The short version
- In the first 30 days, get the written evaluation report and send it to the people who need it: your pediatrician, your school district or Early Intervention, and your insurer or Medicaid.
- In days 31 to 60, line up assessments and providers. Speech, OT and ABA each start with an assessment, and Medicaid prior authorization needs one.
- In days 61 to 90, check that plans are working. Medicaid approvals last up to six months, and IEPs are reviewed at least once a year.
- You do not have to do everything at once. No medication treats autism's core symptoms, and treatment can happen at home, at school and in the community.
- Parent to Parent of Colorado and the Autism Society of Colorado both run parent support groups.
After an autism diagnosis in Aurora, the first 90 days go better with a short list than with a perfect plan. You will get a lot of advice. This guide sorts it by when it matters: records and referrals in the first month, assessments and providers in the second, and a check on whether the plans are working in the third.
Take it in order. Skip what does not fit your child.
What should I do in the first 30 days?
Get the report in writing. Ask the evaluator for the full report and its recommendations. Keep paper and digital copies. Every later step asks for it.
Send it to the right public program.
- If your child is under 3, refer to Early Intervention Colorado. Anyone can refer, and the referral line is 833-733-3734. North Metro Community Services says a child can qualify through a significant delay or a diagnosis on the state’s Established Conditions Database. Ask whether yours is on it.
- If your child is 3 or older and not yet in school, contact Child Find through Aurora Public Schools or Cherry Creek. Both describe it as free.
- If your child is already in school, ask the school team for an IEP meeting. A private evaluation you share must be considered by the school if it meets the school’s criteria.
Our autism evaluation guide for Aurora explains which program covers which county.
Check coverage. If your child has Health First Colorado, HCPF’s member page says behavioral therapy is available when it is medically necessary. If income is the barrier, the Children’s Buy-In is worth a call. For private plans, see private insurance for ABA in Colorado. Our Medicaid guide covers prior authorization step by step.
Find another parent. Parent to Parent of Colorado matches you one to one with a trained support parent and runs virtual support groups. The Autism Society of Colorado lists support groups and events.
Make the home safer. If your child runs off or has no sense of danger, read wandering safety in Aurora now, not later.
What should I do in days 31 to 60?
Book the assessments. The CDC groups treatments into behavioral, developmental (speech, occupational and physical therapy), educational, social-relational, pharmacological and psychological approaches. It notes that no medication treats autism’s core symptoms. Many families use more than one approach. Ask your pediatrician and your evaluator which assessments matter most for your child.
Learn what an ABA assessment involves. The CASP practice guidelines describe ABA as starting with an assessment and a written treatment plan, with goals that include the family. For Medicaid, HCPF’s provider page says the request needs a standardized adaptive-behavior assessment, a referral for services and a plan of care. Our guide to what to expect from an ABA assessment walks through the visit.
Compare providers. Use our list of questions and red flags and read how many hours of ABA before anyone quotes you a number.
Look at support for you. If you are wearing out, respite care in Aurora and the CES waiver are worth a look. The waiver is for children under 18 who need direct human intervention at least every two hours during the day, among other criteria. Contact your case management agency. HCPF’s directory lists Rocky Mountain Human Services for Adams County and Developmental Pathways for Arapahoe and Douglas counties.
What should I do in days 61 to 90?
Check that the plans are real. An approved Medicaid request is valid for up to six months, then the provider files again. Ask when yours ends. A school IEP is reviewed at least once a year, and you can ask for a meeting sooner.
Ask for data you can read. A good treatment plan has goals you can measure and a way to tell when services should change. The CASP guidelines say treatment hours go up or down based on how the client responds. Ask how often you will see progress data.
Join the school team. Parents are members of the IEP team and can invite someone with expertise about their child. If a BCBA is working with your child, ask them to share a one-page summary. Our guide to Aurora Public Schools and Cherry Creek explains how outside providers work with the district.
Add something your child will enjoy. The City of Aurora’s A.R.I.S.E. program offers adaptive recreation and inclusion support so children can join regular programs. See sensory-friendly places in Aurora for ideas.
What can wait?
Most things. Nobody needs to settle on hours, a provider and a school placement in a week. If you feel pressured to sign a contract on a first call, slow down. A clinic worth choosing will explain its plan and let you compare.
If you want help with a first assessment or with parent coaching, our parent training and early intervention ABA pages describe what we offer. We take all major insurance, including Medicaid, have no waitlist and start families within two weeks of approval. Contact us when you are ready.
Sources
- CDC, Treatment and Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Early Intervention Colorado, Referral Line
- North Metro Community Services, Early Intervention (eligibility)
- Aurora Public Schools, Child Find
- Cherry Creek Schools, Child Find
- 34 CFR 300.502, Independent educational evaluation and private evaluations
- 34 CFR 300.321, IEP Team
- 34 CFR 300.324, IEP review and revision
- HCPF, Pediatric Behavioral Therapies (member page)
- HCPF, Pediatric Behavioral Therapies Information for Providers
- HCPF, Health First Colorado Buy-In Program for Children with Disabilities
- HCPF, Children's Extensive Support Waiver (CES)
- HCPF, Case Management Agency directory
- Parent to Parent of Colorado, Ability Connection Colorado
- Autism Society of Colorado
- CASP, Applied Behavior Analysis Treatment of ASD: Practice Guidelines (2nd edition)
- City of Aurora, Adaptive Recreation and Inclusion Services (A.R.I.S.E.)