Your Child Just Got an Autism Diagnosis. Here’s What Comes Next.
Most parents remember the drive home. There’s a folder of paperwork on the passenger seat, your head is full of words like “spectrum” and “level 2,” and you have a strong feeling that you’re supposed to be doing something right now. You’re just not sure what.
If that’s where you are, take a breath. Figuring out what to do after autism diagnosis doesn’t have to happen in a single afternoon, and nobody expects you to have it all mapped out by bedtime. What helps is a short list of the steps that actually matter in the first few weeks, in roughly the order they matter. That’s what this guide is for.
We meet families across the Denver metro every week at BehaviorSpan, and the same questions come up again and again. Here’s how we’d answer them if you were sitting across the table from us.
Give Yourself (and Your Child) a Minute
A diagnosis can bring relief, grief, worry, and fierce protectiveness, sometimes all before lunch. Every one of those reactions is normal. Some parents feel validated because they’d suspected something for years. Others feel completely blindsided.
Here’s something worth holding onto: your child is the same kid they were the morning before the appointment. The diagnosis gives you a clearer picture of how they experience the world, and it opens the door to services that can help them communicate, play, learn, and handle daily life with more confidence.
If you want a plain-language overview of autism before deciding what to do after autism diagnosis, the CDC’s autism information hub is a calm, reliable place to start.
What to Do After Autism Diagnosis: 8 Practical Steps
You don’t need to finish all of these this week. But when it comes to what to do after autism diagnosis, getting the first three or four moving early will save you a lot of waiting down the road.
1. Read the Evaluation Report (Then Read It Again)
The written report from your child’s psychologist or developmental pediatrician is one of the most useful documents you’ll ever have. It usually includes the formal diagnosis, test results, and a list of recommendations, often something like “ABA therapy, 25 to 40 hours per week” or “speech therapy twice weekly.”
Make copies. Insurance companies, therapy providers, and school districts will all ask for it. If anything in the report is confusing, call the evaluator’s office and ask. That’s a completely normal request, and they’d rather you understand it.
2. Call Your Insurance or Health First Colorado
Coverage is usually the first real hurdle in figuring out what to do after autism diagnosis, so tackle it early. When you call, ask:
- Is ABA therapy a covered benefit on my plan?
- Do I need prior authorization?
- Which providers near me are in network?
- What will my deductible and copays look like?
3. Get on ABA Therapy Waitlists Now
This one catches a lot of parents off guard. In many parts of Colorado, quality ABA providers have waitlists, and some stretch for months. Calling now, even while you’re still sorting out insurance, gets you in line sooner.
The good news? BehaviorSpan currently doesn’t have a waitlist, so if you’re in the Denver or Aurora area, your child may be able to start sooner than you’d expect.
4. Connect With Early Intervention or Child Find
Colorado has free, state-run programs for young children with developmental needs. They’re separate from private therapy, and they can work alongside it.
- Under age 3: Early Intervention Colorado serves children from birth until their third birthday. Anyone can make a referral, including parents.
- Ages 3 to 5: Your local school district handles evaluations through Colorado’s Child Find program, which can lead to preschool special education services.
- School-age kids: Ask your child’s school about an evaluation for an IEP. If you’re curious how school services and ABA fit together, our post on ABA therapy in public schools is worth a read.
5. Schedule an ABA Therapy Assessment
Before ABA therapy begins, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) will spend time with your child and complete an assessment. They’ll look at communication, social skills, play, daily living skills, and any behaviors that are getting in the way. From there, they build a treatment plan with goals written specifically for your child.
You can see what that visit looks like in our ABA therapy assessment guide. If you’d like to understand what the BCBA credential actually requires, the Behavior Analyst Certification Board lays it out clearly.
6. Think About Therapy Hours and Setting
Your evaluator will recommend a certain number of therapy hours per week. Research on early, intensive ABA generally shows that more consistent hours lead to stronger progress, especially for younger children. At BehaviorSpan, our programs start at a minimum of 20 hours per week.
You’ll also want to think about center-based versus in-home therapy. Each has real strengths. Our posts on how many hours of ABA therapy a child needs and home vs. center-based ABA can help you weigh the options.
7. Build the Rest of Your Team
Autism support is rarely just one thing, so a big part of what to do after autism diagnosis is building a team. Depending on your child’s needs, your team might include a speech-language pathologist, an occupational therapist, your pediatrician, and teachers. Ask your providers whether they’re open to talking with each other. When everyone is working toward the same goals, kids tend to make progress faster. At BehaviorSpan, we can help set your family up with speech and occupational therapy providers for co-treatment sessions right in our center. That means your child’s ABA therapist and other specialists can work side by side, sharing strategies in real time and keeping your child’s goals connected across every therapy. It also means fewer appointments to drive between, which most parents appreciate.
8. Find Your People
Other parents who have been through this are gold. They know which dentist is great with sensory-sensitive kids and which playground is quiet on Saturday mornings. The Autism Society of Colorado runs support groups and family events around the state, and it’s a great way to meet families who truly get it.
How to Choose an ABA Therapy Provider in Colorado
Choosing a provider is one of the biggest decisions in what to do after autism diagnosis, and ABA programs can look very different from one another. When you’re comparing options, pay attention to:
- Who supervises your child’s care, and how often a BCBA is on site
- How goals are set and how progress gets shared with you
- Whether parents are included through regular family training
- How the program builds in play, choice, and your child’s interests
- How consistent the staff is from month to month
Family involvement matters a lot, too, and we explain why in how family training adds to the success of ABA therapy.
What Can Wait
Part of knowing what to do after autism diagnosis is knowing what doesn’t need your attention yet. Parents often feel pressure to research every therapy, buy every book, and rethink the whole household in week one. You don’t have to. These can usually wait a bit:
- Long-term school placement decisions
- Every therapy or program you’ve seen mentioned online
- Big diet changes (talk to your pediatrician first)
- Worrying about what life looks like at 18
Focus on the next right step. Once things settle, our list of books on autism every parent should read is a nice way to keep learning at your own pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon should ABA therapy start after an autism diagnosis?
As soon as you reasonably can. Early intervention is linked with better long-term outcomes, and because waitlists are common, starting intake right after the diagnosis gives your child the best chance of beginning services sooner.
Do I need a referral to start ABA therapy?
Many insurance plans ask for the diagnostic report and a referral or prescription from a physician. A provider’s intake team can tell you exactly what your plan requires.
What to Do After Autism Diagnosis if You’re on a Waitlist
Don’t sit still while you wait. Start Early Intervention or Child Find services if your child qualifies, look into speech or occupational therapy, and ask your ABA provider for parent resources you can use at home. Checking in with the provider every few weeks also helps you stay on their radar if a spot opens up early.
What if my child was diagnosed at an older age?
Support is still very much worth pursuing. ABA goals simply shift with age, focusing more on independence, social skills, and success at school. Ask each provider which age ranges they serve.
You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone
Knowing what to do after autism diagnosis gets a lot easier when you have people in your corner. BehaviorSpan provides center-based ABA therapy for families in Denver and Aurora, and our intake team can help you check coverage, set up an observation, and understand what to expect before your child’s first day.
When you’re ready, reach out to our team. We’d love to meet your family!