ABA Autism Therapy FAQs

Children who are missing developmental milestones could be showing early signs of autism. These are just a few of the signs you might see in a young child:

• Social characteristics like little to no eye contact or resisting physical touch.
• Language use challenges, such as not babbling or gurgling by seven months or not putting sentences together after two years.
• Behavioral signs, such as being obsessed with objects.
• Sensory issues, such as extreme difficulty with loud or sudden noises.

Early signs of autism can appear by six months. Most autistic children will show clear signs by the age of two or three years.

A confirmation of autism can be frightening and overwhelming; it’s only natural to be nervous and apprehensive after an autism diagnosis. However, it’s important to remember that there is nothing different after diagnosis; you or your loved one has not changed.

An autism diagnosis allows you to understand your child or loved one’s needs and how to meet them. It offers the opportunity to learn more about autism, its impact, and how to access professional support and benefits.

Autism is a spectrum disorder and looks different for every person. If autism is suspected, a primary care physician will refer the patient to a specialist for an evaluation.   A team of healthcare specialists will perform a comprehensive assessment.  

Lighthouse Autism Center offers autism evaluations at every Lighthouse location. If your child is missing developmental milestones, or you are seeing signs of autism in your child, it’s critical to seek an autism evaluation. Research shows that the earlier children are diagnosed, the better their outcomes. Early intervention is critical for children with autism and an autism diagnosis is the first step to early intervention. 

Contact your child’s pediatrician and request a referral for an autism evaluation if you think your child is displaying signs of developmental delays that might indicate Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). 

Children should undergo routine autism screenings at their pediatrician and be observed for development changes at well-child visits beginning at nine months of age. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) also calls for routine screenings at 18 and 24 months. Based on the results of these screenings, children will be referred for additional testing if needed. 

Lighthouse Autism Center now offers autism evaluations at every Lighthouse location for children from 18 months to six years of age. If your child is missing developmental milestones, or you are seeing signs of autism in your child, contact Lighthouse Autism Center to begin the autism evaluation process. 

If you are an adult seeking an autism diagnosis, the diagnostic assessment process can be more challenging. Healthcare practitioners can still perform an evaluation for autism for adults. Additionally, there are self-evaluation tests online that adults may find helpful. However, it is recommended you contact your primary care physician to discuss if a formal evaluation would be beneficial. 

Every autistic individual is different, and there is a wide variety of therapies to meet each individual’s unique needs and autism symptoms. Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder typically are recommended to receive evidence-based ABA therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. ABA therapy, or Applied Behavior Analysis, is the only treatment for autism endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General and helps children improve social, speech, living, school-readiness, and other skills while decreasing behaviors that could harm them. Those who receive ABA therapy at an early age have been shown to lead more independent lives in the future. 

Services and support for autism vary from state to state, and it’s best to check what is available in your home state. At Lighthouse Autism Center, we offer autism diagnosis services, Lighthouse Fusion® ABA Therapy, and programs to support school readiness, parent support, social skill groups, and more.  

The cost of an evaluation for an autism diagnosis will depend on your insurance plan’s benefits and could include a deductible, co-payment, or co-insurance costs. Lighthouse Autism Center is in-network with most major insurance plans. Our Insurance Team will help you understand how your insurance coverage and costs will work. 

At Lighthouse, there will be one or two appointments for your child, depending on the clinician’s recommendation based on a review of your child’s medical records and history.   

Additionally, prior to an appointment, one to three online assessments are typically requested via email for the parent to complete 

The appointments may take place virtually or in-person depending on clinical recommendation and parent preference. For a virtual appointment, the examiner will have the parent set the camera up so they can observe the child playing, and based on the learner’s language level, the examiner will talk with the child. 

 During the appointment, the clinician will ask questions about the child’s developmental history, current skills, and parental concerns.   

If recommended for further testing, Lighthouse will schedule  an in-person appointment to further evaluate the child. 

How long an autism diagnosis takes is dependent on the individual and can vary according to age. An evaluation in children can take between two and six hours of evaluation and observation if there are clear autism indicators. However, this process can take several weeks to a few months for older children and adults. 

While ABA therapy can benefit many different individuals with a variety of diagnoses, most insurance plans do require that an individual has an autism diagnosis rather than just showing signs of autism in order to have ABA therapy approved for insurance coverage. 

Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder often receive ABA therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. ABA therapy, or Applied Behavior Analysis, is the only treatment for autism endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General and helps children improve social, speech, living, school-readiness, and other skills while decreasing behaviors that could harm them. Those who receive ABA therapy at an early age have been shown to lead more independent lives in the future. 

Services and support for autism vary from state to state, and it’s best to check what is available in your home state. At Lighthouse Autism Center, we offer autism diagnosis services, Lighthouse Fusion® ABA therapy, as well as programs for school readiness, parent support, social skill groups, and more.  

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a type of therapy that focuses on principles and learning techniques that help increase or decrease certain behaviors in people with autism. It is a scientifically validated approach that examines certain behaviors in autistic individuals, what drives these behaviors, and how to teach a new or more functional behavior.  

Center-based ABA therapy is provided inside a specialized autism treatment center (as opposed to in another setting such as the home or community). Center-based therapy offers more consistency and programming time and is generally proven to have better outcomes than home-based therapy, as an example. 

Center-based ABA therapy is when the therapy sessions take place inside an autism treatment center (as opposed to in another setting such as the home or community). Center-based therapy offers more consistency and more learning opportunities, as well as opportunities to prompt different learning opportunities. This environment ultimately leads to better outcomes for autistic children.

