What to Expect at Your First ABA Consult
Reaching out about ABA therapy can feel like a big step. You might have a recent diagnosis in hand, or a long list of questions, or a child whose progress feels stuck. Whatever brings you to this point, the first call with a clinic should leave you feeling clearer, not more confused.
Here is exactly what happens when you book a free consult with StarBright Centers, who you talk to, what they will ask, and how to walk in (or call in) ready.
Who you actually talk to
Your consult is one-on-one with a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, a BCBA. Not an intake coordinator, not a sales person, not a receptionist gathering basic info to pass along. The person who answers your questions is the same kind of clinician who would design your child’s program if you decide to move forward.
This matters because most of what parents want to know on a first call is clinical. Will ABA help? What does a session actually look like? How long does this take? Those are not questions a non-clinical intake person can answer with any depth.
What we ask you
The consult is a conversation, not a form. We try to keep it under fifteen minutes for a first call, but if you have more to talk through, we make space for that.
We will usually ask about your child. Age, current diagnosis if you have one, where they are in school or daycare, what a typical day looks like at home. We are not trying to assess your child in fifteen minutes. We are trying to understand the shape of the situation.
We will ask what you are hoping ABA can help with. Sometimes parents come in with a specific goal in mind, like reducing meltdowns at dinner time, or building communication, or helping with the transition into kindergarten. Sometimes parents come in less sure, just knowing something needs to change. Both are completely fine.
We will ask what you have already tried. Speech therapy, occupational therapy, school-based services, parent training programs, other ABA providers. Knowing what has worked and what has not saves time and helps us frame what is different about how we would approach it.
And we will ask what questions you have for us. This is the part most parents do not get enough of from other clinics. We hold space for whatever you want to ask. If you have written down a list, even better. Bring it.
What we tell you
By the end of the conversation, you will know whether ABA is likely to help based on what you have shared. You will have a rough sense of what a treatment plan might look like, including how many hours per week and where sessions might happen, whether at home, at our center in Maryville, or coordinated with your child’s school. You will know what the next steps would be if you decide to move forward, including the formal assessment process and timeline. And you will get honest answers about anything we are unsure of.
We will not pressure you to enroll on the call. ABA is a meaningful commitment of time and energy for a family, and you deserve to think about it.
What to bring or have ready
If you have any of the following handy, the consult goes faster and more productively, but none are required. A recent diagnostic report or psychoeducational evaluation. Your most recent IEP or 504 plan if your child has one. Notes from your pediatrician, developmental pediatrician, or other specialists. A list of your own questions.
If you have none of these, no problem. Many families come to a first consult with just a story about their child. That is enough to start.
Where the consult happens
By phone, the most common choice for a first conversation. By video, if you want to show your child briefly or share a document on screen together. Or in person at our Maryville center, 235 South Old Glory Road, if you would rather meet face to face.
All three are free. There is no charge for a first consult under any circumstance.
What happens after
If you decide to take the next step, we schedule a formal intake assessment. That is a longer process, usually a few hours across one or two appointments, where the BCBA observes and works with your child directly to build a customized treatment plan. There is paperwork to do at that stage, but a real human at StarBright will walk you through every bit of it.
If you decide ABA is not right for you, or not right now, you leave with information that helps you make the next decision. We are sometimes the right fit, and we are sometimes the right people to point you toward someone else. Either way, you have not lost anything.
Ready when you are
The first call is the smallest step in this process. It does not commit you to anything. It just gets you talking to a clinician who can answer real questions in real language.
Book your free consult: https://meetings-na2.hubspot.com/regina-glamore. Fifteen minutes, one BCBA, no obligation. Or call us at 865-229-6360 during business hours.