In-Home ABA Therapy in Colorado for Children With Autism

What happens in an in-home ABA therapy session

• Assessment first: a BCBA watches your child play, talk and move through a routine at home, uses the VB-MAPP or ABLLS-R, and writes goals with you
• Then play with a plan: the RBT teaches communication skills, social skills, potty training, feeding, sleep, daily living skills, self-care and hygiene, and school readiness inside real routines, like asking for breakfast at your own table
• Evidence-based and play-based: natural environment teaching and positive reinforcement, following your child's lead, not compliance drills
• Behavior support: meltdowns, aggression, running off and transitions handled where they happen, with a plan you can run yourself
• Data every session: you see your child's progress in weekly data, and hours go up or down as goals change

Who comes to your house

• One registered behavior technician (RBT) each week, after 40 hours of training, a competency assessment and enhanced background checks
• A BCBA who supervises about 20% of therapy hours, reviews the data weekly and adjusts the treatment plan
• Rachel Blackburn, BCBA, Clinical Director, who writes and reviews every plan
• Brothers and sisters can join sessions; you are coached in the moment

Does your home need to be ready?

• No special room: a corner of the living room, the kitchen table and the bathroom are the classroom
• Pets, siblings and noise stay; they are part of the routines your child needs to learn in
• Sessions can also run at daycare, preschool or in the community, and in school when the school allows an outside provider

Does Medicaid or insurance cover ABA therapy at home?

• Health First Colorado covers in-home ABA for eligible children under 21, usually at $0; no autism diagnosis is needed when a doctor says therapy is medically necessary (HCPF)
• Budding Futures files the prior authorization; each approval lasts up to six months
• State-regulated private plans cover ABA under Colorado's autism insurance law after a written autism diagnosis; families often pay $0 to $500 out of pocket, depending on the plan, and those plans must answer a prior authorization within five business days
• We verify your benefits for free before the first session

In-home ABA or an ABA center: which fits your child?

If a center is the better match for your child, we will say so.

How many hours a week, and for how long

• The BCBA recommends hours after the assessment and your plan approves them; a few focused goals may take 10 hours a week or fewer, comprehensive ABA 25 to 40
• In a study of 1,468 children aged 18 months to 12 years, children received an average of 58.8 therapy hours a month and were treated for about 14 months on average within a 36-month window (Linstead et al., 2017)
• Hours step down as goals are met; see how many hours of ABA a child needs and part-time ABA

How to start in-home ABA therapy

1. Call (720) 613-8837 or send the form.
2. We verify your Health First Colorado or insurance coverage, free, within 48 hours.
3. A BCBA does an at-home assessment, and sessions begin, usually within 2 to 4 weeks.

In-home ABA by city: Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, Lakewood, Pueblo and every Colorado town.