I need some words, please.
Ladies, need your take on this.
My DS is in private ABA therapy for 20 hours a week. I LOVE my ABA provider because she is smart, OC, on the ball, and sets me straight. She is wonderful and a BCBA with a ton of experience and several BCaBAs working under her. She is also private and expensive. She is trying to become a provider with my insurance, but there is no saying when or how much will be covered.
On the other hand I fought EI for 6 months to receive ABA through them. Still will pay on a sliding scale but pennies a month compared to the private ABA. I won and I met with the EI provider today. She is really sweet, but has limited experience catering to one kid for the whole week, The services she offered before were 1 hour a MONTH to 30 ASD kids. She will be supervised by a BCaBA who I met and who seemed reasonable for the money.
Here are the words I need: what do I do? DS loves the private ABA providers, and has a hard time transitioning with new people. But it would be really nice to have a bit of the money I spend on ABA back..... What if my private ABA provider starts to accept my insurance and the coverage is decent? What if the EI people turn out to be great, and my son benefits from their different style? I do not know what to do. I do not know what is best. And if I do go with EI, how do I even break the news to my private ABA?
Thank you, sorry so long, I do not have anyone else I can ask (and trust the answer). Thank you!
Re: I need some words, please.
Could you call your ins co & see what kind of coverage they'd offer once she's accepted?
Either way, good luck.
The insuarance would cover about 25% of the actual cost, so some money back.
Can you cut the private sessions to 10 hours a week and take 10 hours of EI services just to try it out?
There is no reason EI needs to know that you are paying privately for additional services.
Good luck.
I was thinking the same thing - if the private people are great, then keep them at least partially...in the meantime, try out the EI people and see what happens. If you end up loving the EI people just as much, you can just cut the private people loose. If not - you'll go back to your private people full time.
This was my first thought too....
Awesome, thank you, ladies. Now that I look at my post through your eyes, it makes sense. Coordination will be a pain though....
Thank you!
I was thinking along the lines of PP, but I'm not sure I'd go as drastic as to cut the current ABA programs in half. As someone who does this professionally, I can say that from 20 hours to 10 hours would be a HUGE change and I'm not sure it'd give you an honest feel for your new program, because DS would be going through quite a bit. I know you'd still be doing 20 hours of therapy, but it wouldn't be the same therapy. Your new girl will have new ideas as far as which programs are priority and where her expectations are. These may be good or bad, but they'll be different.
This a more expensive option, but maybe you could swing it for a few weeks to evaluate with the thought that after that you would know for certain how important that money your spending on the BCBA is. . .
I'd have the BCBA's program continue at its regular rate and then add the new girl on top. That way nothing has changed and you'll get a chance to see what she's actually adding.
ABA in all of its rigidness is actually very different from one provider to the next. I wouldn't tell her you have the private team, but would treat the time there with her as if she's the big-cahoona. See what she has to offer. If its good, then try to cut back so you can keep testing, like the other posters suggested.
If she's not what you're looking for in terms of philosophy or lack of chemistry with your son, you won't have disrupted your son's program.