15 Questions to Ask Before Starting ABA Therapy

15 questions to ask before starting ABA — credentials, supervision, hours, goals, and insurance — to help Southern Utah families begin with confidence.

Parent Guides & At-Home Strategies
15 Questions to Ask Before Starting ABA Therapy

The short answer: The most useful questions to ask before starting ABA are clear, fair ones about who will work with your child (credentials and supervision), how the program is built (hours, goals, sessions), how progress is measured, how your family is included, and how it’s paid for. You don’t need to be an expert in Applied Behavior Analysis to advocate well — you just need the right list. Below are 15 questions, grounded in guidance from Autism Speaks, the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), and Utah Medicaid, that any St. George or Southern Utah family can bring to a first consultation.

Starting therapy is a big step, and a little anxiety is completely normal. A good provider will welcome every one of these questions. If a program ever makes you feel like you’re asking too much, that itself is an answer.

A quick note on what ABA should — and shouldn’t — be

Before the questions, it helps to know what “good” ABA looks like, because it shapes everything else. Autism Speaks puts it plainly: “Good ABA therapy is not about curing, healing or reducing autism symptoms” (Autism Speaks). Your child’s autistic identity isn’t a problem to be fixed. Quality ABA builds practical skills — communication, daily-living routines, and self-advocacy — while respecting who your child already is, including their natural ways of moving, playing, and self-regulating. Keep that frame in mind as you ask the questions below.

For context, autism is common: the CDC’s most recent surveillance data found that about 1 in 31 (3.2%) children aged 8 years has been identified with ASD, and that ASD is over three times more common among boys than girls (CDC). Utah is one of the 16 sites in the CDC’s ADDM surveillance network, so families here are part of the very data that shapes the national picture (CDC). If you’re navigating a new diagnosis, you are far from alone.

Questions about credentials and who works with your child

Start by asking who is actually directing your child’s care, because credentials are real and verifiable. The clinician designing the program should be a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). To earn that credential, a person must hold a master’s degree or higher, complete behavior-analytic coursework and supervised fieldwork, and pass the BCBA certification exam (BACB; BACB fieldwork requirements). You can verify any provider’s certification, and a good one will encourage you to.

  1. Is the program led by a BCBA, and can I verify their certification? Ask for the name and credential of the clinical lead.
  2. Are your behavior analysts licensed with the BACB and through the state, and what background checks does staff undergo? This is a question Autism Speaks explicitly recommends parents ask (Autism Speaks).
  3. Who will be in my home or with my child day to day, and what training do they have? Direct sessions are often run by behavior technicians; you should know who they are.

Questions about supervision

Always ask how much oversight the technicians receive, because supervision is what keeps a program clinical rather than ad hoc. Technicians who run direct sessions should be supervised by a BCBA. Autism Speaks recommends asking directly: “How much direct supervision do behavioral therapists receive from BCBAs weekly?” (Autism Speaks).

  1. How much direct BCBA supervision do the technicians receive each week? You’re listening for a real, consistent answer — not a number you need to memorize.
  2. How often will the BCBA observe my child and adjust the plan? A program should evolve as your child grows, not run on autopilot.

Questions about hours and what a session looks like

Ask how many hours are recommended and, just as importantly, how that number is decided. Autism Speaks notes that ABA programs can be intensive, with children “often spending 20 to 40 hours each week with a behavior technician” (Autism Speaks). Treat that as a typical range to individualize — not a target to hit. The right amount depends on your child’s age, needs, and your family’s life.

  1. How many hours per week do you recommend, and how did you arrive at that? The “how” matters as much as the number.
  2. What does a typical session look like, and what tools or props do you use? (Autism Speaks)
  3. Is the program play-based and naturalistic, or drill-heavy? For young children especially, learning woven into play tends to feel less clinical and more like childhood.
  4. Can sessions happen in our home and community, or only in a clinic? In-home and community-based ABA lets skills build where your child actually lives them.

