Avoid the January Rush: 5 expert tips to find an ABA therapy provider

Avoid the January Rush: 5 expert tips to find an ABA therapy provider

Start the new year with hope for your kiddo with autism

It’s almost November as we publish this blog. This time of year tends to keep families busy with all the holidays and planning for winter break.

If your goal is to start your kiddo in ABA therapy in January, now is the best time to make preparations despite all that’s going on. Why is that? Well, the enrollment process for an ABA therapy program requires approval from your insurance company and that step usually takes a little bit of time – waiting, mostly.

The other factor that comes into play is ABA therapy providers tend to quickly reach their maximum enrollment at the start of the year. Making arrangements now gives you more time to think through your options. If you wait, rushed decisions could impact your child’s success.

To help you get started and make the process easier and less time-consuming, here are 5 tips every parent of a child with autism should know when looking for an ABA therapy provider for the first time.

Tip #1 Call your insurance provider if you haven't already.

Most health insurance plans cover ABA therapy as required by state laws. However, to save time and headaches, call your insurance company to let them know your child has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and confirm coverage for autism services, like ABA therapy.

An expert ABA therapy provider will do the heavy lifting for you when it comes to insurance approvals as we mentioned above. With their knowledge, they will also advocate on your behalf with your insurance company.

If for some reason your insurance plan doesn’t cover ABA therapy, you can buy a child-only plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace or talk to your employer about other options that may be available to you.

Tip #2 Search for accredited providers to quickly narrow down your options.

With the need for therapy services on the rise because of the increasing rate of autism and other developmental and behavioral concerns, ABA therapy providers pop-up in communities at a rapid pace. Although, sometimes not fast enough. Providers can range from independently owned and operated practices to large, corporate-run operations with multiple locations across multiple states, and everything in between.

With all the choices you have, the best way to narrow your options is to focus on those who have earned BHCOE Accreditation®, the only earned certification and distinction among ABA therapy organizations who demonstrate a commitment to quality and continuous improvement in applied behavior analysis (ABA).

Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE.org) grants accreditation only to organizations who meet or exceed standards for clinical and operational quality. Providers who have BHCOE Accreditation must also periodically earn reaccreditation to ensure on-going quality care for families.

According to BHCOE, “97% of parents whose children received ABA therapy from a BHCOE-accredited organization reported that they felt their child made significant improvements within 6 months.”

Go here to begin your search for BHCOE accredited ABA therapy providers near you.

Tip #3 Learn more online about the providers you like.

Start with their websites to get a general feel for who they are, what services they offer, and what they value. To narrow your choices even further, look for…

  • The age of children they serve. Some providers are experts in early intervention ABA therapy for children as young as two. Others focus on helping teenagers and young adults.
  • Emphasis on individualized therapy that is tailored for the unique needs of each child versus a one-size fits all approach.
  • Fun therapy environments that promote learning and social interaction.
  • Insurance providers they’re in-network with.
  • Parent training where you can learn basic ABA therapy techniques to help your child.
  • Summer services that make planning when school is out super easy.
  • How long they’ve been helping families in your community.

Tip #4 Call the provider(s) to see if they have a wait list.

ABA therapy providers may have a waitlist to start therapy, because there are so many families seeking help, while providers are challenged to find qualified staff to meet the demand for services. Some locations are also more popular than others. If a provider does have a waitlist, ask if it applies to all of their locations.

Tip #5 Visit the provider in person and tour their facility before enrolling.

This is the “trust your gut” test. You’ll know if it’s right for your child and family. Or if it’s not. If they’re welcoming, eager to help, answer all your questions and then some, you’ve probably found a good partner to help you on your autism journey.

Once you’ve found the perfect ABA therapy provider, the enrollment process typically starts with an assessment of your child specifically for the purpose of developing an individualized therapy plan for their needs and strengths. Click here to learn what all the enrollment process entails.

We know how important it is to find an ABA therapy provider that’s a good fit. If have any questions, we’d love to share our 20 years of experience in North Texas with you. Just call 972.312.8733,  contact us online, or just shoot us an email. Ask us anything!

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Ashvina attended University of Bombay and graduated with a Bachelors of Commerce. She got her Montessori Diploma in 1985 and taught ever since. Ashvina came to TBE in January of 2016 as Admin Assistant. During the years she got the opportunity to learn and work in different departments such as HR, Finance, Office Manager and Executive Assistant. Last summer TBE bought billing in house and her current focus area is Revenue Cycle Management. She is detail oriented and enjoys working with people. Ashvina volunteers to deliver meals to seniors and local shelters on the weekend. She loves to spend time with her family and grandkids. Ashvina loves her job because she enjoys hearing different points of view, and she feels her contributions help fuel the direction of our company.

Working with children comes naturally to Angela. Her mom was a special education teacher for 30 years and often had Angela join her for Take Your Child to Work Day. And in high school, Angela spent every summer as the nanny for a little boy with an autism spectrum disorder. It was this experience where her passion for working with children with autism started to blossom.

