Between the day you decide to pursue ABA and the day the first session happens, there is a gap. Diagnosis, referral, assessment and prior authorization each take time, and the total is usually measured in weeks rather than days.
That gap feels like lost time. It does not have to be.
1. Gather the paperwork now, not later
The single most common cause of delay is a missing document. Put these in one folder — physical or digital — before anyone asks:
- Medicaid card or insurance card, and the member ID
- The physician's order or prescription that names the autism diagnosis
- The comprehensive diagnostic evaluation
- Any prior evaluations, therapy reports or discharge summaries
- The IEP or 504 plan, if your child attends public school
- A list of current medications
If you are missing something, tell us which one. Chasing a record is something we can often do faster than a parent can.
2. If your child is under 3, call Early Steps today
Florida's Early Steps program serves infants and toddlers from birth to 36 months with developmental delays or conditions likely to result in delay. It does not require an autism diagnosis to begin an evaluation, and it runs on a separate track from ABA authorization — so it costs you nothing to start both.
3. If your child is 3 or older, put your request to the school district in writing
Public school districts are required to identify and evaluate children who may need special education services. A request for evaluation should be in writing and dated, because the timelines start when the district receives it. An email is fine. Keep a copy.
School services are educational and do not replace medical therapy — the two run in parallel and answer to different rules.
4. Start noticing patterns
You do not need a clipboard or a spreadsheet. But when your analyst asks what happens right before a difficult moment, a parent who has been paying attention for three weeks gives a far more useful answer than one who is remembering on the spot. Notes on your phone are plenty. Look for:
- What was happening in the ten minutes before
- What time of day it tends to be
- What ends it
- What your child was trying to get, avoid or communicate
That last one is usually the key, and you are better placed to see it than anyone.
5. Protect the routines that already work
Waiting periods are stressful, and stress pushes families toward big changes. This is generally the wrong moment for them. Sleep, meals and predictable transitions are the foundation everything else gets built on. If something in your day already works, guard it.
6. Learn a little, from good sources
You do not need to become an expert, and you should not try to run a therapy program on your own. But understanding the vocabulary makes the first meetings much easier. Our ABA glossary explains the terms you will hear, what to expect walks through the first weeks, and what Florida Medicaid covers sets out the rules in plain language.
Two things not to do
Do not pay for a private evaluation just to move faster
Sometimes it is genuinely necessary. Often it is not, and an evaluation that does not meet the requirements your plan expects will not speed anything up. Ask first — we will tell you honestly whether it would help, including when the answer costs us a client.
Be careful with anyone who promises a specific number of hours before assessing your child
Hours come out of the assessment and the authorization. A number promised in advance is a sales figure, not a clinical one.
If the wait feels wrong
Sometimes a delay is normal and sometimes something is genuinely stuck. If you do not know which one you are in, call us at (786) 652-6945. We will look at where your case actually is. If the answer is that you are simply waiting, we will tell you that too.
This article is general information for families and does not replace advice from a professional who knows your child. Program requirements change; confirm current details with Early Steps, your school district and your health plan.