 5, 8 or 10. If your child is a toddler, ask this first, because it rules providers out fastest.

How you will pay

Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid) covers behavioral therapy for eligible children when it is medically necessary, and an autism diagnosis is not required. With private insurance, ask the provider to check your exact plan before the first session. In Lakewood, it is managed regionally by Colorado Community Health Alliance (CCHA).

How soon you can start

Waits change month to month. Ask two questions: is there a waitlist for the assessment, and is a therapist free at the hours your child needs in your ZIP code.

In-home ABA therapy or a center: 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 toured 6 locations before finding the right fit. I didn't worry about the size of the company, I wanted to see if their methods were something I thought would be helpful for my kid."

a parent on r/Autism_Parenting, on Reddit

ABA therapy for children with autism in Lakewood: the providers, one by one

Each write-up covers what ABA therapy for children looks like at that provider: 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. We work with families in homes across Lakewood, Golden and Wheat Ridge. Here is our page on in-home ABA therapy in Lakewood.

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 Lakewood.

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 Lakewood

2Behavior Balance Point

Fits families who want early intervention coaching for a child under 3

Behavior Balance Point was founded in 2018 by Holly Kowalchuk Huseby, M.S., BCBA, and added center-based ABA in Lakewood in 2022. It uses a parent-coaching model for early intervention families with children from birth to 3, and describes its care as assent-based and trauma-informed. Its center closest to Lakewood is at 7550 W. Yale Ave, Suite A135, Lakewood, CO 80227.

Worth a call if your child is under 3 and you want coaching that fits alongside the state's early intervention services.

From Behavior Balance Point's website (source 1, source 2), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
In-home, Center, Telehealth
Ages
From birth (early intervention)
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Parent coaching for early intervention
Health First Colorado
On the state provider list
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
7550 W. Yale Ave, Suite A135, Lakewood, CO 80227

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 Lakewood is at 6900 W Jefferson Ave, Suite 100A, Lakewood, CO 80235.

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
6900 W Jefferson Ave, Suite 100A, Lakewood, CO 80235
A child's hand placing pieces on a shape sorter

4BlueSprig 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 Lakewood is at 8805 W. 14th Ave, Lakewood, CO 80215.

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
8805 W. 14th Ave, Lakewood, CO 80215

5Continuum Behavioral Health

Fits families who want a Lakewood-based team with a named caregiver specialist

Continuum Behavioral Health has been based in Lakewood since 2012 and offers in-home and center ABA. Each family is assigned a Caregiver Support Specialist, and parents take part in sessions. It accepts Health First Colorado and names Colorado Access and Colorado Community Health Alliance among its payers. Its center closest to Lakewood is at 7220 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 100, Lakewood, CO 80235.

Worth a call if you want a local office and one person whose job is supporting you, not just your child.

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

Setting
In-home, Center, Telehealth
Ages
Not stated
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
A dedicated Caregiver Support Specialist
Health First Colorado
Website says it accepts Medicaid
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
7220 W. Jefferson Ave., Suite 100, Lakewood, CO 80235

7Firefly Autism

Fits families who want a nonprofit that serves every age

Firefly Autism is a nonprofit founded in 2003, with a single Lakewood location. It serves people from 3 months old into adulthood, at home and at its center, with assent-based, play-based teaching. Its center closest to Lakewood is at 2001 Hoyt St. Lakewood, CO 80215.

Worth a call if you want a nonprofit that can stay with your family for the long run.

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

Setting
In-home, Center
Ages
3 months to adulthood
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Yes
Health First Colorado
Not stated
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
2001 Hoyt St. Lakewood, CO 80215

8Handprints Therapies

Fits families who want ABA plus speech, PT and OT at one clinic

Handprints Therapies has served Denver-area families since 2002. Its Lakewood clinic offers ABA alongside speech, physical and occupational therapy, and its early intervention program starts in the toddler years. It accepts Health First Colorado, TRICARE and several commercial plans. Its center closest to Lakewood is at 3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd Suite 100, Lakewood, CO 80227.

Worth a call if your toddler has more than one therapy need and you want one clinic.

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

Setting
Center
Ages
Not stated
Under 3
Yes
Parent involvement
Not stated
Health First Colorado
On the state provider list
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
3333 S. Wadsworth Blvd Suite 100, Lakewood, CO 80227

9Consultants for Children, Inc.

Fits families who want ABA plus family support and counseling from one agency

Consultants for Children offers ABA at home, at its centers and at school, plus High-Fidelity Wraparound and mental health counseling. Its family support services include caregiver training. It accepts Colorado Medicaid and several commercial plans. Its center closest to Lakewood is at 265 S Harlan St, Lakewood, CO 80226.

Worth a call if your family needs support beyond ABA, such as counseling or care coordination.

From Consultants for Children, Inc.'s website (source 1, source 2, source 3), checked September 14, 2026.

Setting
In-home, Center, School, Daycare or community
Ages
Up to 21 years
Under 3
Not stated
Parent involvement
Wraparound family support
Health First Colorado
Website says it accepts Medicaid
Availability
Not published
Nearest location
265 S Harlan St, Lakewood, CO 80226

What ABA therapy services in Lakewood publish, counted

We counted what the nine Lakewood providers on this page say on their own websites. These counts describe this list, not every provider in Lakewood.

