How Long Does ABA Therapy Take?

When it comes to ABA therapy, intensity matters. Research shows that nearly half of children who received 40 hours of ABA therapy each week reached normal intellectual and educational functioning, compared to just 2% of those receiving standard care. 

So, how long does ABA therapy take, and what can you expect along the way? This article breaks down the typical timelines and factors that shape your child's growth through ABA.

Is Your Child Ready For ABA Therapy?

For new parents, it’s not always easy to know when your child needs extra support. The truth is, while every child develops at their own pace, some signs may point to a need for earlier intervention. If you’re unsure, talk to your pediatrician; they can guide you through developmental milestones, screening, and next steps like ABA therapy. The sooner you ask, the sooner your child can get the help they need.

Signs Your Child is Ready for ABA Intervention

Experts recommend starting ABA therapy as early as 2 or 3 years old, especially if school readiness is a key goal. Early intervention is key. If you notice any of the signs below, reach out to an ABA provider. The sooner you start, the easier it is to build foundational skills before challenging habits set in.

Struggling to Communicate

If your child has difficulty expressing their wants or needs, ABA may help. Techniques like manding and tacting teach the fundamentals of communication skills. For children who need support beyond speech, tools like visual aids or AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) devices may be introduced by a trained ABA therapist who has the knowledge and expertise to match the right strategies to your child’s unique needs.

Difficulty with Social Skills

Autism often comes with difficulties in understanding social norms. ABA helps children develop social skills through modeling, role-play, and guided interactions.

Engaging in Repetitive Behaviors

Behaviors like rocking or hand-flapping may signal sensory overload. ABA helps identify triggers and teach children healthier coping strategies.

Difficulty with Everyday Tasks

Getting your child to listen, get dressed, eat dinner, or brush their teeth can be a challenge for any parent. But if your child is consistently struggling with these daily tasks and learning new skills, they may benefit from ABA therapy. Therapists use positive reinforcement, visual supports, and task adaptations tailored to your child’s needs.

Engaging in Harmful or Aggressive Behaviors 

Behaviors like hair pulling, scratching, biting, or head banging are often signs of communication challenges or emotional dysregulation — not "bad" behavior. ABA therapy uses evidence-based strategies to increase safety and emotional control.

Diagnosing Autism

Getting a formal autism diagnosis, along with your doctor’s recommendation to begin therapy, is the first real step toward starting ABA. From there, new questions often come up, like, How long will it take? And what does therapy include? The answers depend on a few key factors, which we’ll explore next.

What Determines the ABA Therapy Timeline?

One of the most defining aspects of ABA therapy is that it’s highly individualized. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, which means the timeline can vary from child to child. Still, there are common factors that help shape the course of therapy and give us a general idea of what to expect. Here’s how it typically works.

Types/Methods of Treatment Plans 

Studies show that children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to respond best to approaches tailored to their individual needs. That’s why evidence-based behavioral methods, like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), are the first choice for many in the healthcare industry. 

The timeline and recommendations may vary, but the more in-depth and intense the treatment, the more your child’s outcome can be maximized. 

Three of the most popular types and methods of treatment plans include:

• Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI): For children ages 2–5 with an autism diagnosis, EIBI focuses on building communication, cognitive, and social skills through 25–40 hours per week of therapy with a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

• Early Start Denver Model (ESDM): For children ages 12–48 months, this play-based method blends ABA principles with natural interactions to encourage language, cognition, and social skills across everyday environments.

• Comprehensive and Focused:  “Comprehensive” programs involve 30–40 hours per week in a school-like setting. “Focused” programs are tailored to one or two specific challenges and involve fewer hours, based on need.

Which model is right for your child? The severity of their symptoms helps determine this answer.

Severity of Symptoms

Behavioral health therapists often use the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) to diagnose and track progress. Since many children with ASD receive long-term treatment and attend sessions regularly, treatment plans must be monitored and adjusted. According to the DSM-5, there are three levels of severity in those with ASD:

• Level 1 ASD: Mild symptoms. Children may struggle with social cues or transitions, but respond well to support. Treatment is often part-time and long-term.

