Daycare or Center-Based ABA: Which is Right for My Child?

Parents and caregivers of children with autism have many decisions they have to make regarding the care of their children. Those decisions become even more complicated when the parent or caregiver has responsibilities outside the home, such as work or school, and it leaves the parent with a lot of questions: Who will watch your child while you are unavailable? Will they be trained to meet your child’s specific needs? Will your child benefit from their time, or will you have to find additional time for your child’s treatment?

When presented with these questions, most parents choose one of two options: enrolling their child in daycare and scheduling ABA services in the evening, or enrolling their child in a center-based ABA program. There are benefits to both, depending upon the needs of your child, but today, we would like to talk about some of the specific positives of utilizing an ABA Treatment Center rather than a daycare program.

• When a family opts for daycare with additional in-home therapy, there is added strain on time for the child and the entire family. This comes from the need to schedule therapy sessions when the child and a responsible adult are both home. Conversely, by combining both child supervision and ABA treatment, the family gets the benefits of both in the same block of time, meaning that free time is truly free, rather than being taken up by an in-home session.
• Daycare providers may not be fully trained on how to handle your child’s specific autism-related needs. In a center, because all employees are trained ABA practitioners, your child will consistently be receiving appropriate care. This means that, even during playtime, if your child begins to tantrum or be overwhelmed, they will be attended to by people who are experts in your child’s specific needs.
• In a daycare setting, multiple children are supervised by a limited number of adults. By definition, this means that your child cannot always be receiving one-on-one supervision. In a Behavior Frontiers Autism Treatment Center, the ratio is 1:1. Your child will be consistently supervised by the same one person, leading to better outcomes, fewer changes to adapt to, and an ABA technician who fully knows your child and their specific challenges.
• Professional daycare services can be costly, leading to a steep financial burden for many families. However, because ABA treatment is medically necessary, it is covered by most insurances. This can drastically reduce the financial burden caused by paying for separate childcare.

If you live in the Los Angeles, Sacramento, or Detroit areas, Behavior Frontiers has an Autism Treatment Center available for you! Contact us for more information.