Take children under 38 of 9
Offer therapy in your home7 of 9
Offer therapy at a center8 of 9
Describe parent training on their site8 of 9
Publish anything about a waitlist3 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; three say there is none. Separately, 14 providers on the state's Pediatric Behavioral Therapies list name Lakewood in their service area, and 14 more name only the county.

Autism therapy and care for children under 3 in Lakewood

Start Early Intervention Colorado at the same time

Early Intervention Colorado is the state's free program for children under 3, with no income limit. For Jefferson County, the local agency is Developmental Disabilities Resource Center (DDRC) (303-233-3363). Anyone can refer, including you, through the state's online referral form.

Early intervention and ABA can run side by side. The state coordinator writes the family service plan, the ABA provider writes the behavior plan, and with your permission the two share goals. See how that works in practice: early intervention ABA in Lakewood.

At age 3, the school side takes over. Jeffco Public Schools runs Child Find for ages 3 to 5 from its office at 6500 Oak Street in Arvada (303-982-7247), and it serves every Lakewood address.

If your child has Health First Colorado, the state's behavioral therapy benefit does not require an autism diagnosis when therapy is medically necessary. Lakewood is in Jefferson County, where Medicaid is managed regionally by Colorado Community Health Alliance (CCHA).

A therapist and child laughing during a play session

How to get started with ABA therapy in Lakewood

Most families in Lakewood go through the same five steps, whichever provider they pick. Knowing them ahead of time makes the first calls shorter and can help your child start sooner.

  1. Get the referral paperwork readyKeep the diagnostic report if you have one. Health First Colorado does not require an autism diagnosis for behavioral therapy when it is medically necessary, but a private plan may ask for one, so check yours.
  2. Ask for a benefits checkCall two or three providers from this list. Each one should check your coverage for free and tell you what you will owe before anything is scheduled.
  3. The BCBA assessmentA BCBA meets your child, watches play and routines, and often uses a skills assessment such as VB-MAPP or ABLLS-R. You talk through your goals for the family.
  4. Prior authorizationThe provider sends a treatment plan to your insurer. With Health First Colorado, a Prior Authorization Request goes to the state's review vendor, and you get a letter with the decision and your appeal rights.
  5. First sessionsThe first weeks are mostly getting to know each other. Expect play, short sessions that grow longer, and your first parent coaching.

Questions to ask ABA therapy providers on the first call

Every child with autism is different, so the right answers depend on yours. Write them down for every provider you call; side by side, the differences get obvious fast.

  • Do you work with children my child's age, and what is the youngest age you take?
  • Is there a waitlist for the assessment, and for a therapist at the hours we need?
  • Will therapy happen at home, at your center or both?
  • Who is the BCBA or lead clinician on my child's case, and how often will they see my child?
  • How is parent and caregiver training scheduled, and is it required?
  • Will my child keep the same technician from week to week?
  • Can you check my Health First Colorado or private plan for free before we start?
  • How will you show me my child's progress?
  • What does a session look like for a two- or three-year-old?
  • Can my child take breaks or say no during a session?

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy in Lakewood

Which ABA providers in Lakewood take toddlers under 3?
On this list, Budding Futures ABA, Behavior Balance Point, Action Behavior Centers, BlueSprig Autism, Continuum Behavioral Health, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Firefly Autism and Handprints Therapies say they work with children under 3. Ages change, so confirm the youngest age each one takes when you call.
Which ABA providers come to your home in Lakewood?
Based on their websites, Budding Futures ABA, Behavior Balance Point, BlueSprig Autism, Continuum Behavioral Health, Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), Firefly Autism and Consultants for Children, Inc. offer in-home ABA. Some also run centers, so ask which setting has openings for your child's age.
Do I need an autism diagnosis to start ABA therapy in Lakewood?
Not with Health First Colorado. The state's behavioral therapy benefit covers eligible children when therapy is medically necessary, with or without an autism diagnosis. Private plans may ask for one. If you still need an evaluation, Action Behavior Centers list diagnostic services on their sites.
Is there a waitlist for ABA therapy in Lakewood?
On their websites, Budding Futures ABA, Action Behavior Centers and Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) say there is no waitlist. The rest do not say. Ask about two waits: the assessment, and a therapist at the hours you need.
How much does ABA therapy cost in Lakewood?
It depends on coverage. Health First Colorado covers medically necessary behavioral therapy for eligible children, and Budding Futures says most Health First Colorado families pay $0 out of pocket. Most providers accept several insurance plans. What you pay depends on your deductible and coverage, so ask each provider for a free benefits check before the first session.

How we built this list

We started with Health First Colorado's Pediatric Behavioral Therapies provider list and the providers that show up when Lakewood parents search for ABA or autism therapy. We kept providers with a location in or near Lakewood, 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. Behavior Balance Point: website
  2. Action Behavior Centers: website
  3. BlueSprig Autism: website
  4. Continuum Behavioral Health: website
  5. Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD): website
  6. Firefly Autism: website
  7. Handprints Therapies: website
  8. Consultants for Children, Inc.: website
  9. Health First Colorado: Pediatric Behavioral Therapies provider list and benefit page

Talk to a BCBA about your child in Lakewood

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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