Why Are ABA Therapy Waitlists So Long?
Demand for ABA therapy has grown far faster than the supply of certified therapists. That gap is the main reason families wait.
Three forces stack up. More children are diagnosed with autism each year. There are not enough Board Certified Behavior Analysts to meet the demand. And every case needs insurance approval before it can start. Budding Futures keeps waits short by serving families in-home across Colorado, so ask us before you join a long list.
Autism is now identified in 1 in 31 eight-year-olds, up from 1 in 44 in 2018.
What the data shows
| Cause | What the data shows | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Rising autism prevalence | 1 in 31 children identified in 2022, up from 1 in 44 in 2018 | CDC ADDM, 2025 |
| Demand outpaces BCBA supply | Demand for BCBAs grew 9.2x from 2017 to 2023, then rose another 28% by 2025 | BACB / Lightcast |
| Provider capacity | In 2023, open BCBA jobs nearly matched the entire certified workforce | Behavioral Health Business |
| Insurance approval | Therapy cannot begin until the payer authorizes it, adding a second wait | Health First Colorado |
The shortage is the real bottleneck
A clinic can only take new children when it has trained staff. In 2023, open BCBA positions nearly matched the entire certified workforce in the country. Demand has gone up every year since 2010, and it jumped 28% between 2024 and 2025.
Colorado feels this too. Job postings for behavior analysts in Colorado rose from 2,611 in 2024 to 3,510 in 2025, a 34% jump. More families need care than the field can staff.
This is why our model matters. Budding Futures delivers ABA in the home and plans staffing around real Colorado demand, which is how we avoid the long waitlists common across the state.
Tired of waiting?
Ask Budding Futures about openings for in-home ABA in your part of Colorado, and what your Medicaid or insurance steps look like.