Can an autistic child go to ABA instead of school?

Going to ABA instead of school is rarely the plan for a school-age autistic child in Colorado. Most families fit ABA around school, not in place of it.

Health First Colorado no longer covers 40 hours a week of clinic services for a child who has access to school, unless the district shows the child can’t be served in a classroom. Colorado’s draft Medicaid rule goes further. It says a provider shouldn’t ask a family to pull a child out of school, cut attendance or switch to home instruction just to fit the provider’s schedule. For preschoolers who aren’t in school yet, ABA can fill more of the week. Older children usually combine school with after-school, evening or weekend sessions, or school-based ABA if the district allows it.