ABA Therapy in Texas
Alpaca Health matches families in Texas with independent BCBAs who provide in-home and center-based ABA therapy for children with autism. We accept private insurance and Medicaid, and we do not run a waitlist. Most families know their coverage and provider options within a few days.
Clinically reviewed by
Samantha Ridout, M.Phil., BCBA, LBA-NYS· BACB certification #1-22-57709 · Last updated August 2026
Accepted insurance
Local, Independent Providers
Every provider in our network runs their own practice. That means no corporate rules, no long waitlists, and care that puts your child first. We’ll help you find a provider near you who has availability now and offers in-home care for kids and young adults, ages 0 to 21.
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ABA therapy options for Texas families
Cities we serve in Texas
Austin
Houston
Fort Worth
Dallas
Colleyville
Addison
Carrollton
College Station
Waco
Sunset Valley
Apple Springs
Santa Clara
Maypearl
Italy
Montgomery
Southside Place
Shoreacres
Cut and Shoot
Bartonville
Rhome
Salado
Olmos Park
Dalworthington Gardens
Pantego
Jonestown
Haslet
West Lake Hills
Hudson Oaks
Garden Ridge
Godley
Morgan's Point Resort
Springtown
Brock
Nassau Bay
Lake Worth
Silsbee
Granite Shoals
Aledo
Horseshoe Bay
Burnet
Everman
Willis
Jacinto City
Lake Dallas
Marble Falls
Joshua
Sunnyvale
Gonzales
River Oaks
Aubrey
Nolanville
Vidor
Highland Park
Alvarado
Bee Cave
Sanger
Dripping Springs
Lumberton
Northlake
Port Neches
Webster
Bridge City
Lago Vista
Kennedale
Seabrook
Lantana
Universal City
Taylor
Watauga
Azle
Lakeway
Crowley
Groves
Mineral Wells
Stafford
Boerne
Highland Village
Murphy
West University Place
Forest Hill
Fate
Lufkin
Coppell
Weatherford
Deer Park
Harker Heights
Corinth
Sachse
Farmers Branch
Seguin
University Park
Royse City
Cleburne
The Colony
Haltom City
Waxahachie
North Richland Hills
Little Elm
Kyle
Temple
How ABA therapy works through Alpaca Health
Four steps from your first form to your first session.
1
Tell us about your child
Start with our short intake form. You share the basics: 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, so you know what your plan covers before care starts.
3
Get matched with the right provider
We match you with a licensed provider who has availability now. Every provider in our network runs their own independent practice, and you can tell us if you prefer someone specific.
4
Start care the same week
We introduce you directly to your provider, and most families have their first meeting or assessment within the same week. From then on we handle the billing, scheduling, and insurance paperwork in the background, so your provider can focus on your child.
How Alpaca Health is different from large ABA chains
Owned by clinicians
Direct access to your provider
Continuity as your child grows
How Common Is Autism in Texas?
If your child was recently diagnosed, you are not alone. Hundreds of thousands of families across Texas are seeking the same support, and understanding the scale helps you advocate for timely ABA therapy instead of accepting long waitlists.
What Alpaca Health's data shows about ABA care in Texas
Every number below comes from the sessions, claims, and prior authorizations that partner clinics ran on Alpaca Health between August 2024 and August 2026. It describes families served by those clinics, not the ABA market in Texas.
Families who owed nothing
29%
Share of Texas families whose settled claims carried no patient responsibility. Most Texas families at partner clinics are on commercial plans, which carry deductibles and copays that Medicaid plans do not.
Alpaca Health partner-clinic caseload, Aug 2024 to Aug 2026. 307 families across 36 clinics.
Median owed per hour of therapy, commercial plans
$5.00
Patient responsibility owed per delivered hour for Texas families on commercial plans. About three in ten owed nothing at all. Middle half of families: $0 to $15.45.
Alpaca Health partner-clinic caseload, Aug 2024 to Aug 2026. 307 families across 36 clinics.
On Texas Blue Shield commercial plans
46.4%
Share of Texas families at partner clinics whose primary payer is Texas Blue Shield. TRICARE West Region covers another 13.7 percent.
Alpaca Health partner-clinic caseload, Aug 2024 to Aug 2026. 169 families across 31 clinics.
Median days to a payer decision
14.1
Days from the moment a partner clinic submits a prior authorization to the moment the payer approves or denies it. About a third of decisions took longer than 14 days. Middle half of requests: 8 to 25 days.
Alpaca Health partner-clinic caseload, Aug 2024 to Aug 2026. 364 families across 38 clinics.
How Texas prior authorizations ended
- Approved56.3%
- No authorization was needed23.3%
- Withdrawn before a decision13%
Share of prior authorization requests by outcome. Outcome groups with too few families behind them are not shown, so these shares do not add to 100. 302 families across 36 clinics.
Where therapy hours were delivered in Texas
- At home72.1%
- By telehealth9%
- In a clinic office7.2%
- Other settings6.2%
- At school5.6%
Share of delivered therapy hours by the place of service billed on each signed session note. Alpaca Health partner-clinic caseload, Aug 2024 to Aug 2026.
