In Rhode Island there is a law known as the ABA mandate law. This means most insurance plans are required to cover ABA services for children with an autism diagnosis.

Our billing services team will work with you to check your current policy as well as alternate funding sources if required. They are set up to handle all insurance needs from authorizations to ongoing claims and billing. We accept insurance coverage from most providers.

ABA is different from school in many ways. With ABA, your child is getting:

• One on one instruction
• Staff members are well-trained and comfortable with the varied types of instruction that children on the spectrum need.
• More intensive educational programming for learners on the autism spectrum.
• Programs integrate parents into teams more easily than public programs, and are comfortable with parent requests for sharing data and other information on progress.
• Support services may also be available in-house, such as parent training programs, home programming assistance, and sibling support groups.

Research shows that early diagnosis of and interventions for autism are more likely to have major long-term positive effects on symptoms and long term skills. The earlier, the better.

This is because at young ages, your child goes through critical periods in their development. These critical periods are stages in which your child is sensitive to their environment. Teaching certain concepts in these young years allows brain development to have the most positive effects for the long term.

The short answer is; ABA therapy is a full day therapy that your child can attend for a period of time to help  prepare them for a school setting.

Now, here are the details. ABA therapy is helpful in preparing children with autism for school, but it is not intended to replace school because it is not focused on academics. By participating in early intensive behavioral interventions like ABA therapy, toddlers, preschool-age children, and even older children can work on the essential skills they need to enter the classroom. At The Robert Grey Center, support for school readiness may include: self-care and hygiene, such as going to the bathroom and washing hands; paying attention to and responding to teachers; following instructions; having a meal with others; and being aware of one's body and personal space. Our particular focus of naturalistic ABA treatment at The Robert Grey Center allows for learning through play and work to generalize skills learned with friends and in other social situations like circle time, as well as one-on-one naturalistic therapy. When combined with other services like occupational and speech therapy, we are able to teach children how to hold a pencil, use scissors, and tolerate sitting in a chair, among other skills that can help them succeed in a more traditional classroom.