What should parents do while waiting for ABA therapy?
While waiting for ABA therapy, parents can start by building predictable routines, practicing simple communication skills, tracking behaviors and triggers, and preparing insurance and intake documents. You are not replacing therapy. You are creating structure and learning what helps your child so future therapy can start from a stronger place.
Many families wait months for an assessment, authorization, or therapist assignment. During that time, small daily practice can still matter. Ten focused minutes each day is more useful than waiting for the perfect program to begin.
What should you focus on first?
Start with the skills that reduce stress and make daily life easier. For many families, that means communication, transitions, basic routines, and safety.
- Communication: help your child request items, ask for help, say no, or use a gesture or device.
- Transitions: practice moving from one activity to another with a simple cue and a predictable reward.
- Daily routines: work on small steps in dressing, handwashing, mealtime, bedtime, or cleanup.
- Safety: prioritize responding to name, stopping near streets, staying near an adult, and asking for help.
Choose one or two priorities at a time. A focused plan is easier to practice and easier to share with a future provider.
How can you practice ABA-based skills at home while waiting?
Keep practice short, positive, and connected to everyday moments. You can use ABA principles like reinforcement, prompting, and repetition without trying to run a full therapy program.
Start with requesting
Put a preferred snack, toy, or activity in sight but slightly out of reach. Pause and give your child a chance to request it with words, a sign, a picture, a device, or a gesture. Help as needed, then give the item right away.
Practice following one-step directions
Use simple directions during real routines: "put in," "give me," "sit down," "come here," or "throw away." Reinforce quickly when your child responds, especially when the direction is new or difficult.
Build one routine at a time
Pick one daily routine and break it into small steps. For handwashing, steps might include turn on water, wet hands, get soap, rub hands, rinse, turn off water, dry hands. Teach one step at a time and celebrate progress.
What should you track before ABA starts?
Good notes help future clinicians understand your child faster. You do not need complicated forms. A simple weekly record is enough.
- What your child can request independently
- Which routines are hardest
- When challenging behavior happens
- What happened right before the behavior
- What helped your child calm or re-engage
- New words, gestures, play skills, or self-care steps
Look for patterns. If meltdowns often happen during transitions, transition support becomes a clear priority. If your child requests more successfully during snack than play, snack time may be the best place to start communication practice.
How can you use the waiting period well?
Use the wait to get organized. Ask your insurance plan what documents are required, confirm whether a diagnostic report is current enough, and keep a folder with evaluations, referrals, prior authorizations, school documents, and provider emails.
If you are on multiple waitlists, check in regularly and ask whether cancellations are available. If you have access to speech therapy, occupational therapy, school services, or early intervention, ask those providers which home goals would make the biggest difference.
Stridesy is designed for this exact gap: helping parents understand current skills, choose practical goals, practice at home, and track progress while they wait for services or between therapy sessions.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do ABA at home before a therapist starts?
You can use ABA-based principles at home, such as clear goals, prompting, reinforcement, and progress tracking. This is not a replacement for professional care, but it can help your child keep learning while you wait.
How much should I practice each day?
Start with 10 minutes a day. Add practice into natural routines once that feels manageable. Consistency matters more than long sessions.
What if my child resists practice?
Make the task easier, shorten the session, use a stronger motivator, and begin with something your child already knows how to do. Practice should feel achievable.