Frequently Asked Questions

Do you accept insurance?

• Insurance plans accepted under the Autism Insurance Bill only include:

  • BCBS, Florida Blue, Aetna, United, Cigna, Simply Medicaid, Sunshine Medicaid, CMS Medicaid, & Sunshine Title 21.

  • All other insurance plans or non-diagnosed services would require private pay.

  • We are also a direct pay provider for families awarded with the FES-UA scholarship.

What is the cost/fee schedule?​

• Initial Evaluation & Assessment- includes functional assessment, language assessment, interview, and direct observations to determine program & requirements- $225.00-$275.00 (depending on case requirements) 

• Center-based ABA session fees: 

  • $75.00 per hour with BCBA 

  • $65.00 per hour with BCaBA 

  • $35-$45 per hour with Registered Behavior Technicians and behavior technicians (priced based on experience & training level) 

• Home & School Consultation available upon request with BCBA or BCaBA (price will vary) 

  • ​Please note:  All home and school sessions are subject to additional travel fees 

• Social Skills Groups- $25.00 per hour per child (based on group availability and requirements) 

• Toilet Training pricing to be determined based on individual case 

Are parent's a part of the sessions?

• Absolutely!  We love having parents/caregivers participate in therapy!  It gives us a chance to teach you more effective ways of responding to your child and gives you a chance to see your child’s progress.  In order to maintain safety, reduce problem behaviors, and teach important skills, we will ask that help us by following certain guidelines, and  we may ask you to leave the room on occasion.  That’s not because we don’t want you here or because we’re hiding something; it’s because we’re trying to gain instructional control (teaching your child to respond to us when we give an instruction), and sometimes having parents/family in the room can be a distraction.  Once we have built up a positive rapport and instructional control with your child, we’ll be happy to have you join us again! 

What kind of diagnosis' do you serve?

• Autism/PPD​

• Asperger's Syndrome

• Learning Disabilities

• Problem Behavior

What exactly is ABA? 

• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is an evidence-based practice that aims to improve or change behavior in socially significant ways.  Our field is rooted in science and is one of the few treatment options proven to work with a variety of populations, including children with autism and related disorders.  ABA teaches a variety of critical communication, social, academic, and daily living skills, and well as provides appropriate replacement behaviors for maladaptive, dangerous, or disruptive behaviors.  Acquisition programs are tailored to each child’s individual needs, but often include skills/areas such as: 

  • Increasing appropriate communication (e.g., using alternative communication systems, requesting preferred items, requesting to be done with a non-preferred task, asking for help with difficult tasks, labeling items in the environment, etc.) 

  • Safety skills (e.g., responding to one’s name, following safety signs [stop, poison, don’t walk, etc.], waiting, etc.) 

  • Social skills (greeting others, staying on topic in conversation, answering questions appropriately, recognizing emotional cues, participating in group activities, etc.) 

  • School readiness/academic skills (following a schedule, completing independent work activities, staying at a desk/in a designated area, participating in centers/small group activities, additional supports for homework, etc.).    

  • Toilet training (using a bathroom independently, requesting to use the bathroom, etc.) 

  • Food training (increasing the amount or variety of food consumed)  

  • Parent/family training (family members observing/participating in sessions to learn more effective ways of responding to behaviors) 

  • We also focus on reducing a variety of problem behaviors such as: 

  • Refusals 

  • Tantrums 

  • Elopement (running away/leaving the area) 

  • Aggression 

  • Self-injury 

  • Socially inappropriate behaviors 

What ABA isn't:  

• ABA is not a miracle cure that will “fix” your child in a few brief sessions.  The time frame varies depending on your child’s specific needs, the severity of the behaviors, and the level of involvement from all caregivers, but we often work with clients for months or even years.  That doesn’t mean we will be focusing on the same goals the whole time, though.  Rather, we continually assess your child’s needs and work with your family to pick new goals that will help give your child (and the rest of your family) the most opportunities to live a fulfilling life and be successful. 

• In addition, ABA doesn’t use whatever treatment methods are “trendy” at the time.  All of our principles are rooted in science and have decades of research to support their validity.  Our field is always growing and trying new things, but any treatment we use must align with our evidence-based principles. 

• Finally, ABA is not only about your child.  In our field, we don’t try to figure out what’s "wrong" with your child.  Instead, we look at the environment (the physical space, the people involved, current rules/expectations, etc.) to figure out what we can tweak to improve your child’s behavior.  That means your child is not the only one learning new behaviors and new ways of responding; your whole family is too.  Our goal is to equip everyone with the tools necessary to adapt and change behaviors on your own.  If we’re doing our job right, eventually, you won’t even need us anymore! 

What curriculum and programs do you use?

• Functional Behavior Assessments​

• Language-Based Curriculum & Teaching Methodology (ABLLS and VB-MAPP)

• Autism Program & Language Development Program

• Behavior Intervention

• ABA Therapy Sessions

• Play Group/Social Skills Group

• Academic Based Instruction/ABA Tutoring

• Parent Trainings & Consultations (Home & School)​​

What does a daily schedule of a therapy session look like?

• ​The schedule is based on the individual needs of the child.  Each child's day may vary in duration and frequency of therapy sessions, based on the child's age and current level of learning.  Therapy sessions will be provided by staff consisting of Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA), and/or trained behavior therapist/technicians.  Interns from local colleges will assist in shadowing and data collection. 

Learn more about the Therapy Expectations at HCDS