Children First Speech Language Pathology and Psychology, PLLC provides private Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy services to children in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Uniquely, we are 100% BCBA. Only Board-Certified Behavior Analysts work with your children.
New York City has more than 500,000 children under the age of five— the critical years where early and intensive intervention is most impactful. With the CDC’s current estimates that 1 of every 36 children is now diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), it has never been more vital or timely to ensure your child receives individualized and high-quality treatment. ABA therapy can help children on the spectrum learn to understand and use language effectively, play with toys and peers, improve cognition, decrease maladaptive behaviors, and enhance non-verbal communication (such as eye contact, pointing, and joint attention). Improvement in these skills enhances the lives of children and their families! If you have concerns about your child in these domains, please keep reading below.
ABA therapy may help your child catch up on developmental milestones and improve the likelihood that they will achieve future milestones. We work with parents and caretakers as well, to ensure you develop the skills needed to facilitate your child’s success.
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Our Approach to ABA Therapy: Intensive Treatment, Personalized Programs
We believe in the ABA research and intensive treatment hours. The ABA research is crystal clear for children with an autism diagnosis: the best outcomes are had by those who are fortunate enough to receive intensive treatment hours. Intensive typically means 20 hours weekly while children are still napping, and increasing if needed once children stop napping to 30 hours weekly. Typically developing children are learning all day long- we create an environment where our kids are too! This is absolutely vital for kids who start out delayed to keep pace with their peers- we have to create conditions where our clients are learning just as fast to catch up. Please read more details on specific research outcomes below.
We customize our ABA therapy services based on our client’s needs and circumstances. Some families choose to only use private services, either to keep the quality high or for confidentiality concerns with the educational system. Other families use our services to supplement their EI, CPSE, or CSE services. In those situations, we will work with our EI or CPSE team to coordinate goals and ensure generalization of gains. Many of our families do seek insurance reimbursement for our services. Other families hire attorney and seek reimbursement with the Board of Education. Finally, some families decide to privately fund treatment.
For more detailed information about our Approach and Process, read here.
100% BCBA: Only Licensed Professionals Treat Your Child
We provide programming and treatment planning services throughout the month to ensure changes are made quickly. Our service differs from almost all other providers in that we are 100% BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst)—we do not use Behavior Technicians or other paraprofessionals to deliver treatment.
- All treatment hours are conducted by licensed professionals who know how to interpret data, and make treatment decisions based on that data.
- Nearly all of our BCBAs have been doing ABA for more than ten years, and many for more than 20.
- The person working with your child will have a Masters level education at a minimum and be a career Autism professional.
- Frequent meetings with the child’s ABA team to ensure consistency of goals and implementation are also cornerstones of our program. [Contact us today.]
- We have served hundreds of children on the spectrum in Manhattan since 2000.
- In addition to being BCBAs, our instructors are also New York State LBAs (Licensed Behavior Analysts).
- We have worked in homes in all Manhattan neighborhoods, as well as preschools and elementary schools (public and private).
- We have relationships with many of New York City’s best-regarded diagnosis physicians.
Getting Started with ABA Therapy: Your Initial Consultation, A Vital Step
If you are interested in our ABA therapy for autism services in Manhattan, please contact us here. The first step is the initial consultation, where we will come and play with your child for approximately 30 minutes and then spend an additional hour speaking with you. We will tell you which goals we will work on first and the direction we will take your child’s program. The flat fee for this is $225. We have found this a vital first step to make sure we have a personal connection to each child and family from before treatment starts, and also to ensure there is a good philosophic match.
Please understand that we are a smaller NYC ABA agency and often have a wait list. Our priority is always the children we are currently serving. We admit new children as we are confident in our ability to give them the time and detailed attention they deserve. If we are unable to take on your child, we will always meet with you to help get you on the right track, and we will call you when a spot becomes available.
Where We Provide ABA Therapy Services: In-Home, At School, In Your Community
ABA Therapy is conducted in the child’s home, preschool, community settings or a combination of these environments. We will never ask you to bring your child to an office. It is our belief that children learn best, and that gains are most valuable, when they are taught in the environment to which the child is already accustomed and surrounded by parents, caretakers, and extended family. The setting will be determined by the child’s skill level. Beginning skills are best taught at home where we can create a distraction free environment.
Once the primary focus of treatment becomes peer and social skills, therapy is optimized by environments where we have proximity to peers.
In addition to the home setting, we have worked with children in preschools or elementary schools such as Rodeph Shalom, Bright Horizons, Washington Market, Sharaay Tefila, New York Kids Club, Corlears, Goddard School, Temple Emanu-El, Chelsea Piers, Buckle My Shoe, Garden House, British International School, Nord Anglia, St. Lukes, Open House, Christ Church, York Avenue Preschool, Park East, International Preschool, Chabad, Caedmon, Playgarden Prep, River School, Central Park Montisorri, Woodside, Beginnings Nursery, Brownstone School, Columbus Preschool, BASIS, the JCC, 92nd St Y, and Habonim, amongst many others. We have partnered successfully with many schools, and are skilled at building collaborative and respectful relationships with the professionals in those schools so that our clients and therapists are welcomed. Some public schools have also welcomed our therapists.
What is ABA & Who Can We Help with ABA?
