It can feel like a lot when you start looking for support for your child. Maybe you’ve just heard the word “autism” and you’re feeling a bit lost, or maybe you’re just looking for a new team that actually gets your child. Whatever brought you here, take a deep breath. You’re doing a great job just by looking for answers.
“ABA” basically stands for Applied Behaviour Analysis, but we like to think of it as simply helping kids learn how to shine in their own way. In order to help you feel confident while getting started, here are 10 questions to ask an ABA provider to see if they’re the right fit for your little one.
Key Takeaways
- Trust your gut feelings, as you know your child better than anyone else and deserve a provider who truly listens to your concerns.
- Prioritize finding a team that views you as an equal partner and provides consistent, hands-on training for parents.
- Make sure the therapy approach is play-based and tailored to your child’s unique interests rather than a rigid, one-size-fits-all plan.
- Always ask for transparency regarding how progress is measured so you can clearly see the milestones your child is hitting.
- Verify that the provider has an administrative team to handle the heavy lifting of insurance and billing, leaving you more time to focus on your family.
1. What Is ABA Therapy, and How Does It Fit My Child?
You can think of this as the “getting to know you” phase, as ABA is really just a way of breaking down big, tricky goals into steps that are rather achievable. But here’s the real secret: it really shouldn’t look like a classroom or even a doctor’s office. A great question to ask an ABA provider is “What does your child love?” If they love superheroes, blocks, or singing, the therapy should be built right into that.
If you aren’t really sure how your child’s specific needs fit into the world of autism, then checking out the Autism Spectrum Wheel can be a really helpful way to see that every child is unique and that a one-size-fits-all plan just doesn’t work.
2. What Kind of Training Do Your Therapists Have?
You want to know who is going to be spending time with your kiddo, and rightfully so! It’s perfectly okay to include these in the questions to ask an ABA provider about who is in charge! You’re looking for a team that is led by Board Certified Behaviour Analysts (BCBAs), as these are the experts who design the “game plan” for your kid. Then, there are the Registered Behaviour Technicians (RBTs), who are just the friendly faces working side-by-side with your child every day.
You can head over to the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB) in order to see just what these titles mean.
3. Where Will the Therapy Take Place?
Every child has a rather different “happy place” where they learn best. Some kids really love the energy of our clinic-based ABA therapy, where there are plenty of fun toys and chances to even meet new friends. Others might feel comfortable with in-home therapy, where they can work on daily routines like getting dressed or even eating dinner.
Or, if they actually need a little extra help with social skills at school, school-based ABA therapy is probably a better option, as a good provider will talk to you about where your child feels the most confident and build the plan around that.
4. How Do You Involve Me As a Parent?
Please don’t ever feel like you have to wait in the lobby while the “experts” do the work. You’re the expert on your child. That is also precisely why ABA parent training is so important, as it’s also about giving you the tools in order to help your child at home during those tricky moments. A great provider will treat you as a teammate, and if they aren’t teaching you how to use their strategies, you’re missing out on a huge part of what makes therapy work!
5. How Do You Measure Progress?
“Data” would sound like a really boring math word, but it’s really just a way of celebrating your child’s wins. You can ask the provider, “How will I see my child growing?” They should be trying to track progress in a way that just makes sense to you. If your child is learning to ask for a snack, make friends, or even share a toy, you should be really able to see that progress clearly, as you deserve to know that the work is paying off!
6. Do You Offer Support Outside of Traditional Hours?
We know that the hardest parts of the day often happen right after the school bell tends to ring. If your child is feeling really burnt out or just needs a little extra consistency when they get home, then you should try to check if your provider offers after-school ABA therapy.
This can be a hugeee lifesaver for parents because it gives your child a safe and fun space to go while keeping their day on a comfortable track. Try to ask about their schedule, as the best providers will always try to fit into your family’s rhythm, not just the other way around.
7. How Do You Handle “Challenging” Behaviours?
It’s so normal to worry about what might happen when your child has a meltdown or gets frustrated, and this is where a kind and caring provider will never, ever use something like punishment. Instead, they’ll look at it like a detective, like “what is my child trying to tell me right now?”
If you’re just starting to figure out what those big feelings even mean, then it can be really comforting to read up on low-functioning and high-functioning autism symptoms, as understanding the “why” part behind the behaviour makes it much easier to stay calm.
8. What Is Your Experience With Children Like Mine?
One thing to note is that no two kids are the same, and your child has their own unique strengths and challenges. When you’re chatting with a provider, try to be completely honest about what you’re looking for! Ask them, “Have you worked with kids who have goals like this?” You want to hear them say, “Yes, we’ve absolutely seen that! And here’s how we’ve helped in the past.”
Once you get the go-ahead, it will give you that extra bit of confidence knowing you aren’t the first family they’ve helped and that they have a plan for you.
9. How Do You Verify Insurance and Handle Costs?
Ugh, the paperwork, nobody likes it, but it’s definitely part of the process. A good provider will have an intake team whose whole job is to take that off your plate and they will allow you to go crazy with the questions to ask an ABA provider. They should be able to look at your insurance plan and explain to you, in plain English, what is covered and what you can expect. Ask them clearly, “What do I need to know about billing so I don’t get any surprises?” If they can’t explain it simply, that might be a sign they aren’t as family-focused as they say they are.
10. Who Can Help Us With a Diagnosis?
If you’re just starting this journey and you don’t have a formal “label” from a doctor yet, that is totally okay. You don’t have to have all the answers today. A helpful ABA provider will be able to point you toward the right doctors or specialists who can help you get those answers. We have a guide on who can diagnose autism that breaks down which professionals you need to call. Once you get that first step checked off, everything else will start to feel a whole lot easier.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, you’re the actual expert on your child, not the doctors, and definitely not the paperwork. You best know their smiles, their struggles, and what makes them better than anyone else.
So take your time with these questions to ask an ABA provider, and trust your gut. If a team feels like a partner who is truly in your corner, you’re already on the right track. Whenever you’re ready to talk about what comes next, reach out. We’d love to hear your story and help you take the next step.
Sarah McConkie is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Clinical Director at Aviation ABA with years of experience supporting children and families through individualized ABA therapy. She has worked across multiple clinical settings, conducting behavioral assessments, developing treatment plans, and supervising therapy teams to help children build important everyday skills. Sarah is passionate about creating supportive, relationship-focused care that helps children feel comfortable, confident, and successful in their daily lives.
