Getting Started with ABA Therapy in Maryland

Finding out your child may benefit from ABA therapy can feel like standing at the base of a mountain. If you’re a Maryland parent just starting out, this guide walks through the paths most families take — from first concerns to the first therapy session — with the Maryland-specific details that matter.

Step 1: If your child is under 3, start with Infants and Toddlers

Maryland’s Early Intervention system is called the Maryland Infants and Toddlers Program. It serves children from birth to 36 months, and every county — plus Baltimore City — runs a local program. A few things worth knowing:

• You don’t need a diagnosis to request an evaluation — a developmental concern is enough.
• Evaluations are free. Call your local program directly, or the statewide line at 1-800-535-0182.
• Around age 3, services typically move to your local school system’s preschool special education program through Child Find and an IEP. If your child is found eligible for preschool special education, Maryland’s Extended IFSP option lets you choose to stay with Infants and Toddlers a little longer instead — ask your service coordinator about it. Our age-3 transition guide walks through both paths.

Infants and Toddlers and private ABA aren’t either/or. Many families use both, and insurance-funded ABA can run alongside Early Intervention services.

Step 2: Get (or confirm) a diagnosis

For insurance- or Medicaid-funded ABA, you’ll usually need a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder from a qualified professional — a developmental pediatrician, psychologist, neurologist, or similar specialist. If you’re still waiting on an evaluation, it’s still worth talking to an ABA provider now so you understand the timeline.

Helpful things to gather:

• Copies of any developmental screenings, pediatrician notes, or prior evaluations
• Specific examples of behaviors or missed milestones, with dates
• Your evaluator’s written recommendation for ABA, if they make one

Step 3: Understand how ABA is paid for in Maryland

Private insurance. Maryland’s habilitative services mandate applies to health plans issued or delivered in Maryland — the individual, fully insured employer and Maryland Health Connection plans regulated by the Maryland Insurance Administration. Those plans must cover medically necessary habilitative services, including ABA for autism, until at least the end of the month in which your child turns 19. Self-funded employer plans are governed by federal law instead, so their coverage depends on your employer — that includes many large-employer plans, so it’s always worth checking yours.

Medicaid. Maryland Medicaid covers medically necessary ABA for members under 21. It’s administered by Carelon Behavioral Health Maryland, and services need prior authorization.

Military families. TRICARE covers ABA through its own Autism Care Demonstration, with separate rules and referral steps.

Because every plan is different, the most reliable move is to have a provider verify your benefits for you. Climbing Star does this for free, before you commit to anything.

Step 4: Choose a licensed provider

Maryland licenses behavior analysts. The analyst who designs and supervises your child’s program must hold a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) license from the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists; registered behavior technicians and other paraprofessionals may deliver sessions under that analyst’s close, ongoing supervision. Beyond licensing, ask:

• Who designs and supervises the plan? It should be a licensed behavior analyst, with day-to-day sessions delivered by a trained behavior technician (often an RBT) under their supervision.
• Where do sessions happen? In-home ABA builds skills inside your family’s real routines — mealtimes, play, getting ready — so they carry over into daily life.
• How individualized is the plan? It should be built around your child, not a template.
• How will you hear about progress? Expect regular, plain-language updates and parent training.

Step 5: The assessment and your child’s plan

Before therapy begins, the behavior analyst assesses your child through observation, structured activities, and conversations with you about strengths, challenges, and what matters most to your family. It isn’t a test your child can fail.

From there, they write a plan with specific, measurable goals — communication, play and social skills, daily-living skills, safety, and reducing behaviors that get in the way of learning — plus the recommended hours and how progress will be tracked. The plan changes as your child grows.

Step 6: Starting sessions

Once authorization is in place, sessions begin. The first few are mostly about rapport: your child getting comfortable with their therapist before the plan’s goals take center stage.

Getting started with Climbing Star in Maryland

Climbing Star’s Maryland practice, Climbing Star MD, is based in Elkridge and provides in-home ABA across Howard County, Baltimore County, Baltimore City and Anne Arundel County. The first step is a free consultation — call our Maryland line at (410) 670-5250 or start online.

This article is for general informational purposes and is not medical or legal advice. Coverage rules change; please verify your specific plan and consult qualified professionals about your child’s needs.