At Acorn Health, we know how overwhelming an autism spectrum diagnosis can be. It’s our goal to make this process as straightforward as possible and provide you with the clarity you need to make the right decisions for your family. There must be a number of questions running through your head right now and we’re hoping the below answers will be able to help.
What is ABA Therapy?
ABA is an acronym for “Applied Behavior Analysis,” an intensive behavioral therapy that focuses on learning how behaviors change, how they are affected by the environment, as well as has how learning takes place. The goal of ABA therapy as an autism therapy program is to increase desirable behaviors and reduce behaviors that interfere with an individual’s ability to learn. Acorn Health looks to establish and enhance socially important behaviors & improve an individual’s quality of life by providing and transferring critical knowledge, skills, and abilities in autism treatment.
Areas that are explored include
- Family Training
- Social Skills Training
- Toilet Training
- Feeding Therapy
- Vocational Training
- Functional Living Skills/Activities of Daily Living
- Direct Instruction
How Do I Know if ABA Therapy Is Right for My Child?
The only person who can decide if ABA therapy is right for your child is you. The Acorn Health team recommends discussing this with your child’s pediatrician and other specialists that you may already have established relationships with. It is worth noting that Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) methods are data-driven and have been studied for decades. ABA is endorsed by the US Surgeon General, the American Psychological Association, Autism Speaks, and dozens of other leading research, medical, and advocacy organizations. ABA therapy covers a wide array of skill sets so it’s best to know what areas your child may benefit from using ahead of initial consultation. These skill areas include but are not limited to improving attention, focus, social skills and memory to help them become more independent and lead a more fulfilling life.
What is an ABA Assessment?
An ABA assessment is not a diagnostic assessment, rather it is a time utilized to observe and work with a child to figure out what their needs are and record data on interfering behaviors. There is also a detailed parent interview included in the assessment to learn about what goes on at home and in school. The assessment is scheduled once a family completes the registration process and is informed that there is availability to take on the case. Once the assessment is completed, the Acorn Health staff creates an autism treatment plan and therapy program which is reviewed and approved by the parent.
How Many Hours a Week Can I Expect My Child to Partake in Therapy?
Since ABA is effective only when it is intensive, the recommended hours for this type of therapy will fall between 10-40 hours a week. Very rarely is there a situation where under 10 hours is effective. The number of recommended hours for your child will be determined by our clinical team after your child’s assessment when the treatment plan is developed.
What Makes Acorn Health Different from The Rest?
Acorn Health is the pioneering ABA therapy provider for families of children and adolescents with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) seeking behavioral therapy services. As a standard-setting quality provider of Applied Behavior Analysis services, Acorn Health has been recognized as a “Behavioral Health Center of Excellence,” an accreditation that reviews staff training and parent satisfaction surveys and is highly recognized in the industry. Together, courageous families and ABA clinicians help children develop their strengths, so they may lead independent, meaningful lives. The provider’s teams have superior clinical & administrative leadership that instills a culture of caring for families and abides by a strict code of ethics to ensure the best care for all families.
Services include
- Provides individualized, age–appropriate learning objectives
- Provides one–on–one therapy, initially in a clinical center or in home, and then generalized to other settings, including school
- Provides continuous training and support to parents throughout services
- Provides support to the child, family, teachers, and administrators during the child’s transition to school
- Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) provide weekly supervision in the home and are all local. Acorn Health does not use remote BCBAs so you have the opportunity to meet them face-to-face.
- Provides service coordination with other specialists such as OT, SLP, IEPs, etc.
- Family Training is a priority, ensuring families are actively involved in programming for your child.
What does the initial process to get started look like?
Below are initial and necessary steps before your child can begin treatment.
- Initial conversation with our Admissions team
- Insurance information
- Verification of ABA coverage
- Provide a courtesy insurance summary of benefits, specific to ABA therapy
- Schedule a Clinical Director Consult (if desired)
- Authorization is requested for an initial assessment from the insurance company
- Once approved, a clinical assessment with your child is scheduled and completed
- Assessment results are provided to your insurance company and authorization is requested for ongoing treatment from them
- Once approved, Acorn Health works with families to coordinate a start date for treatment
Because there are several parts of the process, we recommend getting started right away. We are here to help you navigate the process.
What Milestones Should My Child Be Reaching?
As you may already be aware of, there are a number of social, emotional and motor-skill milestones your child should be reaching at any given stage in their life. If you notice that your child is not demonstrating accomplishments or behaviors for key milestones, it’s essential you act proactively and speak to a professional. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex diagnosis that should be treated and diagnosed by ABA providers, experts, and clinicians. They will help provide a diagnostic test and screening for ASD and guide you through next steps in the process.
Below is a list of developmental milestones your child should be reaching at various ages:
9-Month-Old Milestones
- Bears weight on legs with support
- Sits with help
- Babbles
- Responds to name
- Transfers toys from one hand to the other
1-Year-Old Milestones
- Crawls
- Stands when supported
- Searches for things that he or she sees you hide
- Says single words like “mama” or “dada”
- Points to things
18-Month-Old Milestones
- Points with intent to show things to others
- Knows what familiar things are used for
- Copies others
- Gains new words
- Knows at least six words
- Notices when a caregiver leaves or returns
2-Year-Old Milestones
- Uses two-word phrases
- Knows what to do with common things such as brushes, phones, forks and spoons
- Copies actions and words
- Follows simple instructions
3-Year-Old Milestones
- Copies adults and friends
- Takes turns playing games
- Follows instructions with 2 or 3 steps
- Says their own first name and age
4-Year-Old Milestones
- Enjoys doing new things
- Would rather play with other children than by themselves
- Able to name some colors and numbers
- Can tell you what they think will happen next in a book
Where can I get my child diagnosed? How can I take advantage of early intervention?
