School-Based ABA Therapy in Colorado Springs for Better School Days
Budding Futures ABA brings a trained therapist into the school day of a child with autism in Colorado Springs, from preschool through high school, when the school approves an outside provider.
Evidence-based 1:1 support for classroom routines, communication, transitions and independence, coordinated with your child's school when it approves outside-provider access.
- Medicaid accepted
- Major insurance plans
- BCBA-led
- No current assessment waitlist
Is the school day the hardest part of your child's day?
A hard school day does not always mean your child cannot do the work. Sometimes the routines, transitions or communication demands are the problem.
School-based ABA in Colorado Springs works on those exact moments, in the building where they happen. Here is where the day tends to break down for a child with autism, and how ABA therapy can help your child at each point.
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Drop-off
Crying at the classroom door most mornings.
What we work onA predictable arrival routine and a calm way to say goodbye.
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Morning work
Refusing tasks, or pushing work off the desk.
What we work onSmaller chunks of work, and asking for help or a break with words or a card.
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Transitions
Melting down when it is time to stop and move on.
What we work onAdvance warnings, a visual schedule and lots of practice with transitions.
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Group time
Leaving the rug or the table during group lessons.
What we work onSitting with the group, waiting a turn and following a teacher's direction.
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Lunch and recess
Trouble joining games, or unsafe choices outside.
What we work onPeer play, social interaction and staying safe in open spaces.
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Pickup
Holding it together until the bell, then a big meltdown at home.
What we work onCalming strategies after dismissal, and notes that connect school and home.
We start with the hardest moment of the day, because that is where your child needs the most support and where a small change shows up fastest.
School-based ABA therapy services for children in Colorado Springs
School support at Budding Futures ABA is more than one service. It is a set of individualized, evidence-based ABA therapy services, grounded in applied behavior analysis and built around your child's strengths and needs, all overseen by Rachel Blackburn, BCBA, our Clinical Director.
School support is one part of helping children with autism in Colorado Springs. The same BCBA-led team provides in-home ABA therapy in Colorado Springs and runs school-based ABA across Colorado.
What applied behavior analysis looks like in a classroom
In-school ABA follows your child's schedule, not a therapy room's. The RBT learns the routine first, then builds new skills into it so your child learns them in the moment: a card to request a break, a timer before a transition.
Data from therapy sessions goes to the BCBA, who changes the treatment plan when progress stalls. Plans rest on a VB-MAPP or ABLLS-R assessment of your child's strengths and needs. Center-based ABA therapy pulls a child out of school; school-based ABA works inside it.
We individualize every child's treatment plan and personalize the goals to the school day. Our board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) aim to supervise about 20% of the hours our ABA therapists, all registered behavior technicians, spend in therapy sessions, roughly four times the BACB minimum, and a BCBA clinician reviews the data every week. See ABA for school-age children for how goals change from elementary school to the teen years.
“He has ABA 30 hrs a week, and most is in the classroom. We have seen a marked improvement in his ability to sit with a group, follow directions, make transitions.”
a parent on r/Autism_Parenting, September 2023 (source)
How school-based ABA therapy works across Colorado Springs school districts
Colorado Springs is split across several school districts, including District 11, Academy District 20, Falcon 49, Harrison 2, Widefield 3 and Cheyenne Mountain 12. Each one handles outside providers its own way, so your address decides the process.
Academy District 20 runs a Communication Social Development program for students with autism spectrum disorder who need structured help with social communication and coping skills (D20). District 11 supports most students with an IEP inside their neighborhood school instead of a separate autism school (D11).
