A website can tell you what a provider believes. A tour shows you what actually happens. This checklist is for the visit itself: what to look at, what to listen for and what to ask while you are standing in the building. It works alongside our list of 10 questions every parent should ask an ABA provider, which covers the phone call. Print it or keep it open on your phone.
How should I set up the tour?
- Ask to visit while sessions are running. An empty center tells you about the furniture, not the therapy. Mid-morning or early afternoon on a weekday usually shows a typical day.
- Expect privacy rules. A good center protects other families' privacy, so you may not be allowed to walk into therapy rooms or watch a specific child for long. Watching from a doorway, an observation window or a common area is normal.
- Bring your child if it makes sense. For some children a short visit helps them get used to the place. For others it is better to go alone first.
- Ask who will show you around. Meeting a BCBA, not only front-desk staff, gives you a chance to ask clinical questions.
- Bring a second adult if you can. One person talks while the other watches.
What should I listen for?
Sound tells you a lot in the first five minutes.
- Do you hear children laughing, talking, singing or playing?
- Do staff voices sound warm and natural, or flat and drill-like?
- When a child is upset, does staff respond calmly, with comfort and space, rather than raised voices?
- Is there constant crying that no one seems to respond to? Some upset is normal in any place with young children. Ongoing distress that staff ignore is not.
- Is the noise level manageable for a child with sound sensitivity? Are there quieter rooms?
Hope Center's clinical director describes the goal this way: "our centers are full of laughing and singing, not crying." Whatever center you visit, that is a fair standard to hold it to.
What should I watch for between staff and children?
- Engagement. Are RBTs at the child's level, playing and paying attention, or looking at phones or chatting with each other?
- Choice and assent. Do children get choices of activities and rewards? When a child turns away, pushes materials off or says no, does staff pause, offer a break or change the task instead of forcing it? See assent-based ABA.
- Natural teaching. Do you see learning inside play, snack time and routines, not only table work?
- Respect for stimming and communication. Is harmless stimming left alone? Are AAC devices and picture systems within reach and used?
- Praise and rewards. Is praise genuine and specific? Are rewards things the child actually enjoys?
- Physical handling. Do you see staff physically holding children down? Ask directly about restraint. The BACB ethics code says behavior analysts should prioritize positive reinforcement and recommend restrictive procedures only after less intrusive means have not worked or when the risk of harm requires it. Hope Center uses no restraint and the least intrusive strategies.
Where are the data and the BCBAs?
ABA should be driven by data, and someone should be supervising it.
- Are RBTs recording data during sessions, on a tablet or paper?
- Ask to see a sample progress graph with names removed. Can staff explain what it shows in plain language?
- Is a BCBA on site? How often does the BCBA observe each child's sessions?
- How are RBTs supervised? The BACB requires supervision for at least 5% of an RBT's service hours each month, with at least two real-time contacts. Many good programs supervise more. See how much BCBA supervision your child should get.
- Who reviews treatment plans before they go to insurance?
What safety checks should I make?
Many autistic children wander or bolt, and Florida has water almost everywhere: pools, canals, retention ponds and lakes. Look closely at:
- Exits. Are outside doors secured or alarmed, and is someone watching the entrance?
- Outdoor areas. Is any play area fenced? Is there water nearby, such as a retention pond in the parking lot?
- Check-in and pickup. How does the center confirm who is allowed to pick up your child?
- Hazards. Are cleaning supplies, cords and small objects out of reach?
- Heat. How does the center handle outdoor time and hot cars in Florida summers?
- Background checks. The BACB requires every RBT applicant to pass a criminal background check and an abuse registry check. For providers paid through Florida's Agency for Persons with Disabilities, s. 393.0655 requires Level 2 (fingerprint-based) screening of direct service providers. Ask what screening the center does for all staff.
- Emergencies. What is the plan for a medical emergency, a fire drill, a missing child and a hurricane closure?
- Challenging behavior. What happens if a child becomes unsafe? Who calls the parent, and how fast?
Our drowning prevention guide explains why water safety matters so much here.
What should I ask about parents and communication?
- How often is parent training, and can I watch my child's sessions?
- How will I hear about my child's day: a daily note, an app, a text?
- Who do I call with a concern, and how fast should I expect an answer?
- Can I meet my child's RBT and BCBA before services start?
- Does the center coordinate with school, daycare, speech or OT providers?
- Which languages do staff speak?
Printable tour checklist
| What to check | Score (0 to 2) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Children sound engaged and happy most of the time | ||
| Staff respond calmly and kindly to upset children | ||
| RBTs are engaged, not on phones | ||
| Children get choices; staff respect "no" | ||
| Teaching happens in play and routines, not only at a table | ||
| Data collection is visible and graphs are explained clearly | ||
| A BCBA is available and supervision is explained | ||
| Restraint policy is clear and acceptable to you | ||
| Exits, outdoor areas and pickup are secure | ||
| Hazards are out of reach; space is clean | ||
| Emergency and hurricane plans exist | ||
| Parent training and observation are welcomed | ||
| Communication with parents is clear and regular | ||
| Staff speak your family's language, or there is a plan | ||
| Your gut feeling: could your child be happy here? |
There is no passing score. Use the total to compare centers, and pay most attention to any zero. If you are deciding between two providers, our side-by-side scoring sheet adds start dates, hours and cost.
What are red flags on a tour?
- You are not allowed to see any part of the therapy area, at any time.
- No one can explain how progress is measured.
- Staff cannot tell you who supervises the RBTs or how often.
- Restraint is described as routine.
- Pressure to sign the same day.
Our full list of red flags of a bad ABA provider covers more.
How do I tour a Hope Center location?
Hope Center has centers in West Palm Beach (750 S Military Trail, Suite D-E), Temple Terrace near Tampa (9385 N 56th St, Suite 211), Port Charlotte (4055 N Tamiami Trail, Suite 24), Jacksonville (7751 Belfort Parkway, Suite 200) and Sebring (228 N Ridgewood Rd, Suite 102). Our programs are play-based, assent-based and trauma-informed, with no restraint, weekly parent training and weekly RBT supervision. You can also ask to meet your child's team before services start. Parents cannot stay to watch center sessions, because other children are there and only background-checked staff are allowed in client areas; you see the strategies and data in weekly parent training. See what a day at a Hope Center ABA center looks like, then contact us or call 561-337-8865 to arrange a visit and a free benefits check.