ABA Therapy in Orlando FL

Without insurance, ABA in Florida generally runs about $120 to $150 per hour, which puts an intensive program well into the tens of thousands per year. Almost no family pays that. With coverage in place, most Orlando parents pay only a copay or deductible, and Medicaid families usually pay nothing. Call us and we will tell you your actual number before you commit.

Yes, in most cases. Florida's autism insurance law requires large group and state employee plans to cover ABA for eligible children, and most ACA-compliant plans cover it as well when a child has an autism diagnosis. Go Behavioral accepts 100+ plans including Aetna, Cigna-Evernorth, Humana, Oscar, and UnitedHealthcare, and we verify your benefits at no cost.

Yes. Florida Medicaid covers it as Behavior Analysis for members under 21 when it is medically necessary, and families typically have no out-of-pocket cost. These services now run through managed care plans such as Sunshine Health, Simply, and Humana, so you need an in-network provider and prior authorization before starting.

Start with your pediatrician, who can screen your child and refer you to a licensed psychologist or developmental pediatrician for a full evaluation using tools like the ADOS-2. That report, often called a Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation, is what insurers and Florida Medicaid require before authorizing ABA. Children under 3 can also be referred to Early Steps directly by a parent.

For insurance-funded ABA, yes. Plans authorize ABA based on a documented ASD diagnosis plus a physician referral, and Florida Medicaid additionally requires a Comprehensive Diagnostic Evaluation on file. If your child is still waiting on an evaluation, contact us anyway so we can line up the paperwork and cut the delay once the diagnosis arrives.

Once we have your diagnosis and referral, a BCBA completes the assessment and we submit for prior authorization, which plans generally decide within about a week for standard requests. Most Orlando families begin therapy within a few weeks of that approval. The evaluation itself is usually the longest step, which is why we recommend booking it early.

Your BCBA recommends the intensity based on the assessment. Focused programs targeting a few specific skills typically run 10 to 20 hours per week, while comprehensive early intervention runs 20 to 40 hours. Florida Medicaid policy caps Behavior Analysis at 40 hours per week, and authorized hours are reviewed and adjusted as your child progresses.

The earlier the better, and research consistently points to the preschool years as the highest-impact window for intensive intervention. That said, no child is too old to benefit. Our Orlando school-age programs help older children with problem solving, emotional regulation, peer relationships, and classroom readiness as their needs change.

Neither is automatically better, and it depends on your child's goals. In-home ABA teaches skills where your child actually lives, which suits daily routines, communication, and behaviors that show up at home. Clinic and school settings offer structure and peer interaction. We serve Orlando families in homes, schools, and community settings, and many combine settings so skills carry over.

Most children stay in ABA for one to three years, though it varies widely and therapy ends when goals are met. Progress is not a guess: your RBT collects data every session and your BCBA graphs it against each target skill. Florida requires reassessment at least every six months, so you get a documented picture of what has changed.