5 Questions to Ask on Your First Call With a BCBA
That first phone call with a potential ABA provider can feel high stakes. You want to make a good decision, but you're not sure what you're supposed to be asking. Here are five questions that will tell you most of what you need to know.
1. Who designs my child's program, and who supervises it?
This is the most important one. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst should design your child's program and supervise it on an ongoing basis, not just at the start. Ask how often the BCBA reviews your child's data and adjusts the plan. "Set it and forget it" is not what you want to hear.
2. Where will sessions happen, and what does a typical week look like?
Some practices work only in clinics. Some only at home. Some do both. Ask what a normal week looks like for a child like yours: how many sessions, how long each one runs, and where they take place. There is no single right answer, but the answer should be specific to your child, not a one-size package.
3. How will you involve me as a parent?
Good ABA includes the family. Ask whether parent training or coaching is part of the plan, what it looks like, and how often it happens. You should come away understanding your role, not feeling like services happen around you while you're in the other room.
4. How will we know it's working?
Ask how progress gets measured and how often you'll hear about it. Look for concrete answers: regular data review, goal updates you can understand, and a plan for what happens when something isn't working. Vague reassurance is not a measurement system.
5. How do we communicate day to day?
Will you hear from the therapist after sessions? Is there a way to reach the BCBA with questions? How quickly do people usually respond? The clinical model matters, but so does this. You'll be in regular contact with these people, and communication should feel easy from the beginning.
Trust what you notice
Beyond the answers, notice how the call feels. Did they ask about your child, or just talk about their process? Did they rush you? The right provider treats that first conversation as the start of a relationship, not a sales call.
If you'd like to have that conversation with us, we'd like that too.