From there, she went on to graduate from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences. She learned about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in a non-normative development class and from that moment knew that ABA would be her life’s work.

Angela moved to the DFW area shortly after and began working at The Behavior Exchange as a therapist. She worked on her Master’s in Behavior Analysis at the same time. A year after graduating, she earned certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Now, as a Clinical Director at The Behavior Exchange, she brings a life-long passion to her work, holding a special place in her heart for children with limited language skills and working closely with families to develop healthy sleep habits.

Danielle’s passion for working with families is deeply personal and from the heart. Her younger brother has an autism spectrum disorder, and through their journey as a family, she found her purpose in life as an advocate for individuals with special needs.

After graduating from the University of North Texas with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, Danielle began volunteering at The Behavior Exchange. She saw passionate therapists, meaningful change for clients, and families with hope for the future. After a summer of volunteering, she officially joined the team as Director of Admissions and found her home with The Behavior Exchange family.

With her extensive experience working as a client advocate with insurance providers, Danielle perseveres to help individuals of all ages and abilities receive the services they need to reach their full potential. She feels truly honored by each and every family who entrusts The Behavior Exchange to be part of their journey and is committed to the organization’s core values, mission, and goal of being a beacon of hope for the community.

Adam has always had a passion for helping individuals of all ages thrive and reach their full potential. He’s also an enthusiastic musician, songwriter, leader, and devoted family man, who has been helping children and team members grow with The Behavior Exchange since 2010.

Prior to joining the team at The Behavior Exchange, Adam was a mortgage loan consultant and grad student, pursuing his master’s degree in Education at the University of North Texas. He graduated in 2013 and also earned a graduate academic certificate in Autism Intervention. The following year, after years as a Behavior Therapist and seeing first-hand the power of ABA and the meaningful impact it can have on children and their families, Adam became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. He then commenced from the Stagen Leadership Academy after completing the Integral Leadership Program (ILP), a 52-week practice-based program designed to develop executives serious about transforming themselves, their teams, and their organizations.

Adam is truly grateful to be a part of a dynamic, inspiring and compassionate team, and he’s dedicated to bettering the lives of all children and their families through the delivery of the highest quality of ABA services, while supporting the amazing team at The Behavior Exchange.

Soraya is from South Africa and moved to Texas in 1996. She graduated from The University of Texas and pursued a career, at that time, in Education. Soraya taught at a Montessori school for a few years and then took on a leadership role.

During her time in the education system, Soraya realized her passion was to assist children with special needs. So she joined The Behavior Exchange as a therapist, transitioned into a supervisory role in 2017, and a year and a half later, was promoted to Clinical Operations Manager.

She quickly learned the ins and outs of ABA operations and scheduling and successfully collaborates across departments to ensure The Behavior Exchange continues to provide quality services to clients and their families. She’s thankful to be part of such an amazing organization and excited to see what the future holds.

You could say Walter’s career started when he spent hours as a young child drawing superheroes and coloring maps. This passion, along with extraordinary swimming skills, landed him a full swimming scholarship at Texas Christian University, where he graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Graphics.

During the next 13 years, his design and art direction skills, conceptual-thinking abilities, and marketing-savvy know-how were honed at a few prestigious advertising and marketing agencies around the Dallas area. In the mid 2000s, he helped his wife Tammy Cline-Soza (founder and CEO of The Behavior Exchange) create a unique and concise brand for her new business. From logos and websites to uniforms, brand voice and visuals, Walter has been the main creative force for all things The Behavior Exchange.

Aside from giving birth to The Behavior Exchange brand, Walter is helping Tammy raise two amazing, beautiful children, River and Sierra. In his spare time (the two minutes he’s got per week), you can find Walter illustrating iconic landmarks of Dallas and Texas or looking around for this next open-water swim. Once he gets back in shape.

After 20 years of building The Behavior Exchange, literally from the ground up,
Tammy couldn’t be more proud of the team, culture, and organization that it has become.

As a family helping families, The Behavior Exchanges looks for opportunities that will make the biggest impact and produce life-changing outcomes – for clients, families, and even for team members. Tammy believes that if a team, a family, a community takes care of each other, the possibilities are endless and the relationships built along the way can make life more enriching and challenges easier to navigate. You could say her goal has been to build a kind of utopia full of support, love, and expertise that brings the best services possible to the community and ensures more families have access to those services.

Tammy and her family have dedicated their lives to the mission of The Behavior Exchange and continue to grow, learn, cultivate, challenge, support, and create better models for success. To that end, she is committed to her own leadership development and actively participates in advanced training, mentoring, and deep self-exploration on how to live out her purpose to love and support her family and help others reach their full potential. She takes her position very seriously and tries to serve as a channel for what the universe wants to come to fruition.

She also loves travel, gardening, being creative, MUSIC!, tennis, yoga, meditation, journaling, reading, being in nature, adventures, and more than anything, spending time with her husband Walter and their two beautiful children, River and Sierra.