Frequently Asked Questions for ABA Therapy

In order to best determine your child’s individual needs, Inner circle requires case history, family history, developmental history, and treatment consent packets to be completed. 

Each insurance can have significantly different requirements, however an official medical diagnosis of autism conducted by a physician or psychologist that includes scored assessments to support a diagnosis of autism is required by all insurers. 

In some cases there may be additional requirements. Additional documentation can often include items such as primary care visit summary, speech evaluation, vision/hearing evaluation, and others. 

We are committed to making our services accessible and affordable to as many families as possible, and being in network with most insurance providers is just one of the ways we are able to do this. 

Below is a current list of our current in-network providers, however if your insurance is not listed, we will work to find you options for services. 

• Arkansas Medicaid
• Summit Community Care
• Empower Healthcare
• Arkansas Total Care
• CareSource
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• United Healthcare
• Cigna
• UMR
• Soonercare
• Qualchoice
• Oklahoma Complete Health
• Humana Healthy Horizons of Oklahoma
• Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma

We believe that it is important that your child always feels comfortable and safe at therapy. In order to build a positive relationship from the start, the first few days of therapy are full of discovery, fun and play. During this time, your therapy team will take the time to get to know your child’s likes and dislikes, favorite activities and motivations through engaging interactive play. Once a positive relationship has been established, your child’s individual treatment goals will be slowly incorporated into therapy. 

Because ABA therapy can range from 25-40 hours per week, your child will work with a strong team of passionate and committed individuals which will include a BCBA and 4-6 behavior therapists.

ABA therapy sessions are tailored to each child’s specific goals, interests and skills and will therefore be different for each child. However there are some common elements that are often incorporated into every session.

• Natural environment, play based instruction in which learning objectives and goals are naturally incorporated into interactive play. 
• Direct one-on-one instruction from a therapist, often reflecting classroom like table top tasks
• Social skills and group instruction often involves working on skills with their peers during activities such as art, music, circle time, pretend play and group games.
• Therapy built around the use of reinforcement and positive interaction in order to build and maintain motivation for learning. 
• Data collection occurs during every ABA session in order to document your child’s progress, behaviors and skills. Data is collected digitally by RBT’s and BCBAs through a web based platform and will occur in real time throughout the session.
• Parent involvement is an important part of every ABA therapy program which is why we have built a parent training/observation room at each of our centers designed specifically to provide the opportunity for you to participate in your child’s journey.

At Inner Circle, we recognize that every child is unique and as such requires an individualized approach to treatment. This means that there is no magic formula or quick answer and depends on several factors including skills, needs, goals, rate of progress, attendance, intensity of services and other factors. Therapy can range from several months to several years. 

Ultimately, it is our goal for every child to develop skills that will allow them to participate successfully in “real-life”. In order to ensure progress toward this goal, each treatment plan includes an individualized transition plan that defines the core skills and goals that are needed prior to transition. 

ABA is based upon the principles of Behavior Analysis — that all behavior is shaped by interaction with the environment.

Inner Circle’s integrative approach to ABA therapy emphasizes your child’s development across a variety of categories including communication, social interaction, language development, daily living skills, play skills, and social-emotional development.

Therapy will incorporate a wide variety of skill areas such as language, communication, social skills, connecting with others, building confidence, positive self-esteem, daily living skills, critical thinking, and academic readiness.

Ultimately, it is our goal for every child to develop skills that will allow them to participate successfully in “real-life”. In order to ensure progress toward this goal, each treatment plan includes an individualized transition plan that defines the core skills and goals that are needed prior to transitioning out of ABA therapy.

At Inner Circle, we recognize that every child is unique and requires measures of progress that are individualized along with their treatment plan.

Methods to record data and analyze behavior include: direct observation, event, duration and interval recording, and Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) data collection.

Because ABA therapy is tailored to each child’s unique needs there is no magic formula or quick answer for how long your child will need ABA therapy. The length of time depends on several factors including skills, needs, goals, rate of progress, attendance, intensity of services, and other factors. Therapy can range from several months to several years.

ABA therapy sessions are tailored to each child’s specific goals, interests and skills and will therefore be different for each child. However there are some common elements that are often incorporated into every session:

• Natural environment, play based instruction in which learning objectives and goals are naturally incorporated into interactive play. 
• Direct one-on-one instruction from a therapist, often reflecting classroom-like table top tasks
• Social skills and group instruction often involves working on skills with their peers during activities such as art, music, circle time, pretend play, and group games.
• Therapy built around the use of reinforcement and positive interaction in order to build and maintain motivation for learning. 
• Data collection occurs during every ABA session in order to document your child’s progress, behaviors, and skills. Data is collected digitally by registered behavioral therapists (RBTs) and BCBAs through a web based platform and will occur in real time throughout the session.
• Parent involvement is an important part of every ABA therapy program.

The improvement of communication and social skills is a core element of ABA therapy. At Inner Circle, we focus on functional communication, emphasizing the understanding and use of language in meaningful contexts.

For children who have limited vocal communication, we teach them to use alternative methods of communication including alternative communication (AAC) systems, such as sign language, picture exchange communication systems (PECS), or speech-generating devices. 

We strive to help every child express their wants, needs, and thoughts through effective communication.

ABA therapy is effective in helping to reduce challenging behaviors such as tantrums, bed-wetting, feeding problems, aggression, self-injury, and other behaviors. In addition, ABA therapy focuses on helping each child develop new, more appropriate behaviors and skills.

Yes, ABA therapy is widely recognized as the only scientifically valid therapy available for treating behavioral issues associated with autism.

Board-Certified Behavioral Analysts have completed graduate-level education requirements in the field of applied behavioral analysis and a minimum of one thousand hours of field work. After meeting the education and experience requirements they must pass a comprehensive exam administered by the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board (BACB). They must adhere to a code of ethics outlined by the BACB which emphasizes maintaining professional conduct, protecting client rights and confidentiality, and providing effective treatment. Additionally, BCBAs must engage in ongoing professional development to maintain their certification.

BCBAs are highly trained professionals who specialize in behavior analysis and apply their expertise to assess, analyze, and address behavioral challenges.

Parent involvement is an important part of every ABA therapy program which is why we have built a parent training/observation room at each of our centers designed specifically to provide the opportunity for you to participate in your child’s journey.

Yes! Below is a current list of our current in-network providers, however if your insurance is not listed, we will work to find you options for services. 

• Arkansas Medicaid
• Summit Community Care
• Empower Healthcare
• Arkansas Total Care
• CareSource
• Blue Cross Blue Shield
• United Healthcare
• Cigna
• UMR
• Soonercare
• Qualchoice
• Oklahoma Complete Health
• Humana Healthy Horizons of Oklahoma
• Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma

Costs associated with ABA therapy depend on a number of factors, including the treatment plan, number of hours, and your insurance coverage.

ABA therapy is based on behavioral science and helps teach new skills and behaviors in a fun and positive way through play-based interactions. While traditional speech and occupational therapies may be 1-2 visits per week, ABA therapy is more intensive, often occurring Monday – Friday for 25-40 hours per week. 

ABA therapy can be instrumental in teaching and promoting daily living skills to promote independence. Some of these skills include:

• Potty Training
• Handwashing
• Tooth Brushing
• Feeding
• Dressing
• Hygiene

At Inner Circle we treat children with autism through age 10, depending on insurance coverage.