• Level 2 ASD: Moderate symptoms. These children need substantial support in communication and behavior. Therapy may require 30–40 hours per week.

• Level 3 ASD: Severe symptoms, often paired with other diagnoses. These children typically require intensive, lifelong support—behavioral and medical.

The intensity of support your child receives — in and out of class — will shape their pace of progress.

What Are the Timelines of ABA?

The phases of ABA therapy are referred to differently across the industry. For simplicity, we’ll break them into three most commonly referenced phases: initial, intermediate, and long-term.

• Initial Phase (0–6 months): Your child will be assessed by a BCBA. This period focuses on building trust, setting expectations, and laying the foundation for skills.

• Intermediate Phase (6–12 months): Focus shifts to developing complex behaviors like social interaction, daily routines, and emotional regulation.

• Long-Term Phase (1+ year): Work expands into communication, adapting to new environments, and preparing for long-term goals like school readiness

More intensive therapy often leads to faster progress, which is why many parents choose it when their goal is to help their child be ready for school on time. But what does therapy intensity actually look like in practice? We'll explore the answer to this question next. 

How Therapy Intensity Affects Progress

The intensity and duration of ABA therapy will affect your child’s progress. Similar to how you’d learn a new language faster if you were immersed in an environment where everyone spoke it, your child will grow and improve more when they’re immersed in a specialized environment where they’re trained by a specialist focused on their needs.

Many EIBI programs recommend 40 hours per week, which may lead to school readiness in about one year. Programs limited to 20 hours per week, on the other hand, may require two years to reach the same milestones.

At BehaviorSpan, we prioritize long-term outcomes. That’s why we offer programs designed for 40 hours per week. The earlier we start and the more consistently we work together, the faster your child can build the skills to succeed.

What to Know About ABA Insurance Coverage

Although you don’t need an official diagnosis to begin ABA therapy, most insurance providers require an autism diagnosis from a licensed professional — typically a developmental pediatrician or psychiatrist — before covering care.

While coverage requirements, service caps, and age limits vary by state, insurance plans often impose additional restrictions, such as limits on weekly hours, total duration, or the child’s age. Unfortunately, what insurance covers doesn’t always align with what your child truly needs for the best outcomes.

At BehaviorSpan, we know that intensive work now means fewer struggles later. That’s why we offer programs designed for 40 hours per week — because consistent support leads to lasting change. The more support you can give early on, the faster your child can get where they need to be.

How Do You Monitor Growth in ABA Therapy?

Tracking progress in ABA therapy can be challenging, especially since growth looks different for every child, and there’s no single standardized test to measure it. That’s why most ABA centers don’t rely on one set metric. But difficult doesn’t mean impossible.

BehaviorSpan's Approach

At BehaviorSpan, every child follows a customized ABA therapy session plan, designed with clear, measurable milestones. We track these goals using the VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program), a research-backed tool used by leading ABA providers.

We reassess every six months to track skill development and refine treatment plans. Most of our clients make an average gain of 11 VB-MAPP points every six months, a clear, data-backed sign of progress.

Conclusion

Now that you know what to look for and what to expect with ABA therapy, think about how many hours your child is receiving each week—and whether that’s enough to reach the goals you have for them, especially being ready to start school by age 4 or 5. Then talk to the experts who know your child best.

At BehaviorSpan, our approach is both data-backed and goal-oriented, with school readiness, including starting preschool, as a key milestone. We provide 40 hours of therapy per week and partner closely with parents to continue progress at home, because your child’s growth is a full-time job.

Each child follows a customized plan, which is measured every six months using the VB-MAPP—a research-backed tool used by top ABA providers. On average, our clients gain 11 points every six months, showing clear, data-driven progress.

Contact our team of certified behavior technicians to find out how we can help you make the most of these early, foundational years in your child’s development. You can also call 720-206-9644.

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