Families who had at least one telehealth session
62.1%
Telehealth is a small share of total hours in Texas, and most families used it at least once. It fills gaps around illness and travel rather than replacing in-person work.
Alpaca Health partner-clinic caseload, Aug 2024 to Aug 2026. 226 families across 30 clinics.
These figures describe clients of Alpaca Health partner ABA clinics, on the payers Alpaca Health contracts with. They are not measurements of the ABA market in Texas. A figure appears only when at least 25 families from at least 3 clinics sit behind it.
Start ABA therapy nowGetting an autism diagnosis in Texas
Insurance and Texas Medicaid authorize ABA therapy only after a confirmed autism diagnosis. The fastest route: Alpaca Health offers an ADOS-2 evaluation for children of all ages, with no waitlist. Prefer an outside evaluation? Texas has a route for every age. We verify your coverage before you book.
Under age 3
Texas Early Childhood Intervention provides free developmental evaluations for children under 3 through local ECI programs. Families can refer their own child and no physician referral is needed. The program assesses developmental need, which is a separate question from a medical autism diagnosis.
Start your evaluationAll ages
The Autism Spectrum Disorder and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Specialty Clinic at UTHealth Houston serves children and adults from age three to 45. It is part of McGovern Medical School and UT Physicians, which accepts Texas Medicaid.
Age 3 and up
Children 3 and older are evaluated by a developmental pediatrician, a child psychologist, or a psychiatrist. Because Texas ties private coverage to a diagnosis before age 10, getting the evaluation done early matters more here than in most states. A school evaluation can support services at school, but insurers do not accept it as the medical diagnosis for ABA therapy.
Recent Texas policy changes
April 2025: simpler renewal paperwork
- Authorization periods: Medicaid ABA runs on an initial plan, then extensions every 90 days.
- What changed: Since April 1, 2025, the prescriber's signature is no longer required on 90-day extensions.
- For families: Your provider files these forms, not you.
September 2025: higher Medicaid payment rates
- Rate increase: Effective September 1, 2025, Texas raised Medicaid payment rates for ABA.
- Current amounts: The Health and Human Services Commission publishes the HHSC rate tables.
- Why it matters: Better rates can bring more providers to Texas Medicaid.
Why Independent Clinics Matter
In-home ABA that fits your life
- The providers we work with bring therapy to you, wherever your child is most comfortable.
- That might mean home, daycare, school, or virtual sessions. Our flexible care model ensures that therapy integrates into your family’s daily routine, rather than disrupting it.
- Our network is made up of independent, local clinicians who prioritize collaboration, not control, so you stay in charge of your child’s care.
Support for the full pediatric age range
- Many ABA centers stop care when a child turns 8. Not us. We support the full pediatric age range, toddlers to age 21.
- Your child deserves more than short-term support. With Alpaca Health, they can build a long-term relationship with a provider who understands their growth over time and adapts care as their needs evolve.
- We also support your whole family with educational events and resources, including parent webinars, advocacy toolkits, and grant guides.
More care. Less wait.
- Waiting months for ABA shouldn’t be the norm. At Alpaca Health, we help families connect with the right provider in just a few days.
- We work exclusively with independent providers, which allows us to stay flexible and waitlist-free. That means faster assessments, quicker treatment starts, and the end of years-long waits.
- Ready to get started? We’ll handle the paperwork, help coordinate referrals, and walk you through every step.
Alpaca Health's Texas autism family resources
Texas autism community resources
Local programs and organizations that support families alongside ABA therapy.
The SOS program gives emergency grants when a child needs autism treatment urgently and safety is at risk without it. Household income must be under $45,000 a year.
The foundation gives grants covering surgeries, prescriptions, medical equipment, and travel for care for uninsured or underinsured children whose families cannot afford the cost.
This program awards $1,000 grants to 25 families a year for medical, nutritional, educational, and enrichment needs that insurance and schools do not cover. Caregivers of a child under 18 with autism can apply.
The foundation buys items worth $500 or less, including therapy sessions, assistive devices, medical equipment, and sensory items, for children under 18 with a disability or chronic illness.
This Texas nonprofit funds diagnosis and evaluations, therapies, respite care, medication, and emergency medical needs for families facing financial hardship from a confirmed or suspected autism diagnosis.
A Plano, Texas nonprofit that helps families affected by autism and other disabilities with therapy, camp, and living costs, and awards college scholarships to graduating high school seniors.
Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy in Texas
Get started with autism care in Texas today
Alpaca Health connects families with local BCBAs who provide ABA therapy. We do not run a waitlist.
How ABA therapy works through Alpaca Health
Four simple steps from your first form to your first session. No waitlists, no phone tag, no guesswork.
1
Tell us about your child
Start with our short intake form. You share the basics: 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. No long waits, no phone tag.
3
Get matched with the right provider
We match you with a licensed provider who has availability now, not months from now. Prefer someone specific? Tell us, and we will try to make it work. Either way, the fit 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. Most families have their first meeting or assessment within the same week, whether that is in-home ABA therapy or a telehealth session.