At Lighthouse Autism Center, the hours for ABA therapy are tailored to each child’s unique needs based on clinical recommendations. We offer flexible scheduling options to best support your child’s development/ However, most therapists recommend between 10 to 30 hours of ABA therapy a week. On average, children will receive ABA therapy for three to five years.  

A full-time ABA therapy program provides more intensive therapy for the child and is often recommended for young children who will benefit greatly from early intervention. Children enrolled in a full-time program at a young age are significantly more likely to lead a more independent life, including school integration. 

While every child is different, most children will begin to demonstrate improved behaviors and/or skills beginning their first week of therapy. It’s important to remember that ABA therapy involves breaking large goals into very small, measurable, and attainable goals for your child. These small goals will build on each other until they culminate in the achievement of a larger goal. 

We have a team of professionals ready to assist with the enrollment process.  

• The parent/guardian will submit an enrollment application, including a medical diagnosis of autism.  

• Our insurance team will confirm coverage and cost of insurance benefits with you 

• An in-center assessment will be scheduled with you.  One of our Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) will meet with you and your child and perform a detailed assessment, develop a customized treatment plan, and provide the family with the recommended number of hours of ABA therapy that would benefit your child. 

•  Following the assessment and recommendation discussion, families have the opportunity to decide to enroll their child at Lighthouse Autism Center. 

Phrases “good ABA” and “bad ABA” —stem from people in the autism community voicing their negative experiences with “bad ABA.” Understanding the difference is vital for both parents and practitioners since it’s important to know that “good ABA” is evidence-based and gives children the best opportunity for optimal skill development, as well as to avoid “bad ABA” practices that can be detrimental to a child’s well-being and development. 

Negative experiences can arise when therapy is overly rigid, focused solely on compliance, introduces punishment for “bad” behavior instead of rewards for improved behavior, treats children like research experiments, ignores sensory needs, or uses a negative reinforcement approach. Additionally, “bad ABA” focuses almost entirely on reducing behaviors considered problematic, whereas “good ABA” introduces new skills, behaviors, and healthy coping mechanisms, in addition to working to minimize difficult behaviors. 

It’s crucial that caregivers educate themselves on what “good ABA” looks like and what they should look for in an ABA therapy program to ensure their autistic loved one is accessing high-quality therapy. 

So, what does good ABA look like? There are several factors you should look for in a high-quality ABA therapy program: 

• The child’s agency is prioritized: Your child is the most important person in the ABA therapy process. A successful ABA therapy program will take your child’s agency and autonomy into account, ensuring their choices, preferences, and interests are respected and integrated into the treatment plan. 

• Family involvement: The parents and/or caregivers in a child’s life should be heavily involved in setting their child’s goals and extending the child’s learning at the center into the home. This is critical to the generalization of skills and ensuring that a child is set up for long-term success. 

• Multidisciplinary team: A team of clinicians who are experts in their fields, all collaborating on goal development and therapy for your child. 

Natural Environment Teaching (NET): This is a teaching theory in which the learner acquires skills through their natural environment and based on their interests. Think of a child learning how to count fruits and vegetables in a pretend play space vs. sitting at a table with flash cards. The child is much more likely to be motivated and enjoy what they are learning in a natural play-based environment. 

ABA therapy is typically covered by most insurance plans. Lighthouse’s Insurance Team can help you understand your coverage available under your insurance plan and any associated costs. 

We accept most major insurance plans. Our insurance team will assist you with navigating your insurance coverage and questions. 

Every learner is different and requires different support, settings, and therapy or educational plans. A school setting is well-equipped to help children acquire academic skills. However, when a child has difficulties in a traditional school setting or has other skills or behaviors they need to refine or gain in order to support academic learning, an ABA center is best positioned to support that child’s success. Center-based ABA therapy provides the foundation many autistic children need so that they can develop the skills they need to transition to a school setting and then focus on academic learning. 

Lighthouse offers a School Readiness Program which helps children with autism be successful in a school environment. We also work with a child’s educational team to facilitate a child’s successful transition to school which includes: 

• Working with educators to create a comfortable and predictable routine. 

• Instruction on how to use visual aids, checklists, and reminders. 

• Using the child’s strengths, interests, and motivations to help acquire new skills. 

• Using positive reinforcement. 

• Setting clear boundaries and expectations using verbal or visual aids and addressing challenging behaviors appropriately and calmly. 

Here are some of the things you can do to support an autistic child in childcare: 

• Provide autism-friendly toys and equipment. 

• Create a calm environment for autistic toddlers with (this may include limiting loud noises, bright flashing lights, and sudden changes in environment or routine) 

• Create a consistent routine for autistic toddlers. 

• Provide structured play. 

Lighthouse utilizes a HIPAA-compliant, medical-based translation service. If your child and/or family require translation services, your appointments must be scheduled in person, as opposed to virtually. 

Speech therapy is a crucial intervention that assists autistic children (and children with other diagnoses) in improving their communication skills by working with a speech language pathologist (SLP). It helps autistic children with verbal communication and expression in conjunction with a larger holistic autistic treatment plan. 

Most insurance companies cover speech therapy.  

Speech therapy can begin as soon as a child is diagnosed with autism. It is a crucial aspect of early intervention, which takes advantage of the adaptability of a child’s brain, which is still developing. The sooner your child starts speech therapy, the better. However, autistic individuals of all ages can benefit from speech therapy. 

Speech therapy addresses the verbal and nonverbal communication challenges associated with ASD and focuses on enhancing an autistic individual’s abilities to express themselves, use the appropriate language for different social situations, and better understand social cues.