Starting ABA therapy is a big step. Most families come to us with a mix of hope and uncertainty — hope that their child will make real progress, and uncertainty about what this process actually looks like day to day. Here are honest answers to the questions we hear most.
Before your child sees a therapist, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) will complete an initial assessment — typically over one to three sessions. This isn't a test your child can pass or fail. The BCBA is getting to know your child: how they communicate, what motivates them, what's hard for them, and what your family's biggest priorities are.
At Animate, we review any existing evaluations (from your child's school, developmental pediatrician, or regional center) and combine that with direct observation. You'll be part of this process. The goals we set are yours as much as ours. After the assessment, your BCBA writes an individualized treatment plan explaining what we'll work on, how we'll measure progress, and why — and we'll walk through it with you before services begin.
Your child's Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) is the person they'll spend the most time with. RBTs implement the program your BCBA designed, tracking data on every goal in every session. Think of the RBT as the hands-on coach, and the BCBA as the program designer who checks in regularly, reviews the data, and adjusts the plan.
Sessions aren't drills at a table. At Animate, we use Natural Environment Teaching (NET) — skills are practiced in the context where they actually matter. If your child is learning to request help, we practice it when they actually need help with something, not in a scripted exercise.
Honestly, it depends. Some children make rapid progress in six to twelve months and transition out. Others benefit from longer support. What we can tell you is that we build every program with an exit in mind — the goal is independence, not ongoing enrollment. Your BCBA will review progress data regularly and give you a clear sense of trajectory at each quarterly review. If something isn't working, we'll tell you and change it.
A bigger one than you might expect — and a more supported one too. We ask caregivers to participate in parent training sessions where your BCBA teaches you the strategies your child is working on so you can use them at home. This isn't extra homework; it's how skills generalize from therapy to real life. The families who see the most progress stay engaged, communicate openly, and tell us when something isn't fitting their home or their child.
This matters, and we want you to feel safe raising it. If progress has stalled, if the therapeutic relationship isn't working, or if something doesn't sit right — tell us. Good ABA is collaborative. You always have the right to change providers, take a break from services, or request a second opinion. We'd rather hear a concern early and fix it than lose a family who felt they couldn't speak up.
Ready to get started? Fill out our intake form and our clinical team will be in touch within one business day.
