ABA therapy
Skills that make everyday life easier.
Applied Behavior Analysis builds the everyday skills that make life easier for a child and the people around them, one small, measured step at a time, at home and in the community. A separate program from CFTSS, with its own front door.
What ABA is
Individual, evidence-based, measured.
ABA starts from a simple idea: behavior is learned, so skills can be learned too, and the behaviors that get in the way can be replaced with ones that work better. A licensed behavior analyst looks closely at what your child does, when, and what happens next, and builds a plan around it.
The plan is individual. Goals are specific and written in plain words: what your child will be able to do next. Progress is measured every session, so you never have to guess whether it is working.
It is not drills at a table all day. Good ABA happens where the skill is needed: at the dinner table, in the playground, getting out the door in the morning.
What we work on
Six areas, chosen for your child.
Not every child works on all six. The assessment decides which matter most right now.
Communication
Asking for what you need, answering, keeping a conversation going, with words, pictures or a device.
Social interaction
Joining a game, taking turns, reading what a friend means, handling losing.
Learning
Following a routine, paying attention, working through a task from start to finish.
Behavior
Replacing the behaviors that get in the way with ones that work better for the child.
Independence
Getting dressed, eating, toileting, managing belongings, moving through the day with less help.
Daily-living skills
The small things that add up to a good day at home, at school and in the neighborhood.
Who it’s for, and how that’s decided
Eligibility, honestly.
ABA is most often used with children and young adults with autism or related developmental needs, but the question is never the label. It is whether a child needs to build skills that ABA is good at building.
Whether ABA is available for your child depends on five things: a clinical assessment, medical necessity, age, insurance coverage, and authorization from your plan. We walk through all five with you before anything starts, and we tell you plainly if another program fits better.
Ages 2 to 21. Medicaid, Medicaid managed care plans and most private insurance are accepted.
How it works
Five steps, from first call
to first session.
- 1
You reach out
Tell us what you are seeing. We will explain whether ABA is likely to be the right program, or whether another door fits better.
- 2
Assessment
At our center, a licensed behavior analyst meets your child and looks at strengths, needs and what gets in the way. This is where medical necessity is established.
- 3
Insurance and authorization
ABA has its own coverage rules. We check your plan, handle the authorization, and tell you plainly what your plan covers. Medicaid plans and most private insurance.
- 4
A plan, written with you
Specific goals, in plain words, that matter in your house: what your child will be able to do next.
- 5
Sessions and check-ins
A trained technician works with your child at home or in the community, supervised by the analyst. Progress is measured, shared with you, and the plan changes when it should.
The team
Who does the work, and where.
Who
A licensed behavior analyst and trained technicians
The analyst assesses, plans and supervises. Technicians work with your child session by session. Our NYSED waiver lets us employ licensed behavior analysts directly.
Where
Home and community
Sessions happen where the skills are needed. With your permission, also in school.
With whom
You
Parents are taught the same strategies, so what works in a session keeps working at nine o’clock at night. In your language.
Questions parents ask about ABA
Before you call.
Is ABA part of CFTSS?
Who is ABA for?
Who does the work?
Where do sessions happen?
How many hours a week?
Is it covered?
What if I am not sure ABA is right?
Not sure whether ABA is the right program?
You don’t have to decide alone. Tell us what you are seeing and we will help you choose between ABA, mental health support, or both.
No cost to your family with insurance. We accept New York State Medicaid, MVP, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan and most private insurance, and we check your coverage for you. No coverage yet? We’ll help you apply.