Navigating through the beginning stages of a diagnosis can be challenging. To help you along in this journey, we’ve compiled some recommended tips. We encourage families to supplement these recommendations with feedback from the clinicians, practitioners, teachers, and/or the case workers.
Selecting a Treatment
We understand that there are many services advertised as treatment options for autism spectrum disorder. However, only a select number of these services are evidence based treatments. To be considered evidence based, they must meet the criteria for rigorous scientific evaluation, be replicated across environments and populations, and demonstrate sustained effectiveness. The Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders, through the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, provides a great resource for identifying evidence based practices. We encourage families to check out this resource before deciding on any one treatment. If you have further questions regarding available treatment options, we are happy to meet with you to discuss your concerns.
Locating a Service Provider
When searching for an ABA provider, it is important to not only find a good fit for your family, but also good services for your child. Below are a few questions that may help you in your search.
- Do you have a waitlist? If so, how long is it? If not, why?
- Who will be my direct care staff once the initial assessment is complete? (We highly recommend that you do not complete an assessment without a therapist already assigned to take your case).
- Who are the Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) on staff?
- What is their experience?
- How many years of experience do they have?
- What age groups have they worked with?
- How much supervision will they provide your child?
- Will the supervision be in person (direct) or through video (remote)?
- How long are Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) in training before they are allowed to work with a child independently?
- How much of the time will be spent working with my child one-on-one versus in a group setting?
- Do you accept my insurance? If not, do you offer a sliding scale or discounted rates?
- Can I sit in on sessions and/or observe my child’s session via video?
- Do you offer parent training? If so, what does it involve?