Getting started
Every family finds us from a different place — a new diagnosis, a school that’s run out of ideas, a waitlist somewhere else that never moved. Wherever you’re coming from, you’re in the right place. Here’s exactly what happens between your first call and your first session.
- 1
About 10 minutes
Tell us about your child
One call or one form. We’ll ask for your child’s name and date of birth, a good callback number, your insurance carrier and member ID, whether there’s a diagnosis and who made it, how you heard about us, and the days and times that realistically work for sessions.
We won’t guess at a start date on that first call. As soon as we know, you’ll know.
- 2
Depends on your state
Gather what we need on file
In Colorado, your child doesn’t need an autism diagnosis to begin — a letter from your child’s physician recommending ABA is enough, and we’ll tell you exactly what it should say. In Oklahoma and North Carolina, a diagnostic evaluation needs to be on file before ABA can start. Don’t have the paperwork yet? We’ll share our referral list and hold on to your information, so you never have to start over.
No diagnosis yet isn’t a dead end anywhere — and in Colorado, you may not need one at all.
- 3
Days to weeks
Benefits and authorization
We check your coverage and request authorization for you. With Health First Colorado, SoonerCare or NC Medicaid, authorized services cost your family nothing. With a commercial plan, we’ll share exactly what we verified and on what date — we’ll never make up a number just to fill a silence.
Coordination of benefits is needed when care starts, once a year, and any time your insurance changes.
- 4
Usually 2–4 sessions
Assessment
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst spends time with your child and with you, completes a skills assessment, and writes the treatment plan and hours request. You’ll read the goals before anything is final.
- 5
Ongoing
Sessions begin!
We match your technician on availability, location and continuity — the same friendly face at the same times, whenever we can make it happen. Family guidance goes on the calendar from day one, not as an afterthought.
Two hours of family guidance each month is the minimum, and your insurer requires it.
Read our five-part family guide
What ABA is, what a session looks like, what happens at the assessment, and what we’ll ask of you — in short, friendly reads.
What’s needed on file depends on your state
This is the part families most often get mixed messages about, so here it is, simply.
No autism diagnosis required
A letter from your child’s physician recommending ABA is enough to begin. If your child does have a diagnosis, please bring the report — it helps the assessment — but it isn’t a requirement.
- A physician’s letter recommending ABA
- Your insurance information
- A caregiver who can be present for sessions and family guidance
Diagnostic evaluation required
SoonerCare requires a diagnostic evaluation on file before ABA can begin. If you don’t have one yet, that’s a very normal place to start — we’ll share our referral list for evaluations and pick right back up when you have the report.
- The diagnostic evaluation report
- Your insurance information
- Any prescription or order your plan requires
Diagnostic evaluation required
Like Oklahoma, North Carolina needs a diagnostic evaluation on file before ABA can begin. No evaluation yet? Call us — we’ll point you to where to get one and pick right back up when you have the report.
- The diagnostic evaluation report
- Your insurance information
- Any prescription or order your plan requires
What this costs your family
If your child is enrolled in Medicaid and services are authorized, ABA costs you nothing. With a commercial plan, we verify your benefits and tell you exactly what the plan said and when — no made-up estimates.
- Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid)
- Commercial plans — benefits verified before we start
- SoonerCare (Oklahoma Medicaid)
- SoonerSelect plans: Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Complete Health, Humana Healthy Horizons
- Commercial plans — benefits verified before we start
- Medicaid and commercial plans
- Call us and we’ll check your child’s coverage before we start
If ABA isn’t covered, or you’d rather not use insurance, services are private-pay and invoiced. We’ll always tell you before we begin, never after.
How you can help it work
ABA works best when new skills keep going in the hours we’re not at your house. That takes teamwork, and we’d rather talk about it openly now so we’re all on the same page.
- At least two hours a month of family guidance. It’s a required part of ABA and your insurer expects it. It’s also where a lot of the lasting change comes from.
- Access and consistency. Sessions happen in your home on the schedule we build together. Frequent cancellations can quietly undo months of progress.
- A heads-up when plans change. Two weeks’ notice for planned vacations; same-day cancellations by 6:00 a.m., by call or text.
- Tell us when something isn’t working. A technician who isn’t the right fit, a goal that doesn’t matter to you, a time slot that’s become impossible — just say so. We’ll change it.
The things families actually ask
Do we need an autism diagnosis before we call?
What will this cost us?
Where do sessions happen?
How many hours will my child get?
How long is the wait?
Do you offer services in Spanish?
What’s expected of us as parents?
What if we need to cancel a session?
Who actually works with my child?
Why don’t you post parent reviews?
Start intake
This is the same information we’d collect on the phone. Someone from our team will call you back — forms never just sit in an inbox here. If you’d rather talk to a person right now, call Colorado (720) 432-8989, Oklahoma (918) 764-8544 or North Carolina (336) 270-9453.
Rather talk to a person? Call Colorado (720) 432-8989, Oklahoma (918) 764-8544 or North Carolina (336) 270-9453. Trouble loading the form? Open it in a new tab.