Two of those districts show their process online. Harrison 2 asks families to file a request form before a private provider observes or treats a student at school (Harrison 2), and Widefield 3 lists its private-provider policy, JLCDC-R, among its annual notices (Widefield 3).
| District | What happened |
|---|---|
| Denver Public Schools | Approved 3 of 28 in 2023-24 |
| Aurora Public Schools | Approved half over three years |
| Jeffco Public Schools | Approved all in 2023-24 |
| Douglas County School District | Approved all in 2023-24 |
| Cherry Creek School District | Approved all in 2023-24 |
Colorado Springs School District 11, Academy District 20, Falcon School District 49, Harrison School District 2, Widefield School District 3 or Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 were not part of that review, so we learn each school's process directly. Source: Chalkbeat Colorado.
How we handle the school side
You do not have to make the pitch yourself. We reach out to the school, explain what the BCBA recommends and complete what the district asks of outside providers. While a request is pending, the same goals continue through consultation, after-school ABA and parent coaching.
Colorado requires every school district to post a policy on how outside providers observe, collaborate and treat students at school (HB22-1260). No Colorado law guarantees a yes, so each request is decided one student at a time.
How to start ABA therapy at school in Colorado Springs
- Tell us about the school dayCall or send the form with your child's age, school and what the day looks like.
- We check coverageWe verify your Medicaid or insurance benefits for free.
- A BCBA assesses your childThe assessment shapes a therapy plan around your child's unique needs at school and home.
- We reach out to the schoolWe follow its outside-provider process, and your child can begin ABA therapy at school once it approves.
Does Medicaid cover school-based ABA in El Paso County?
Yes, when ABA is medically necessary and authorized. Since May 3, 2024, Health First Colorado has listed school as an allowed place of service for pediatric behavioral therapy, provided the ABA provider follows district policy (HCPF billing manual). Most families on the plan pay $0.
Families on Health First Colorado in El Paso County are served by Colorado Community Health Alliance (CCHA), the Regional Accountable Entity for Region 3, and we work inside that system every week.
Colorado's autism insurance law, SB 09-244, requires many insurance plans to cover ABA therapy for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as part of autism treatment, and commercial plans usually land between $0 and $500 out of pocket. Health First Colorado looks at medical necessity instead of requiring an autism diagnosis. Budding Futures is enrolled under Provider Types 83 and 84 and works with the plans below.
Not sure your plan covers therapy for autism at school? We verify your exact benefits for free before starting ABA therapy, file the prior authorization and never balance-bill. Read our Colorado Medicaid ABA guide for the authorization steps.
What families tell us
"Mark and the team at Budding Futures are truly the type of team I want to work with my child. Compassionate, driven, and they strive for excellence."
David Brody, verified Google review"The support they bring to the families is insane. You'll feel so supported and valued. They truly do care for these kids and I couldn't feel better anywhere else."
Bella Calvillo, verified Google review"My son loves his RBT Dani, she is a super star. As well as Mark and Rachel always keeping in check and checking in."
BadBry 48, verified Google reviewFrequently asked questions about school-based ABA in Colorado Springs
Can an ABA therapist work inside my child's school in Colorado Springs?
How does Budding Futures work with teachers?
What if my child's school does not allow an outside ABA provider?
What ages does school-based ABA cover?
Does Medicaid cover ABA during school hours?
Do charter and private schools allow ABA?
Do you serve schools and homes in Stetson Hills?
More autism therapy options for children in Colorado Springs
School-based ABA across Colorado
Every evidence-based ABA therapy service we offer at school, statewide, and how outreach works.
ABA therapy in Colorado Springs
In-home and school-based autism services in Colorado Springs, from 18 months to 18.
When ABA meets the school year
What happens to therapy hours when school starts.
Autism IEPs in Colorado
What an IEP covers and what a district can refuse.
Nearby: school-based ABA support in Pueblo and Denver. For children under 5, see early intervention ABA in Colorado Springs.
Contact us about school support in Colorado Springs
1. Call (720) 613-8837 or send the short form.
2. We verify your Medicaid or insurance benefits, free.
3. A BCBA assesses your child, and we reach out to the school.
Tell us the school and grade. We will explain in-school options, check your coverage and reach out to the school when in-school support is the right call.