Why Do ABA Providers Recommend 20 or More Hours of Therapy? Our Approach at Creations Clinical Services
Receiving an autism diagnosis can come with a lot of new information, recommendations, and decisions. One of the first recommendations many families hear from a psychologist, developmental pediatrician, or ABA provider is that their child should receive 20 or more hours of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy each week.
For some children, intensive ABA therapy may be clinically appropriate and beneficial, but there is an important question families should be able to ask: How will this recommendation fit into our actual lives?
At Creations Clinical Services, we believe treatment planning should consider more than the number of hours a child receives each week.
What Goes Into a Recommendation for ABA Therapy Hours?
When a child receives an autism diagnosis, the diagnosing professional may recommend ABA therapy and suggest a particular level of treatment. After completing an assessment, an ABA provider may also recommend a specific number of hours based on the child's needs, developmental skills, safety concerns, and treatment goals.
These recommendations are intended to identify the level of support a child may need. However, a recommendation is the beginning of treatment planning, not the end of the conversation.
Every family has a different schedule, different responsibilities, and different needs. Those factors deserve consideration when developing a treatment plan.
Your Child's Life Doesn't Revolve Around Therapy
Think about everything your family may already have scheduled throughout the week.
Your child may attend school, receive speech therapy or occupational therapy, participate in recreational activities, or have medical appointments. You may also have other children, work responsibilities, household tasks, and commitments that cannot simply be put aside.
Now imagine trying to coordinate 20 or more hours of ABA therapy around all those responsibilities.
It can quickly become overwhelming, especially when you are also learning about your child's diagnosis and trying to figure out what support will help your family most.
Your child needs opportunities to learn and grow, but your child also needs time to rest, play, participate in family activities, and simply be a child.
Parents need time, too.
A treatment plan should take these realities into account rather than treating the family schedule as an afterthought.
Why Parent Participation Matters
In-home ABA therapy creates opportunities to work on skills within a child's everyday environment. However, effective treatment involves more than the therapist's time with the child.
Parents are important partners in the treatment process. You know your child, your routines, your priorities, and the situations that are most challenging at home.
Parent consultation and training can help you understand the strategies being used, practice approaches that support your child's goals, and identify ways to incorporate skills into everyday routines.
However, participation becomes more difficult when a family is stretched too thin.
If you are constantly rushing between appointments, struggling to manage competing responsibilities, or feeling overwhelmed by the demands of treatment, it may be harder to engage in parent sessions and consistently use strategies outside of therapy.
We want parents to be active participants in treatment, not feel as though they have taken on another full-time job.
That means having an honest conversation about what your family can and willing to do and what support would be most helpful.
What Does Creations Clinical Services Do Differently?
At Creations Clinical Services, we take a focused approach to ABA therapy.
Rather than looking at treatment hours in isolation, we consider the skills your child needs, your family's priorities, your existing commitments, and how treatment can fit into everyday life.
Our approach emphasizes:
Meaningful goals: identifying skills that matter to your child's current needs and daily experiences.
Your whole family's needs: considering school, other therapies, family routines, and the time and energy available for treatment.
A collaborative approach: working with parents to identify priorities, discuss concerns, and make informed decisions about treatment.
Progress that can be measured: using data to evaluate whether treatment is helping your child develop meaningful skills.
Adjusting as needs change: reviewing progress and determining whether treatment goals, strategies, or recommended hours need to be reconsidered.
A focused approach does not mean that every child should receive fewer hours of ABA therapy. Some children need intensive services, and their treatment plans should reflect those needs.
It means that treatment recommendations should be based on clinical evidence and the child's individual needs while also considering the realities of the family receiving those services.
How Can Parents Help Create a Manageable Treatment Plan?
If you are beginning ABA therapy, it is okay to ask questions about the recommended schedule.
Consider discussing the following with your child's provider:
How were the recommended treatment hours determined?
How will ABA fit alongside school, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and other activities?
What are the most important goals to prioritize right now?
How much parent participation or training is expected?
How will we know whether treatment is helping?
When will we review progress and reconsider the treatment plan if needed?
Be honest about your family's schedule, your concerns, and what you can realistically manage. These conversations are an important part of collaborative treatment planning.
Your provider should be able to explain the clinical reasoning behind the recommendation and work with you to understand the available options. Any changes to treatment hours should be considered through appropriate clinical review and coordination with the relevant providers and payer requirements.
ABA Therapy Should Support Your Family, Not Overwhelm It
When you receive an autism diagnosis, you may feel pressure to do everything possible to help your child. It can be difficult to question a recommendation when you are trying to make the best decision for your family.
Asking questions does not mean you are less committed to your child's progress.
It means you are considering the full picture.
At Creations Clinical Services, we believe effective ABA therapy should be clinically appropriate, focused on meaningful progress, and developed with an understanding of the whole child and the family as a whole.
The goal is not simply to fill a weekly schedule with therapy hours. It is to help children develop skills that matter in their everyday lives while building a treatment process that families can actively participate in.
Your child matters. Your family matters, and the way treatment fits into your life matters, too.
If you are exploring in-home ABA therapy in Washington, Frederick, Montgomery, or other counties in Maryland, Creations Clinical Services welcomes the opportunity to discuss your family's needs and determine whether our approach may be a good fit.
Interested in learning more? Contact Creations Clinical Services to discuss our in-home ABA therapy and family support services.
