What to Expect During an ABA Therapy Evaluation

If your child has recently been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), you may be wondering what happens next. For many families, the first recommendation from a pediatrician or diagnosing specialist is to look into applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy. ABA therapy is an evidence-based approach that uses the science of learning to help autistic children develop functional skills for everyday life, from communication and social interaction to daily routines and independence.

Before therapy begins, though, there's an important step in between: an ABA therapy evaluation. This evaluation is how your child's Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®) learns about your child's specific needs, strengths, and goals before building a personalized plan for therapy. Knowing what to expect from this process can help your family feel more confident and prepared when the day arrives.

What is an ABA therapy evaluation?

An ABA therapy evaluation, sometimes called an ABA therapy assessment, is how your child's BCBA gets to know your child before therapy begins. They look at your child's strengths, challenges, and support needs to figure out how ABA therapy can help your child reach meaningful outcomes.

This process is personal, not one-size-fits-all. The evaluation is built around what makes your child unique, so recommendations can be shaped around your family's priorities and your child's everyday life.

ABA therapy evaluation vs. autism assessment: What’s the difference?

If you've recently searched for autism testing near me or autism diagnosis near me, you're likely in the early stages of figuring out next steps for your child. ABA therapy evaluations and autism evaluations are closely connected, but they happen at different times and serve very different purposes. 

• An autism evaluation, sometimes called autism testing, is the first step. This is the process used to determine whether your child meets the criteria for an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. An autism evaluation is typically completed by a psychologist, developmental pediatrician, or similar specialist. At Action Behavior Centers, we offer ADOS-2 and IDE evaluations to help support this process.
  
  
• An ABA therapy evaluation is a completely separate process that begins after your child has received an autism diagnosis and after insurance has been confirmed. By this point, you've chosen an ABA therapy center that feels right for your family, toured the space, and met the professionals who will be working with your child. The ABA therapy evaluation is when your child's BCBA sits down with your family to learn about your child's specific needs, understand your goals, and begin building an individualized plan for therapy.

How to prepare for an ABA therapy evaluation

Walking into an ABA evaluation feeling prepared makes a big difference. Here are a few simple things you can do ahead of time:

• Write down your questions about communication, behavior, or daily routines
• Think about your child's strengths, not just the challenges, so your child's BCBA gets the full picture
• Consider what support would feel most meaningful at home and in everyday life
• Gather any records you have, such as past evaluations or therapy notes
• Think about your family's schedule and any practical needs around therapy frequency or timing

What happens during the ABA therapy evaluation

The evaluation takes place in-center with your child's BCBA and can last up to a few hours, so plan accordingly. Pack snacks, bring any comfort items your child loves, and know that the session is designed to feel as natural as possible for your child.

This intake appointment is a key part of the ABA therapy process. Your child's BCBA will observe and interact with your child in a way that feels more like play than assessment, because that's often when children show their most natural behaviors and communication patterns.

The conversation with your family might include questions about how your child communicates, how they interact with others, what their daily routines look like, and what feels most pressing for your family right now. Your child's treatment team wants to understand your child as a whole person with unique needs.

What your child’s BCBA is looking for during an ABA assessment

During the evaluation, your child's BCBA looks at a range of areas to understand how your child learns, communicates, and moves through everyday life.  Some of the areas your child's BCBA and Registered Behavior Technicians® (RBTs®) commonly assess include:

• Communication skills, such as making requests, using gestures, or understanding what others say
• Social interaction, including play, turn-taking, and connecting with peers
• Daily living skills, like following routines, washing hands, or cleaning up
• School readiness, such as imitation, matching, and categorization
• Behaviors that may be getting in the way of learning or safety

Your child's BCBA also works to understand why certain behaviors may be happening. In ABA therapy, this context matters a lot. It helps your child's BCBA and RBTs figure out whether your child may benefit from building a new skill, learning a different way to communicate, or getting support with a specific routine or challenge.

What happens after the evaluation

After the evaluation, your child's BCBA uses everything they learned to build an individualized plan for therapy based on your child's strengths, support needs, and your family's goals. The plan that comes out of this process is built around your child's real life, not a generic template.

Once therapy begins, you will take part in twice-a-month sessions with your child’s BCBA called Family Guidance. During this one-on-one time with your child's BCBA, you’ll hear what's helping in therapy, learn strategies to use at home, and make sure the skills your child is building at the center carry over into everyday life. We encourage siblings and anyone who spends regular time with the child to attend these sessions.

When can my child start ABA therapy?

The timeline from evaluation to first day of therapy moves quickly at Action Behavior Centers. We offer immediate access to care with no waitlists in most markets, so your family doesn't have to sit and wait once you're ready to move forward.

Here's a general idea of what to expect:

• Autism diagnosis → ABA therapy assessment: Most families are able to schedule the ABA therapy assessment within a few days of receiving their child's autism diagnosis. This gives your child's treatment team time to verify your insurance benefits and coordinate any prior authorizations required by your plan.
  
  
• Center tour → ABA therapy assessment: If your child has an autism diagnosis and you toured a center, the next step is scheduling your child's ABA therapy assessment. Timing depends on your child's BCBA's availability, so it's a good idea to reach out as soon as you're ready.
  
  
• ABA therapy assessment → first day of therapy: In most cases, therapy can begin about a week after the assessment is complete. This gives your child's BCBA time to review everything from the evaluation and finalize your child's individualized goals before their first day.

Ready to start ABA therapy?

You don't need to have everything figured out before you reach out. If your child has recently received an autism diagnosis and you're wondering what ABA therapy could look like for your family, we're here to help you take the next step. Contact us to schedule a tour of an ABA center near you. You can also verify your insurance coverage to understand your benefits before you get started.