In-School ABA Therapy
Alpaca Health matches families with independent BCBAs who deliver ABA therapy inside your child's school day, in every state we serve. Sessions target the skills that show up at school, such as following classroom routines, working near peers and managing transitions, and we accept private insurance and Medicaid.
What in-school ABA therapy is
In-school ABA therapy delivers applied behavior analysis programming inside your child's school day. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst writes the treatment plan, supervises it, and adjusts it as your child progresses. Sessions run in the classroom and the other places your child moves through during the day, so the skills are practiced where they are needed. Most school programs also include ABA parent training, so the same strategies carry over at home.
What happens in an in-school ABA session
Sessions run for the length your plan authorizes and follow the same treatment plan each time. If your child was recently diagnosed, our guide on what to do after an autism diagnosis covers how care usually begins, and your child’s plan sets the number of weekly therapy hours.
Check-in with school staff
Your provider checks in with classroom staff, reviews what has happened since the last session, and sets one or two targets for the visit.
The working block
Your provider works with your child during real classroom activities. Support is faded as your child manages more of the routine independently.
Recording data and adjusting
Your provider records what worked against the plan targets. When a target stops moving, the BCBA changes the plan.
What carries over at home
Your provider shares what worked at school so you can use the same prompts and language at home.
Choose your in-school ABA therapy provider today
Every provider in our network runs their own practice, and every one is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst licensed in the state where your child lives. We will match you with someone who has availability now and delivers sessions in your child's school, for kids and young adults ages 0 to 21.
What families and providers say about working with Alpaca Health
How in-school ABA therapy works through Alpaca Health
Four steps from your first form to your first session, with no waitlist at any point.
1
Tell us about your child
Start with our short intake form. It asks for your child’s age, your availability, your insurance, and any autism diagnosis you already have. That is all we need to understand where your family is starting from.
2
We verify your insurance
After you submit the form, we verify your insurance and follow up within one business day to confirm the details.
3
Get matched with the right provider
We match you with a licensed provider who has current availability. If you have someone specific in mind, tell us and we will try to make it work. The match is built around your child’s needs and your family’s schedule.
4
Start care the same week
We introduce you directly to your provider, and they take it from there. Your provider then works with you and the school to agree site access and a schedule.
What Alpaca Health's data shows about school-based care
These figures come from Alpaca Health platform data covering 1,082 clients across 118 independent provider practices between August 2024 and August 2026.
School sessions account for 7.3% of all therapy hours delivered across the Alpaca Health network.
114 children have had at least one session delivered at school, across 38 independent provider practices.
In Colorado, 9.0% of therapy hours are delivered at school, the highest share of any state where Alpaca Health reports data.
In Texas, 5.6% of therapy hours are delivered at school.
Across the network, 10.5% of families have had at least one school-based session.
7.3%
of all Alpaca Health therapy hours are delivered in schools.
114
children received school-based ABA sessions between August 2024 and August 2026.
38
independent provider practices delivered school-based sessions. Alpaca Health platform data, 1,082 clients across 118 provider practices, August 2024 to August 2026.
Where Alpaca Health delivers in-school ABA therapy
School sessions run in every state we serve, subject to each school agreeing to on-site visits.
Texas
Colorado
North Carolina
Hawaii
Michigan
Other settings
Why independent clinics matter
What independent means for your family
The providers we work with aren’t part of a large corporation. They’re small, fully independent clinics, founded and operated by the very clinicians who work with your child.
We do not tell them how to do their job.
Your child’s provider makes care decisions based on what is best for your family. Company policy, quotas and insurance rules do not drive those decisions. Clinical decisions stay between you and your provider.
What we do and what we do not do
We handle the behind-the-scenes work, which covers billing, scheduling and insurance paperwork, so providers can spend their time on care instead of admin.
We do not employ the providers and we do not direct their clinical work.
Our role is to make it easier for independent providers to help your child grow and learn.
Is in-school ABA therapy covered by insurance?
Many major plans cover in-school ABA therapy for eligible programs, including Medicaid and private plans. Our guide to ABA therapy that accepts private insurance explains what to check on your policy. Our care team verifies your benefits before services start, explains any copays, and handles the authorization paperwork for you.
Confirm your coverage and authorized hours before therapy starts.
Manage prior authorizations for ABA codes when your plan requires them.
Give you a clear out of pocket estimate before the first session.
Frequently asked questions about in-school ABA therapy
Does the school have to agree to in-school ABA therapy?
The school does have to agree. Sessions happen on school property, so the school approves the provider being on site and agrees how the time is used. Our checklist for your child's IEP meeting covers how to raise it with the school team. Your provider handles the coordination once the school agrees.
Does insurance cover in-school ABA therapy?
Many major plans cover in-school ABA therapy for eligible programs, including private plans and Medicaid. Coverage in a school setting can differ from home coverage, and our guide to Medicaid coverage for ABA therapy explains how the rules differ. Alpaca Health verifies your benefits before services start, explains any copays, and handles the authorization paperwork for you.
How does in-school ABA therapy work alongside an IEP?
ABA therapy and an IEP run alongside each other. The IEP is the school's plan, written by the school team, and our checklist for preparing for an IEP meeting covers what to ask for. Your ABA treatment plan is written by your BCBA and funded through your insurance. Your provider coordinates with the school team so the two sets of goals line up.
Who delivers the sessions, and where in the school do they happen?
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst writes and supervises the treatment plan, and sessions are delivered by the BCBA or by a behavior technician the BCBA oversees. Where the session happens depends on the goal, which can mean the classroom, a hallway during a transition, or the lunchroom. You can check the credentials of every BCBA in the Alpaca Health provider directory. Your provider agrees the locations with the school in advance.
Will my child be pulled out of class?
That depends on the goal. Many school goals are best worked on inside the classroom while the lesson runs, so your child stays with the class. Some goals need a quieter space for short periods. Your BCBA agrees the approach with you and the school before sessions start.
Which goals work best in the school setting?
School sessions suit goals that need classmates or the school routine, such as following group instructions, working near peers, moving between activities and asking an adult for help. Goals built around home routines are better served by in-home ABA therapy, and Alpaca Health tells you which of your child’s goals fall into that group during intake.
How much does in-school ABA therapy cost?
School-based hours are billed the same way as any other authorized ABA hours, so what you pay depends on your plan and your state. Our guide to how much ABA therapy costs breaks down the variables. Alpaca Health gives you an out of pocket estimate before the first session.
How quickly can we start in-school ABA therapy?
School sessions take longer to start than home sessions, because the school has to approve site access and agree a schedule. Alpaca Health verifies your insurance and follows up within one business day, then works with you and the school to set a start date.
Which states does Alpaca Health offer in-school ABA therapy in?
Alpaca Health delivers in-school ABA therapy in Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Hawaii and Michigan, subject to each school agreeing to on-site sessions. Your Board Certified Behavior Analyst needs to be licensed in the state where your child lives. Each state page lists the cities we cover.
Can we combine school sessions with in-home or telehealth sessions?
Most families do combine them. Across Alpaca Health platform data covering 1,082 clients and 118 independent provider practices from August 2024 to August 2026, school sessions accounted for 7.3% of all delivered therapy hours, and 114 children had at least one school session. Families commonly pair school sessions with virtual ABA therapy or home sessions.
Start in-school ABA therapy with Alpaca Health
Tell us about your child and we will confirm your insurance coverage and match you with a licensed BCBA who has availability now. Sessions run in your child's school, in every state we serve.