Coordinating ABA therapy and preschool

Start by mapping the week

For a young child, a week can look fine on paper and feel long in practice. Write down everything before you ask for changes.

• Preschool days, start times, and pickup times
• Therapy times you have been offered or would prefer
• Travel time between places
• Meals, naps, and quiet time
• Who handles each drop-off and pickup

Questions for the preschool

1. How many days or hours do we need to attend to keep our spot?
2. Can our child arrive late or leave early on therapy days?
3. Who is the best person to talk with about our child’s needs?
4. What routines, words, and supports does the classroom already use?
5. How will you tell us about a hard day?
6. What is your policy on outside professionals visiting or observing?
7. If our child has an IEP or another school plan, who manages it?

Questions for the ABA team

1. Which goals connect to preschool, such as asking for help, joining group routines, or separating at drop-off?
2. Can sessions be planned around preschool days? What is flexible, and what is not?
3. Does our insurance authorization affect when or where sessions can happen?
4. How do you work with school teams in practice?
5. Is a preschool visit or observation possible?
6. What could a teacher do the same way, so our child gets a consistent response?

If you would like us to work with your child’s school team, please ask intake what is possible for your child before you plan around it.

Decide what gets shared

Ask each team what written permission it needs before they talk with each other. Then start with the smallest set of information that would help your child.

• How your child communicates and asks for help
• What helps at drop-off and during transitions
• What tends to be hard, and what helps
• Upcoming changes in routine

Name 1 contact at each place. For reports and records, ask each organization for its approved way to send them.

Check how it is going

Revisit the plan after your child has had time to settle. These questions can show you whether the schedule needs to change.

• Is your child more tired or upset on certain days?
• Are skills from therapy showing up at preschool, and the other way around?
• Are both teams hearing the same information from you?
• Which part of the week is hardest for your family?

If you are also exploring early intervention or school services, the CDC guide to accessing autism services explains those separate paths. Ask your pediatrician or local school team about your child’s situation.

Bring anything that worries you to your child’s BCBA, teacher, or pediatrician. They can give you advice specific to your child.