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Starting ABA can feel like a big step, especially if you’re not sure what to expect. Here’s what the first weeks can look like at Attain SLB, from your first conversation with us to your child settling into therapy.
Step 1: Talk with us
It starts with a conversation. You tell us about your child, where you live, and what you’re hoping for. There’s no commitment, and you don’t need to know exactly what your child needs before reaching out.
It helps to have a few things nearby: your insurance card, any diagnosis paperwork you have, a signed referral from your child’s doctor, and a sense of your family’s weekly schedule.
Step 2: Insurance and next steps
Next, we answer your questions and walk through insurance, availability in your area, and what the assessment looks like. Insurance plans often review ABA requests before they pay for therapy, so expect an approval step before regular sessions begin. Before the assessment, we check your benefits for you. If you’re curious how that works, our guide Does insurance cover ABA therapy in Colorado? explains it.
Attain has no waitlist. How soon things move depends on your family’s availability and our staff’s schedule at the times you want, and our team works to get your child started quickly.
Step 3: The assessment and meeting your clinical team
Your child’s care is led by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). BCBAs hold a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, and they design treatment and supervise the therapists who work with your child day to day.
During the assessment, the BCBA gets to know your child: what they enjoy, how they communicate, what comes easily, and where they could use support. You’ll meet the BCBA and team, and we’ll explain what we observed, what we recommend, and why. Your goals shape the plan.
The assessment happens at our Fort Collins clinic, at your home, or both. Most families spend about 2 to 3 hours with us. Our team then writes up the results and builds your child’s treatment plan.
Step 4: The first sessions
Connection comes first. The first week or two are mostly about what ABA calls pairing: building a trusting relationship with your child, getting to know them, and introducing the routines of therapy in a way that’s gentle and safe. Your child’s therapist plays, follows your child’s lead, and becomes someone your child looks forward to seeing. At Attain SLB, our team builds trust first, then uses ABA to help children build communication, social, play, daily living, and other skills that matter in everyday life.
A session at the clinic often follows a gentle rhythm: a warm hello, time to settle in with something your child enjoys, skill building inside play or in short focused practice, breaks and movement, and a handoff with you at the end. At home, sessions are built around your everyday routines, like mealtimes, getting dressed, or playing with a brother or sister, and a parent or caregiver is home during sessions. We offer after-school sessions and full-day sessions. Attain doesn’t set its own cap on hours: how long and how often sessions happen is built around your child’s needs, guided by the BCBA’s plan and what your insurance authorizes.
The therapists your child sees day to day are often Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). RBTs are certified paraprofessionals who deliver ABA services under the close supervision of a qualified supervisor, such as your child’s BCBA.
How you stay involved
You know your child better than anyone. We share what we’re seeing, what we recommend, and why. Your BCBA reviews progress and adjusts the plan when something isn’t working, and we collect data during sessions so your child’s plan isn’t based on guesswork. Progress updates and parent meetings happen weekly and/or monthly. BCBAs provide weekly supervision of every child’s case.
If you’d like hands-on support for yourself, Caregiver Training helps you use the same strategies at home.
What the first weeks can feel like
Every child is different. Some children jump right in. Others need more time to feel safe in a new place or with new people, and that’s okay. Early on, progress often looks small: a smoother drop-off, a new way to ask for something, a little more time at the table. Those small steps matter, and we notice and celebrate them.
It’s also normal for parents to have questions as things get going. Ask them. A good ABA team should be able to explain what they’re doing with your child and why, in plain language.
Ready to start?
Tell us a little about your family or call 970-999-5720, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. We’ll help you understand your options.