ABA-Based Support for Children with ADHD and ODD
Focus • Social skills • Organization • Self-regulation
ADHD and ODD can bring behaviors that are hard to manage, for your child and for the whole family. Hope Center for Behavior Change offers ABA-based behavior support built around your child. Whether your child has a new or late diagnosis, or you are coping with changes to an IEP, we work on the skills that matter in daily life and help you use the same strategies at home.
- 4.9 on Google (13 reviews, October 2026)
- No waitlist
- BCBA-led programs
- BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, UMR, TRICARE
- Home, school, daycare & center
The short answer
ABA for ADHD and ODD is behavior support that uses applied behavior analysis to build skills such as attention, following routines, social communication and self-regulation, while reducing challenging behavior. Plans are written by a BCBA and include parent training. Insurance coverage for ABA often depends on an autism or Down syndrome diagnosis, so the center checks your benefits first. Self-pay is available for all services.
How can ABA help a child with ADHD or ODD?
ABA looks at what happens before and after a behavior, then teaches more helpful ways to get the same needs met. For children with ADHD or ODD that often means clearer routines, smaller steps and plenty of positive reinforcement for the behavior you want to see.
As your child grows, needs change. Goals and strategies change with them, so the plan stays useful at each stage.
What skills do we work on?
The areas the center addresses during therapy include:
- Attention and focusStaying with a task, shifting between tasks and finishing what was started.
- Social and communication skillsTaking turns, joining play, asking for help and handling disagreement.
- Organizational strategiesVisual schedules, checklists and simple systems for school and home.
- ReadingBuilding the routines and attention that support reading practice.
- Self-care and self-regulationManaging frustration, calming down and handling daily routines with less support.
Each child’s goals come from an assessment and from what you tell us matters most for your family.
What do experts recommend for ADHD?
The CDC reports that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parent training in behavior management as the first treatment for children with ADHD younger than 6, before medication is tried. For children 6 and older, the recommendations include medication together with behavior therapy, plus classroom and school supports.
Questions about medication belong with your child’s doctor. Our part is the behavior side: practical strategies, coaching for parents and support across settings.
Talk with our team
Why are parents part of the plan?
Parents have the greatest influence on a young child’s behavior. In parent and caregiver training you learn the same strategies the therapist uses, practice them in your own routines and get feedback along the way. Parent training happens every week. Sessions are delivered by a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), and a BCBA writes and reviews the plan and supervises the RBT every week.
- Clear, simple instructions and routines
- Praise and rewards for the behaviors you want more of
- Planned responses to defiance and outbursts
- Ways to prevent hard moments before they start
Can ABA help with school and IEP changes?
School is often where ADHD and ODD show up most. We can support your child at school when appropriate, as well as at home and in the community, so skills carry over from one setting to the next.
If your child’s IEP has changed, we can help you think through what the new goals mean for behavior support and how to keep home and school working on the same things.
Does insurance cover ABA for ADHD or ODD?
Coverage for ABA usually depends on an autism diagnosis. Florida’s autism coverage law, for example, requires certain group plans to cover ABA for autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome. ADHD and ODD on their own are often not covered for ABA.
Every plan is different, so we check your child’s benefits before services start and explain the options. We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna (Evernorth), UMR, Personify Health and TRICARE East (Humana Military), with Optum coming soon. We do not currently accept Medicaid.
Self-pay is available for all services, so a diagnosis is not required to self-pay. A sliding scale helps with deductibles and copays, and many families pay little or nothing out of pocket.
Ask us to check your coverageQuestions families ask
Do you diagnose ADHD or ODD?+
No. BCBAs do not diagnose ADHD, ODD or autism. A diagnosis comes from a qualified provider such as a pediatrician, developmental pediatrician, child psychologist or psychiatrist. If you do not have a diagnosis yet, we can help you think about where to start.
Is ABA the same as medication or talk therapy?+
No. ABA is a behavior-based approach. It focuses on teaching skills and changing what happens around a behavior. It does not involve medication. Any questions about medication should go to your child’s doctor.
My child has ADHD and autism. Is that different?+
Many children have more than one diagnosis. When a child has an autism diagnosis, insurance coverage for ABA is often more straightforward. We look at the whole child and build one plan that covers attention, behavior and other goals together.
Where do sessions take place?+
Therapy can happen at home, at school when appropriate, at daycare, in the community and at our locations in West Palm Beach, Temple Terrace (Tampa), Port Charlotte, Jacksonville and Sebring. We also serve Broward County and Fort Lauderdale, St. Lucie County, Orlando, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Plant City and Apollo Beach; see where we provide ABA. Working in more than one setting helps your child use new skills in everyday life, not only during sessions.
How do we get started?+
Call 561-337-8865 or contact us. We ask a few questions about your child, check your insurance benefits and explain the next steps in plain language. There is no waitlist. From your first call it can take as little as three weeks to start: intake paperwork, a benefits check, a 2–4 hour assessment at our center or at home (in one or two sessions), and up to two weeks to finalize the treatment plan and send it to your insurance. Once the plan is approved, services usually begin within 3–5 business days. Slow paperwork or insurance replies can stretch this to a few months. You can meet your child’s team before services start.
Related
- Parent and caregiver trainingStrengths-based coaching that helps parents and caregivers use ABA strategies every day.Learn more →
- School-based ABA therapyABA support at school, planned with your family and your child's teachers.Learn more →
- ABA assessmentsABA skills and functional behavior assessments that lead to a clear, individualized treatment plan.Learn more →
- InsuranceHow insurance can cover ABA in Florida, and how we check your benefits before therapy starts.Learn more →
Let’s talk about your child
Tell us what is hard right now and what you hope to see. We check your coverage and explain your options.
Our ABA programs are developed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and carried out by Registered Behavior Technicians.
- No cost to talk to us
- No waitlist: starting can take as little as three weeks from your first call
- Free benefits check, sliding scale and self-pay options
- Our operations team calls you back