Frequently Asked Questions

The USA Regional Autism Network can help you find assistance in a variety of areas. You can go to their webpage,  USA Regional Autism Network | USA Health, to get more information.

We currently accept Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, Aetna, Cigna Behaviorial Health (Evernorth), and the Alabama Medicaid program. Tricare East (Humana Military) is coming soon.

 Insurances require offical testing and diagnosos to cover treatment for children with Autism Sprectrum Disorder (ASD). Below are the types of specialists that can provide treatment and/or diagnosis for ASD:

1. Developmental Pediatricians: These are pediatricians with advanced training in developmental-behavioral medicine who can evaluate, counsel, and treat children with developmental difficulties, including ASD.
2. Child Neurologists: Pediatricians with advanced training in neurology who treat children from birth to young adulthood and can diagnose and manage neurological conditions, including ASD.
3. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists: Physicians specializing in diagnosing and treating disorders of thinking, feeling, and behavior in children and adolescents.
4. Psychologists: Professionals with a PhD who may specialize in diagnosing ASD using psychometric evaluative measures like the ADOS-2 and ADI-R.
5. Neuropsychologists: Psychologists who study the relationship between the brain and behavior and may specialize in assessing ASD.

Please note that testing from other sources, such as school psychometrists, is not usually considered sufficient for the purposes of insurance coverage.

At Thrive Together Therapy, a client’s services are provided by a treatment team led by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), with Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), and with the child's parents or caregivers. RBTs provide the majority of the one-on-one services during sessions, but each member has important roles. 

The BCBA’s role is responsible for collecting information about the client and family’s needs, identifying which skills to focus on, designing programs for those skills, providing training about how to use the programs, and monitoring overall progress. 

RBTs also share insights with the BCBA about the rate of progress and make suggestions on how the sessions can maximize success. Parents and caregivers share ideas and provide input about what skills the client will learn and what those skills should look like. They also implement the behavioral programs outside of therapy sessions.

Caregivers have the ability to learn in conjunction with your child's therapy sessions. Better treatment outcomes are achieved when caregivers or parents are active partners in treatment. Collaboration amongst treatment team members results in new skills being acquired more quickly and maintained for longer periods of time.

As a general standard of care, the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) recommends that Board Certified Behavior Analysts supervise 2 hours for every 10 hours of direct treatment hours (~20%). For example, if a client receives 20 hours of direct treatment per week, a BCBA would typically be recommended to provide the client’s case at least 4 hour each week of direct observation, family training, or other dedicated support. The level of case supervision may vary based on a variety of factors, including: stage of treatment, changes in protocols, changes to a client’s other therapies, medications, or a transition of care.

Each client has an individualized number of treatment hours. The number of hours is based on his or her needs. Research shows that earlier and more intensive services, which can in some clients’ cases reach up to 40 hours per week, typically produce the most meaningful and successful clinical outcomes.

Your child should receive medically recommended levels of treatment to achieve meaningful outcomes. If you believe you cannot meet the recommended number of hours, then your treatment team can work with you to identify different scheduling options and to ensure your child gains access to therapy.

Our therapists collaborate with caregivers to ensure the skills being taught are beneficial to your child and to your family. Some of these important skills, like hand washing, might not be preferred, but are in the client’s best interest to teach them how to complete that task. As with other behaviors, our clinicians use reinforcers to make these activities less aversive and often preferred over time. While working on these skills and at all times during the course of treatment, TTT will maintain its focus on client preference and client dignity.

When this occurs, our clinicians identify the reason your child is unhappy and takes steps to make the skill more accessible.  It is inevitable that your child will sometimes be unhappy about learning new skills. Anyone learning new skills will find something challenging at some point! We will incorporate your child’s specific interests into the task, or use positive reinforcement, or find some way to engage them.