Questions to Ask a New ABA Provider

Before you sign, interview the provider the way you would interview a school. Vague answers are data. So are defensive ones. Use the list below, and listen for specifics about your child, not a brochure.

1. What is your approach to ABA?

Ask how they individualize, how they use the child’s interests, and how they handle assent and harder teaching moments. Compare what you hear to Is ABA harmful? Dr. Flick’s note and our approach.

2. Have you worked with learners like mine?

Ask for similar ages, support needs, and settings (clinic, home, school). You want pattern recognition, not a guarantee of identical outcomes.

3. How do you set goals and show progress?

Who picks goals? How often is data reviewed? How do parents see graphs or summaries? Transparent, collaborative measurement beats “trust us, it’s going well.”

4. What does parent involvement look like?

Hours of parent training, coaching in session, and how your priorities get into the plan. At Orchid we treat caregivers as part of the team; ask every clinic how that actually runs week to week. See parent training.

5. How do you respond to challenging behavior?

Listen for assessment-based plans, safety, and skill-building. Push for examples. If the answer is mostly punishment or “we don’t allow that here,” keep interviewing.

6. How will you communicate with us?

Frequency, channel (app, email, call), and who to contact when a session goes sideways.

7. What are the team’s credentials and supervision?

BCBA oversight hours, RBT training, and what happens when the regular tech is out. Ask who is in the room with your child most days.

8. Who owns the company, and what do they promise?

Ownership shapes culture: clinical quality vs. volume pressure. Ask how decisions get made when insurance cuts hours or a family needs a schedule change. Orchid was founded by clinicians and parents with special-education roots; other clinics will have different stories. What matters is whether leadership’s incentives match the care you want.

Setting and hours

While you are asking questions, clarify academy vs in-home and how they recommend weekly hours.

Continue with the new autism diagnosis guide, browse ABA therapy and locations, or request a call back.