Many young children spend most of their weekday at daycare. That is where they practice waiting for a turn, joining circle time, eating with other children and moving from one activity to the next. Hope Center can provide ABA at your child's daycare, as well as at home, at school, in the community and at our centers. This page explains how daycare sessions are set up, what the daycare needs to agree to, how goals carry into classroom routines, and what to check with your insurance first.
Can my child get ABA at daycare?
Yes, when the daycare agrees and your child's plan allows it. Hope Center provides ABA in daycare settings, along with homes, schools, the community and our centers in West Palm Beach, Temple Terrace (Tampa), Port Charlotte, Jacksonville and Sebring. We also serve Fort Lauderdale and Broward, St. Lucie, Orlando, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Plant City and Apollo Beach in homes, schools, daycares and the community. If your child's daycare is somewhere else, call to ask whether we can staff your area.
Two things have to line up before daycare sessions can start:
- The daycare says yes. A daycare is a private business licensed by the Florida Department of Children and Families. It decides whether outside therapists may work on site, and on what terms.
- Your plan covers the setting and the goals. Some plans limit services they consider educational. We check this during your free benefits check.
If you are still deciding between daycare and a center-based program for a young child, read daycare or an ABA center for a young child.
How are daycare sessions arranged?
Daycare ABA follows the same intake as any other setting. The difference is that a third party, the daycare, is part of the planning.
- Intake and benefits check. You return the initial documents and complete intake. We verify your benefits and ask the plan about the daycare setting.
- Talk to the daycare director. Tell the director you would like your child's ABA therapist to work with your child during the day. Ask about the daycare's rules for visitors and outside providers: sign-in, ID, background check paperwork, where sessions can happen and which times work.
- Initial assessment. A BCBA completes the 2 to 4 hour assessment, in one or two sessions, at home or at a center. Tell the BCBA what you hear from daycare staff, and share any notes or reports they give you.
- Treatment plan. The BCBA writes the plan, which can include goals for daycare routines. Our clinical director reviews every plan before it goes to insurance. You sign it, and we submit it.
- Approval and start. Services usually begin 3 to 5 business days after insurance approves the treatment plan. An RBT works with your child at daycare, supervised weekly by the BCBA.
Exactly how we coordinate with a particular daycare (who meets whom, how schedules are set, what written consent is needed) depends on that daycare's rules. Ask us on your first call how we would set it up for yours.
What should I ask the daycare before we start?
- Do you allow outside therapists, such as an RBT, to work with a child during the day?
- What do you need from the therapist before the first visit: ID, a background check, proof of insurance, a signed agreement?
- Where could sessions happen: in the classroom, on the playground, in a quieter space nearby?
- Which times of day are hardest for my child? Those are often the routines worth working on.
- Who on your staff should the therapist talk to about routines and schedule changes?
- Do you need written permission from me to share information with my child's therapy team?
Get the director's answers in writing if you can, and share them with us.
What goals carry over to daycare routines?
Daycare is useful because it is real life. A skill your child learns there is a skill your child uses there. Goals are set by your child's BCBA with you, based on the assessment, so every plan is different. Examples of the kinds of routines families often ask about include:
| Daycare routine | Skills a plan might work on |
|---|---|
| Drop-off | Saying goodbye, moving into the room, starting the first activity |
| Circle time | Sitting with the group for a short time, responding to the teacher, joining songs |
| Free play | Playing near or with other children, sharing, asking for a toy |
| Transitions | Moving from play to clean-up, from inside to outside, coping with a change |
| Snack and lunch | Sitting at the table, asking for food or help, trying routines with peers |
| Toileting and hand-washing | Following the steps of a routine with less help |
These are examples, not a promise of what your child's plan will include or what progress will look like. Our approach is play-based, trauma-informed and assent-based: tasks are presented in a fun, non-forceful way, and we do not use restraint.
Will daycare staff learn the strategies too?
Florida requires child care staff to complete training that includes "developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome, and early identification, use of available state and local resources, classroom integration, and positive behavioral supports" (Fla. Stat. 402.305). So many daycare teachers already have a starting point.
How much our team shares with daycare staff depends on what the daycare wants and what you consent to. You decide what information is shared. Ask us how we can help daycare staff use the same strategies between sessions. At home, you get weekly parent training with your child's BCBA, which is where you talk about goals and how things are going, including at daycare.
Will my insurance pay for ABA at daycare?
It depends on the plan. Some things to know:
- Educational exclusions. Aetna's autism policy says many Aetna plans exclude educational services, and gives ABA during class as an example. Cigna's (Evernorth) policy says services that are primarily educational, or that replace a classroom aide, 1:1 teacher, tutor or respite, are not covered. A daycare session has to be about your child's treatment goals, not about supervising your child for the daycare.
- Prior authorization. Most plans must approve the treatment plan before sessions are paid. The plan lists where services happen.
- Network and cost-sharing. We work with Blue Cross Blue Shield (Florida Blue), Aetna, Cigna (Evernorth), UMR, Personify Health and TRICARE East (Humana Military). Optum: in network for mental health therapy; for ABA, call us for the current status. Your costs depend on your plan, so we check your benefits for free and explain your costs before you start.
Self-pay is available for all of our services, and our sliding scale, based on household income and family size, can lower your share after insurance or your self-pay costs. See insurance at Hope Center.
What if my child is under 3?
Florida's Early Steps program serves infants and toddlers from birth to 36 months with early intervention services, and some families use it alongside private ABA. See our Early Steps guide. Hope Center offers early intervention ABA for young children too.
Ready to talk about daycare sessions?
Tell us your child's age, daycare location, insurance and diagnosis, and we will tell you the next step. Request a free consultation and benefits check, call 561-337-8865 or email office@hopecenteraba.com. Our new families page explains how intake works.