Cost of ABA Therapy

ABA therapy programs can be provided by private companies and through government contracted agencies. They can be small local agencies or large regional or national groups. Moreover, they can be provided by consultants and therapists in separate packages. And ABA programs can even be provided through your local school district in many cases.

Usually, several tutors, a senior tutor/supervisor and a consultant/case manager form a team to work with an autistic child. The consultant/case manager is normally a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), who designs and supervises the child’s treatment program. Paid one-to-one tutors are now usually Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), trained and supervised by the BCBA. Family members usually do 2 or 3 sessions per week. Many families prefer to hire tutors that are family members, or volunteers, such as from local church groups. And many families hire tutors through universities, or by placing ads.

In general, ABA programs involve:

• Evaluating the skills and difficulties of the child
• Determining the goals and objectives, for example, learning how to say ‘hello’
• Assessing how often a behavior takes place
• Planning and implementing a program that teaches the required behavior
• Continuous measurement of the required skill to check whether the program is effective
• Continuous enhancement of the program, and making corrective actions when needed

The way these components will be applied by the program differs from one child to another based on factors such as the child’s particular condition in the autism spectrum and the child’s individual strengths and weaknesses. An ABA therapy program can be applied in the family’s home, a clinic, the child’s school or a combination of settings. In most cases behavioral intervention programs begin in the home and are applied to other environments as the child progresses.

Unfortunately, these programs can be very costly, and may not be adopted by many school systems. Numerous parents search for funding and staffing from other sources, which can be difficult to allocate in various communities.

Hours needed

Early intensive ABA grew out of Dr. Ivar Lovaas’s work at UCLA, where children received about 40 hours a week (Lovaas, 1987). Today’s practice guidelines describe comprehensive programs of about 30 to 40 hours a week and focused programs, aimed at a few goals, of about 10 to 25 hours; the BCBA recommends hours for each child. Some families use standard ABA therapy 5 days a week, and work with the child on the general skills in the home on weekends.

Cost considerations

The cost of an ABA program mainly depends on the form of the program, the way it’s structured, and the services that it provides. Families can minimize costs by applying some of the activities that are involved in the therapy themselves. Moreover, they can search for volunteers for support and borrow materials from toy libraries or autism associations to reduce costs. Most families go to their school district or to local or state agencies for services or funding.

ABA specialized schools

Children can be involved in schools that are specialized in ABA treatment. Most major cities and university towns typically have such schools. However, the cost of these schools is quite expensive, as the tuition fees may range between $16,000 and $25,000 a year (2011 figures). Parents in need may be offered scholarships by some schools.

Home Therapy

ABA therapy can also take place at home. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) designs and supervises the program, and a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) usually delivers the one-to-one sessions. Costs vary widely with the number of hours, where you live and your insurance. Most U.S. states now require many health plans to cover ABA for autism, so check your plan's benefits before you budget. The dollar figures in the original 2011 article are no longer current and have been removed.

References:

Lovaas, I. O. (1987). "Behavioral Treatment and Normal Educational and Intellectual Functioning in Young Autistic Children". Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 3-9.

http://www.jeena.org/autism/ABA.htm

http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/applied_behaviour_analysis_th.html

http://www.peach.org.uk/FAQs/ABAAppliedBehaviourAnalysis

http://autism.healingthresholds.com/therapy/applied-behavior-analysis-aba

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