Provider Wants 30 Hours a Week of ABA for My Toddler. Is That Normal?

[sesucum]

Hello everyone.

Our provider just recommended 30 hours a week of ABA for my 3-year-old daughter. That’s basically a full-time job for a toddler, and my gut feels uneasy.

She’s bright and loves music, but she melts down during transitions. The therapist seems kind, yet I keep wondering where play, rest, and just being a kid fit in.

Has anyone negotiated fewer hours and still seen progress? How do you tell a child-led program from a compliance-driven one?

I’d love to hear from parents, therapists, and autistic adults who’ve seen it from the inside. What would you ask in the first meeting?

 

[sesucum]

Hello everyone.

Our provider just recommended 30 hours a week of ABA for my 3-year-old daughter. That’s basically a full-time job for a toddler, and my gut feels uneasy.

She’s bright and loves music, but she melts down during transitions. The therapist seems kind, yet I keep wondering where play, rest, and just being a kid fit in.

Has anyone negotiated fewer hours and still seen progress? How do you tell a child-led program from a compliance-driven one?

I’d love to hear from parents, therapists, and autistic adults who’ve seen it from the inside, especially anyone with experience at Achieving Stars Therapy. What would you ask in the first meeting?

Sorry if the question doesn't belong to this forum, and thanks for any help

 

[elit3keraed]

So I have a friend who works with kids and behavioral therapy. And her son is in behavioral therapy.

It’s very subjective. Usually you’ll find more hours dedicated towards it per week when they’re younger because their brains are more adaptive and they can benefit more.

Unless you’re going to some absolute uncertified, whack job, your child should have play and snacks and everything incorporated into their therapy, especially when it’s such a great extent. If you are at a provider you trust, and you feel is capable, then listen to what they’re saying because there’s a good chance they have a lot of experience with what they’re doing, and their recommendation comes from a place of experience, not just pulling a number out of their ass. Your daughter is in the right age range to have 30 to 40 hours per week of therapy. If she was older like seven or eight, then they typically would do less like 10 to 20 hours.

But at that age, it’s more specific and they target only a few things so they don’t need as much time. But when you’re young, they can work across the board and it won’t be as difficult for the child to adapt to it.

Ultimately, it’s your choice, but you can’t look at it as they’re going for 30 hours of just sitting and staring at a wall or being tasked like they’re working an actual job. Think of it is a more structured school environment. They’re gonna learn they’re gonna have things they practice, they’re gonna have snacks, they’re gonna run around and play, they get a little bit of everything