ABA is the abbreviation of Applied Behavior Analysis- the science behind behavior tactics and procedures. Behaviors that are positively reinforced will increase over time. Those behaviors that do not receive reinforcement will decrease over time. The child decides what is reinforcing, not the therapist, and getting this right is a huge piece of how we help kids. It is the long-term effect on behavior that determines whether a procedure has been successful. We collect data for every skill we are working on so we have accurate long-term information to decide what’s next, if the child has learned what we wanted to teach, and what to change if they weren’t successful.
ABA is appropriate for children on the autism spectrum and children who are exhibiting traits that can indicate an Autism diagnosis. These children typically display deficits in play, imitation, eye contact, understanding of language, verbal expression of language, and non-verbal communication skills (pointing, waving, gesturing). Since language testing is so closely tied to cognition, many times these children test poorly on cognition measures but often are not cognitively delayed.
Some of our children display behavioral excesses in self-stimulatory behavior, echolalia, tantrums or other behaviorally difficult skills. These excesses are nearly always tied to frustration due to difficulties with communication. The best way to decrease these concerning behaviors is to do intensive teaching and improve all types of communication and imitation skills.
Signs Your Child May Benefit from ABA Therapy Treatment
Are you worried about child? Have you seen any signs?
Concerning signs vary by age of the child. By 12 months, your child should be pointing and waving, and turning to look at you when you call their name. At 18 months, he should have a bank of single words he uses reliably and some children are combining words. Don’t worry if your child’s articulation isn’t perfect, but approximations should consistently mean the same thing to be counted as true words. By two, your child should be able to point to pictures when you read a story to her and communicate in short sentences. She should be understanding simple directions even if you don’t point or give context. Many of our children will stay on the perimeter of crowded places like classes or group classes.
If your child isn’t hitting milestones, call your pediatrician. If your pediatrician agrees your child is delayed, strongly consider getting an evaluation done by a developmental pediatrician. There are many more mild concerns that can negatively impact development, such as expressive language delays, hearing loss due to ear infections, a bilingual home and most concerns do not result in an Autism diagnosis. However, for children for whom an Autism diagnosis is appropriate, time is of the essence and you don’t want to miss the critical toddler and preschool years to intervene.
What Clients Say About Our Autism Therapy Services
Testimonials below are unsolicited from former clients:
“We can’t believe we are actually at this point- a day we could not even have dreamed of. We will never forget the day (child) received his diagnosis and 30-40 hours per week of therapy was recommended. We just could not understand how a 15-month-old could even be awake long enough to get through that many hours- but you and your incredible team have not only given us and our son an incredible gift, you came into our lives, your warmed our hearts, and you are all so lovely to have around that we are heartbroken it has come to an end. We will truly miss you and your team. Thank you for always supporting us no matter the issue and working through all of the challenges along the way. We are just beyond grateful. Please stay in touch and we look forward to your visit.” – Upper East Side family
“Wow, it has been an incredible 2.5 year ride. You believed in (child) from Day One and were willing to do whatever it took to support our family. We are forever grateful to you and the unparalleled team that worked with (child). We never thought we would be where we are today- the progress has been profound. While we undoubtedly face challenges ahead, we feel confident that (child) is ready for kindergarten. He moves on from Children First as a curious, kind, funny- and even social!- little boy.” – Battery Park family
New York City Neighborhoods We Serve
Our ABA therapists work in all neighborhoods in Manhattan! The majority of our clientele and many of our therapists reside on the Upper West Side, Tribeca, Chelsea, Financial District, West Village, and Upper East Side.
We also provide ABA therapy services in Brooklyn. We usually have a smaller number of clients in the downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, and Carrol Gardens areas. Whenever possible, we try to keep cases close to instructors’ homes which helps minimize cancellations and allows for easy access during inclement weather or public transportation delays. Our instructors are primarily located throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.
There are many wonderful things about Manhattan for our clients: access to services, density of providers, and locations to grow and play. There are also some challenges to find the best provider match for your family and pressures for entrance to schools- we can help you navigate these issues!
Applied Behavioral Analysis FAQS
What is ABA?
Applied behavior analysis or ABA is a scientific and evidence-based therapy that helps children with Autism develop behavioral, cognitive, language, play, social and pragmatic skills.
Who provides ABA to my child and where are these services conducted?
ABA at Children First is provided by a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in a one-to-one setting in your home or preschool/daycare.
How many hours of ABA will my child receive?
Several factors determine the number of ABA hours children on the spectrum receive including age, severity of the disorder, and the current research. The number of weekly hours is usually determined by your developmental pediatrician. We believe in intensive hours and most of the children we serve do 20-30 hours weekly of ABA.
Why does my child need so many ABA hours?
The most current research indicates children on the spectrum make the most progress and have the best outcomes when they are receiving intensive ABA programs from a young age.
Will I receive insurance reimbursement?
Yes! If your child has an Autism diagnosis and you have out of network benefits it is likely to receive some reimbursement. We can work with you to get services pre-authorized before starting therapy so you can understand your financial responsibilities.
How is Children First different than other agencies?
Children First is a small agency that focusses on providing high quality programs to the children we serve. We have 25 years’ experience in the field and all services are provided DIRECTLY by Board Certified Behavior Analyst who is licensed, holds a Master’s degree in the field, and has many years of experience.