Starting ABA – 10 Questions Every Parent Should Ask

Does the idea of interviewing an ABA company seem daunting? Beginning ABA can be overwhelming. With a diagnosis of autism, suddenly you are tasked with becoming an expert in autism, insurance, and now ABA.

At The Helm we get the opportunity to talk with so many different families each week. We love these conversations because it gives us a chance to not only hear their story but educate them about what we do and the power of ABA therapy.

Typically, most of our initial conversations with families begin on the phone. Each conversation is different. Some parents have just received their autism diagnosis, whereas others have been traveling this road for some time now. Despite their differences all of our parent conversations unite in the hope to find the best services for their child.

So what exactly should you be asking your future ABA provider? Should is really a loaded word. There isn’t a one size fits all set of questions. The questions you ask should be as unique as the individual needs of your child. With that said, there are questions that as a provider we really love to hear! These are questions that get us as your potential provider excited about our future partnership and let us know that you are TRULY interested in how we can make an awesome plan together.

Starting ABA

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  1. What is ABA?
  2. What makes your company different from all other ABA providers?
  3. Who will work on my child’s team? What are their credentials?
  4. How often will I see my BCBA?
  5. Can I observe a session? How can I get involved as a parent?
  6. What does a typical session look like? Will my child be sitting at a table all day?
  7. How do we know how much therapy and what setting for therapy (in-home vs. clinic) will be best for my child?
  8. How are my child’s goals created and how often will we revisit what is important to work on?
  9. Will you collaborate with my child’s speech, occupational therapy, or school? What has a typical collaboration experience looked like these types of providers and why do you think they are valuable?
  10. What is the end goal of the ABA program? How long should I expect for my child to need ABA therapy?

Pro tip! Make sure you research the company’s website before calling or visiting the office. Often times the most basic questions can be answered, which can save valuable intake time for more hard-hitting questions! Looking to save even more time? Download our free resource and take the top 10 questions with you to your first intake meeting!

We have been a family blessed with the help of the team at The Helm. Our son was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was 2.5 and The Helm was one of the places recommended by our developmental psychologist. I am a physician and still found it hard navigating this new medical problem and knowing what to do next. I called many places and from step one Lee Ann was the most helpful explaining the process with paperwork, assessment, available services, insurance, etc. we were able to start therapy quite soon after diagnosis and had sessions at home daily for 3 hours. The quality of staff, the system they have in place for the therapists, the coordination by the BCBA supervising therapist and early response put us at ease that we were on the right path. Ultimately the steady positive changes we saw with our son overcame any fears we had about autism holding our son back for the rest of his life.

We used many forms of intervention that we felt were individually tailored for our family – for potty training, anger management, dietary intervention and even let them know when we could not maintain something suggested in family training, and they would just take our request and implement another plan. Our son has now graduated/transitioned out of therapy and is currently in pre-K in a regular classroom with him on par with his class in academics, has friends and no behavior issues. Most important of all we have a happy son who loves to play with his big sister.

I know that I will always read all there is on autism and watch my son for any features. But I hope my review adds to positive aspects that I wish someone would have told me when I started the journey – start early, don’t put off your suspicions, get your child evaluated now! The label does not hinder,  in fact it falls to the side once you have the diagnosis to facilitate therapy. ABA intervention, especially done with the right people, makes a big difference. It does not pressure or upset the child at all, and you are not stuck in therapy for life! I know if any behavioral issues come up in the future I have The Helm, and they will help us and the outcome is going to be positive. Said with heartfelt thanks.

– Former Helm ABA Family

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