ABA Therapy in daycare settings
Who says playtime can't be progress-time?
Your child's already at daycare building block towers, making friends (or trying to,) and figuring out snack time politics. Why not turn all of that into therapy?
Achieve brings expert ABA therapy directly to your child's daycare. Our BCBAs and RBTs work with your child right where they already are, building skills through the stuff they're already doing every day.
Benefits of daycare ABA
Therapy in a natural environment
Your child learns skills in the setting where they'll actually use them. Social skills happen during playtime. Communication happens during snack. Following directions happens during group activities. You know, real life.
Expert ABA support
Our BCBAs create individualized treatment plans based on your child's specific needs. Our RBTs work one-on-one with your child, using proven ABA strategies to build skills and reduce challenging behaviors - all while making it look like play.
No disruption to your routine
Your child stays at the daycare they already attend. No new drop-offs. No therapy center waiting rooms. No juggling schedules. Everything happens during the hours they're already there.
Progress that transfers
Skills learned at daycare don't stay at daycare. They come home. They show up at the park. They follow your child into preschool and beyond.
What daycare therapy looks like
During circle time
Your child's therapist sits nearby, helping them stay seated, raise their hand, participate in songs, and not wander off to the blocks corner halfway through.
During play
Learning to share the dump truck, ask to join the kitchen area, build a tower with another kid, and navigate the inevitable toy disputes without hitting.
During meals and snacks
Requesting more goldfish crackers (using words, not grabbing), trying new foods, using a fork, sitting at the table, and handling the tragedy of running out of juice.
During meals and snacks
Requesting more goldfish crackers (using words, not grabbing), trying new foods, using a fork, sitting at the table, and handling the tragedy of running out of juice.
During transitions
Managing the shift from playtime to cleanup, from snack to nap, from outdoor time to circle time - without a meltdown every single time.
During outdoor play
Taking turns on the slide, playing tag with peers, asking to join a game, and figuring out the social dynamics of the playground.
Who benefits from daycare-based ABA
Children ages 2-6 with autism who:
✔ Are already enrolled in a daycare program.
✔ Need support with communication, social skills, or behavior.
✔ Would thrive with therapy in their natural daily environment.
✔ Have families who want convenient, integrated services.
✔ Are ready to build real-world skills where they'll actually use them.
The skills we build together
Communication
Asking for help, requesting toys, answering questions, starting conversations, expressing feelings-all the stuff that beats screaming or grabbing.
Social skills
Playing with peers, sharing, taking turns, reading social cues, making friends, and navigating the complicated world of 3-year old politics.
Daily living skills
Using utensils, washing hands, cleaning up toys, following routines, and managing transitions without falling apart.
Behavior regulation
Calming down when frustrated, expressing disappointment without throwing things, waiting their turn, and following rules (most of the time).
Why Achieve's daycare ABA is different
We're not here to create therapy dependence
Our goal is to get your child in and out of therapy as quickly as possible. When we work in your child's daycare and train the staff to support them, skills stick faster and last longer.
Over 20 years of figuring out what works
We've seen it all. Our BCBAs know how to create plans that produce real results in group settings - not just one-on-one in a quiet room.
We train everyone around your child
Daycare staff learn the strategies. You learn the strategies. Your child's entire support system gets aligned, which means faster progress and an easier exit from therapy.
Insurance coverage for daycare ABA
Most major insurance plans cover ABA therapy, including at daycare.
We work with insurance providers across New Jersey and North Carolina, including Medicaid. ABA therapy provided at your child's daycare is covered the same as therapy in other settings.
We verify your coverage, handle authorizations, and manage all the paperwork so you can focus on your child.
Serving families across New Jersey and North Carolina
How to get started with daycare ABA
1 - Contact us
Call or reach out online. Tell us about your child and their daycare.
2 - Assessment and planning
Our BCBA assesses your child's needs and creates and individualized treatment plan designed to get them to independence as quickly as possible.
3 - We coordinate with your daycare
We work with your child's daycare to schedule therapy sessions and train staff on supporting your child's goals.
4 - Insurance authorization
We handle all the insurance verification, authorization, and paperwork.
5 - Therapy begins
Our RBT starts working with your child at daycare, building skills in the environment where they spend their day.
Common questions about daycare ABA
Does the daycare need to approve this?
Yes, we coordinate with your child's daycare center to schedule therapy sessions and make sure everyone's on board.
How many hours per week?
Depends on your child's treatment plan and insurance authorization. Typical plans range from 10 to 25 hours weekly.
Will this disrupt my child's routine?
Nope. Therapy happens during activities your child is already doing—play, snack, circle time, outdoor time. We work within the flow of their day.
What if my child changes daycares?
Our therapy moves with your child to their new daycare setting.
Do you work with all daycares?
We work with most daycare centers across New Jersey and North Carolina. Contact us to discuss your specific situation.
How is this different from in-home therapy?
Daycare-based therapy allows your child to practice skills with actual peers in a group setting, which is gold for social and communication goals. In-home ABA therapy, by comparison, takes place in your child’s home and focuses on skills within daily routines
Will the daycare staff be involved?
Absolutely. We train daycare staff on your child's goals and strategies so they can support progress throughout the day—and keep it going after therapy ends.
Does insurance cover this?
Most major insurance plans cover ABA therapy provided at daycare just like other settings.
How long will my child need therapy?
That's the Achieve difference. Our goal is to get your child in and out as quickly as possible. When therapy happens at daycare, and the staff is trained to support it, many children graduate from therapy faster than with traditional clinic-based approaches.
What happens when my child graduates from therapy?
We don't just disappear. We transition out gradually, making sure the daycare staff and you have the tools to maintain progress. Your child leaves therapy with skills that stick.
Still have questions?
Building independence, not dependence
At Achieve, we're not trying to keep your child in therapy forever. We're trying to get them out.
With the skills they need. In the environment where they'll use them. Faster than you thought possible.
