The hardest part of starting ABA therapy is often not the therapy itself. It is the foggy stretch before therapy, when you do not yet know what is going to happen, what your insurance will cover, or whether the team you are about to work with is going to be a good fit for your child.
This guide is a plain-English walk-through of what happens in the first month at Clementine ABA - from the moment you pick up the phone to the moment your child’s first therapy session begins. The whole path typically takes about four weeks.
A quick map of the journey
Four steps, in roughly this order:
- Tell us about your child - a 10 to 15 minute phone call
- Insurance benefits check - 1 to 3 business days
- Your child’s initial assessment - 1 to 2 weeks
- Therapy begins - week 3 or 4
Below, we walk through each step in detail. None of these steps require you to commit to anything - you can stop at any point if Clementine is not the right fit, and we will help you find a path that is.
Week 1, day one: Tell us about your child
It starts with a phone call.
You can reach our intake team online or call directly. The conversation usually takes 10 to 15 minutes. There is no script, no clipboard, no sales pitch - just one real person on our team listening while you describe what is going on at home or in school.
Topics that usually come up on the first call:
- What kind of diagnosis (if any) your child has received, and from whom
- What you are most hoping ABA could help with - the specific moments that are hardest
- Where you live and what insurance you have
- What your child enjoys and their strengths
- Any other therapies or services your child is already receiving
By the end of the call, you will know whether ABA at Clementine is likely to be a fit. If it is not, we will tell you honestly and try to help you find a better match. If it is, we will walk you through what happens next.
What you do not need: a referral, a treatment plan, a list of insurance codes, or perfect clarity on what you want.
Week 1, days 2-4: Insurance benefits check
After your first call, our intake team starts the insurance work. You give us your insurance card (we accept a photo, a scanned copy, or the member ID typed into a form), and from there it is on us.
What we are doing in the background:
- Calling your insurer to verify benefits - copays, coinsurance, deductible status, visit limits, any session caps
- Confirming Clementine’s in-network status with your specific plan
- Submitting initial paperwork for prior authorization where required
- Pulling together a clear written summary of what your plan covers
Within 1 to 3 business days, you will receive a written breakdown of exactly what therapy will cost your family - before any session is scheduled. This is the moment most parents tell us they finally exhale, because the financial uncertainty has been the biggest source of stress up to that point.
Worth noting: if your plan is not on our in-network list, do not assume we cannot help. Many plans we are not formally in-network with still cover ABA through out-of-network benefits, single-case agreements, or state Mediciad waivers. We will tell you what is possible before you decide.
Weeks 2–3: Your child’s initial assessment
Once benefits are confirmed, we schedule the initial assessment. This is a multi-hour evaluation conducted by your assigned Clementine clinician. It happens over one to three appointments - in your home, at a Clementine clinic, or via telehealth depending on what makes sense for your child.
What the clinician is doing:
- Observing your child in their natural environment. This includes watching how they play, communicate, transition between activities, and respond to small environmental changes.
- Talking with you. A long conversation about routines that are hard, sensory preferences, family dynamics, and what you most want to see change.
- Running structured assessment tools. Things like the VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, or Vineland - standardized assessments that map your child’s current skills against developmental expectations.
- Reviewing relevant records. Diagnostic reports, IEPs, evaluations from other providers (with your permission).
The final product from this is your child’s individualized treatment plan - a written document that lays out specific goals, recommended weekly hours, expected outcomes, and a clear definition of success for each target. You will review the plan together with your clinician before therapy begins. Nothing is finalized without your input.
Week 3 or 4: Therapy begins
Once the treatment plan is approved by your insurer (typically a week or two after submission), sessions can start.
Your first session will feel familiar by this point — you have already met your clinician, you have reviewed the plan, and you know the general structure. Sessions are scheduled at a consistent time each week so your child can build a routine around them.
What the first few sessions actually look like:
- A warm-up that emphasizes connection over content. The first sessions are partly about building trust between your child and their care team. Big skill gains come later, once that relationship is solid.
- Goals embedded in play. Communication, social skills, transitions, and self-help skills are taught inside activities your child already enjoys.
- Caregiver coaching baked in. You will sit in on part of the session, see the strategies in action, and learn how to use them in everyday life.
- Continuous data. Your team is quietly tracking progress against the treatment plan and will share specific updates after each session.
What to bring (and what not to worry about)
A short, honest packing list for the first month:
Bring: your insurance card, any diagnostic reports or evaluations, your child’s medication list (if relevant), and a sense of the routines that are hardest.
Do not stress about: dressing your child a certain way, prepping them for therapy with a special talk, having “the right” toys at home, or knowing the answers to clinical questions. Your team is on it.
How parents typically feel during this month
A short, common emotional arc we hear from families:
- Week 1: Relief at finally moving forward, mixed with a low hum of anxiety about cost.
- Week 2: The cost anxiety lifts after benefits are confirmed. The anxiety shifts to “am I picking the right provider?”
- Week 3: Calm. The treatment plan is in your hands and it makes sense.
- Week 4: A surprising mix of excitement and second-guessing. Both are normal. Most parents feel both at the same time on the morning of the first session.
None of these reactions are problems. They are the natural shape of starting something significant.
A few common questions in the first month
- “What if I do not click with the assigned clinician?” Tell us. We will rematch you. Fit matters and we would rather know.
- “What if my child is having a bad day on the assessment?” That is fine and even useful information. The assessment captures your child as they actually are, not at their best.
- “Should I tell my child what is happening?” Most families do a brief, age-appropriate version. Our team can help you script it.
- “How do I know therapy is working?” Your monthly progress review will show you specifically what is changing. Most families notice small differences in routines or transitions inside the first 30 days.
What to do next
If you have not had your first phone call yet, start here. It is the only step that requires anything from you in this first month — everything after is on us.
If you want to understand what happens after the first month, read about parent training in ABA — how caregiver coaching turns therapy session wins into wins at home. Or read what ABA therapy actually is for a plain-language overview of the approach.
Whatever you do next, you are not figuring this out alone.