Which ABA Therapy Setting is Right for Us?

In today’s blog post we break down the different ABA therapy settings and help guide which one is right for your learner.

1. Clinic
Clinic-settings are ideal for a lot of different learners. It is a structured and safe setting but it also allows the child access to group activities and peer interaction within an enriching environment. This may be a good setting for younger learners who aren’t already in school but need to work on the prerequisite behavior skills to set them up for success such as making requests, sharing with peers and following simple instructions.

The disadvantage to clinic setting is caregivers are not able to participate in sessions like they can in the home setting and some skills may need to be targeted in the home environment separately in order for them to generalize. 

2. Home
ABA therapy in the home-based setting is great for learners of different ages and skills. It allows children to learn skills in their most natural environment: home! It also allows parents to observe sessions more closely and have more frequent interaction with the therapy team.

The disadvantage to the home setting is that some skills, particularly peer-related social skills, may not be accessible to target if there are not other children for the learner to practice with.  
 

3. School / Daycare
ABA therapy in the school and daycare setting may have some of the same benefits and disadvantages of a clinic setting. This setting may be ideal for learners with less support needs.

It is important for parents to discuss with the prospective school or daycare whether they will allow ABA therapy before setting up services. Some schools and daycares have their own rules and preferences about ABA therapy in the classroom. In addition not all insurances permit ABA therapy in the school setting so it is important to check first!   

4. Community
The  community setting can be a great place for ABA therapy for certain goals, especially for older learners trying to navigate a vocational setting. The community may also be a good location to work on generalizing skills taught in the clinic and home setting too.

However, not all insurances cover community based services and it may not be the ideal environment to work on some particular goals either.

In the end when trying to decide which ABA therapy setting is right for your child and family you may want to ask yourself a few other questions such as: Is the setting I am interested in accessible in my area? Can I fit the ABA therapy schedule into our lives? What skills are most important to my child’s growth and can they be achieved in the setting we are interested in? It’s important to have these discussions within your family as well as your ABA therapy provider if you are in the intake process.