Questions about goals, progress, and your role

Ask how goals are set, whether your input counts, and how progress is tracked. Autism Speaks lists this directly as a question worth asking: “How do you set and re-evaluate goals? Do you consider parental input?” (Autism Speaks). You know your child better than anyone, and your priorities — a calmer morning routine, a first word, a smoother trip to the store — belong in the plan.

  1. How do you set goals, and do you include parental input? (Autism Speaks)
  2. How do you measure progress, and how will you share that data with me? Data should be understandable, not just stored.
  3. How often can I watch a session, and will you train me to support skills at home? (Autism Speaks) Parent involvement is one of the strongest signals of a healthy program.

Questions about insurance, waitlists, and getting started

Finally, ask the logistics questions early, because they shape whether and when you can actually begin. Autism Speaks recommends asking whether a provider accepts your insurance and whether there’s a waitlist (Autism Speaks). In Utah, there’s real coverage to lean on: Utah Medicaid covers medically necessary ABA for children with a formal ASD diagnosis (up to age 21) under the EPSDT/CHEC benefit. It requires prior authorization, an assessment by a Qualified Healthcare Professional, and reassessment generally every six months, and services may be delivered in home, community, and clinic settings (Utah Medicaid Provider Manual).

  1. Do you accept my insurance, and what’s required to start? An autism diagnosis and active coverage are typically the baseline.
  2. Is there a waitlist? This is one of the most important questions to ask before starting ABA — and one of the most common sources of delay for Southern Utah families.
  3. Where will services be delivered, and how soon can we begin? Ask for concrete next steps and a realistic timeline.

Frequently Asked Questions

What questions should I ask before starting ABA therapy? Focus on five areas: credentials (is the program BCBA-led and verifiable?), supervision (how much weekly BCBA oversight do technicians get?), program design (recommended hours, what sessions look like, how goals are set), progress (how is it measured and shared?), and logistics (insurance, waitlists, where services happen). The 15 questions above, drawn from Autism Speaks, the BACB, and Utah Medicaid, cover all five.

How many hours of ABA therapy per week does my child need? There’s no single right number. Autism Speaks notes children often spend 20 to 40 hours each week with a behavior technician, but that’s a typical range, not a prescription (Autism Speaks). The right amount is individualized and determined by your child’s BCBA based on age, needs, and your family’s life.

What credentials should an ABA therapist have? The clinician leading the program should be a BCBA — which requires a master’s degree or higher, supervised fieldwork, and passing the certification exam (BACB). Day-to-day sessions are often run by behavior technicians, who should be supervised by a BCBA (Autism Speaks).

Does Utah Medicaid or insurance cover ABA therapy? Yes. Utah Medicaid covers medically necessary ABA for children with a formal ASD diagnosis (up to age 21) under the EPSDT/CHEC benefit, with prior authorization, an assessment by a Qualified Healthcare Professional, and reassessment generally every six months (Utah Medicaid Provider Manual). Many private insurance plans also cover ABA when there’s an autism diagnosis and active coverage.

Is ABA therapy about “fixing” autism? No. As Autism Speaks states, “Good ABA therapy is not about curing, healing or reducing autism symptoms” (Autism Speaks). It’s about building practical, meaningful skills while respecting your child’s autistic identity.

Ready when you are

If you’ve read this far, you’re already doing the most important thing: asking thoughtful questions on behalf of your child. At Ryse ABA Therapy, we’d welcome every one of these questions. We provide BCBA-led, family-first, play-based, in-home and community-based ABA across Washington County — St. George, Washington, Hurricane, Santa Clara, Ivins, and La Verkin — and Cedar City in Iron County, for ages 2 to 65. And because we keep no waitlist, families who are ready can start right away rather than waiting months. With an autism diagnosis and active insurance coverage, we’ll help you sort out the rest. When you’re ready to talk it through, call us at (385) 549-5656. When we Ryse together, we achieve more.

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