Your insurance company is always the best resource to get information on where to complete an autism assessment and to see what’s covered in-network, and your child’s pediatrician is also a valuable resource to find a local resource to receive a diagnosis.
A comprehensive assessment can be completed at any approved autism evaluation center which can confirm a
diagnosis of autism. Many psychologists, neurologists, and developmental pediatrician’s diagnosis autism as well.
Is there an age limit for our ABA therapy?
We focus on children between the ages of 2 – 6 and offer services for school-aged children as well.
Medicaid stops covering ABA at age 21, and most major commercial insurances stop around 18-21.
How do you determine availability for my child? How long is the typical waiting period?
Generally, three factors are utilized to determine availability:
- The family and child’s schedule,
- The location of service/center of choice
- The expected number of clinically appropriate of hours of therapy
After obtaining this information, Acorn Health can identify if there is immediate availability for your child. We review our availability weekly and work to try and accommodate interested clients at our locations by adding more staff where we are able. If you have questions about any of our locations, please contact us.
What insurance plans do you accept? Do you take Medicaid?
We are in contract with many commercial insurance companies and we also accept Medicaid, but our contracts do vary state-by-state. Please contact our Admissions team directly for us to review your specific insurance plan and check for ABA therapy coverage.
What is the cost of therapy? What will my out-of-pocket expenses be?
Acorn Health assists families with a courtesy call to insurance companies in order to obtain a summary of benefits. During this call we check if there is ABA coverage included in the child’s insurance plan. If ABA coverage is applicable, the team will provide you with an estimate of any applicable copays, deductibles, out of pocket maximums as related to your specific insurance plan. However, to better understand applicable coverages, it’s encouraged that families speak directly with their insurance provider. If ABA coverage is not applicable, it’s advised that families consider an insurance plan that has applicable ABA coverage, or we can offer private pay as an alternative option.
Acorn Health can only bill insurance if the child is medically diagnosed with ASD or if ABA is deemed ‘medically necessary’. If you are seeking to pay out-of-pocket, the admissions manager can provide you with the private pay rates.
Is there family training available?
Acorn Health’s program includes a weekly family training component where the family meets with the BCBA to teach the family to implement interventions, to summarize progress, and discuss any concerns with regards to treatment or additional behavioral issues the child is displaying at home or school. We have found this collaborative approach with families as part of the process to be the most effective.
What qualifications do your therapists and clinicians have?
Each child’s therapy team is led by a board certified, master’s trained and credentialed BCBA. Our clinicians are always up to date on evidence-based practices and work as a team to provide the best treatment for the children in their care. They strive to think outside the box to provide your child with individualized programming that is meaningful to your family. In addition to their formal education, training and credentials, our new hires undergo 40-80 hours of new hire training to prepare, which includes online learning, role play, shadowing, and didactic learning opportunities.
Our RBTs (Registered Behavior Technicians) are an important part of our treatment teams providing direct therapy under the supervision of the BCBA. Prior to starting with clients, all technicians go through a 40-hour training program as well as intensive job shadowing process. When they are ready, they sit for the national exam to become RBTs.
How do I know if my therapist is a quality match for my child?
Acorn Health’s BCBAs undergo intensive training when hired and continue to have clinical meetings monthly. The organizations approach is collaborative, which makes us a leader in the field for ABA services. We have BCBAs with vast backgrounds and years of experience. When assigning therapists to clients, we do our best to match skill set and personality. If there are specific things you are looking for in a therapist, please be sure to discuss that during the clinical consult and before starting services so we can keep that in mind as we onboard your family.
Can my child get only social skills training?
Yes, Acorn Health offers social skills training for all ages in our ABA treatment plans. If the client is school age, many centers have a weekly social skills group where the clients can learn to play games together, etc. In select locations, social skills groups are only accessible if clients are receiving ongoing treatment at that center.
Where does ABA therapy take place?
We offer center-based, home-based and some in-school therapy services. We will work with you to recommend a setting that will aid in your child’s development and therapy. Center-based autism therapy has additional benefits that can be important including access to peers, a more controlled environment, novel toys and items, establishing routines that could help with school integration in the future.
We typically offer home-based services if you live within 20 miles from one of our centers. In some communities this is extended, so please contact us to find out if we have home-based services in your area.
We do offer in-school services in select communities. The school policy must allow for outside services to be present, and your insurance company must also cover school-based services. Supervisors may recommend starting with a home or center-based model first before determining if school is a is a clinically recommended setting for services.
Can I take a tour of the center?
Absolutely, the Acorn Health team would be happy to schedule a tour for you at any of the center-based ABA therapy locations. We cannot accept walk-in tours due to the safety and privacy of our staff and clients, but please contact us to discuss a scheduled tour.
What are your hours? Do you offer services on weekends?
Typically, services will be conducted between the hours of 8 AM – 7 PM on weekdays. If enough hours cannot be fit in to the week, weekend sessions may also be available.
How do you handle therapists leaving? How much notice will I get?
The Acorn Health team does its best to minimize disruptions to services due to changes in staffing; however, disruptions are felt from time to time. When this is true, it’s an expectation that families receive clear and frequent communication from our staff about next steps.
There is a two-part interview process where candidates are screened for reliability. However, occasionally there is a therapist who must stop services due to unpredictable circumstances (change in employment status, clinical concerns, etc.). Acorn Health prioritizes telling parents of any changes to their child’s treatment well in advance (a minimum of two weeks when possible). In the event of this transition, the team ensures that newly assigned staff is quickly brought up to speed and has adequate training prior to assuming client duties.