What to Do While Waiting for ABA Therapy in Kansas, Colorado, and Ohio

Key points:

• ABA waitlists in Kansas, Colorado, and Ohio can stretch three months to over a year, depending on location, insurance, and provider capacity in your area.
• Families can take meaningful action during the wait through parent training, early communication strategies, daily routines, and connecting with community resources.
• What you do in the months before therapy starts often shapes how quickly your child progresses once formal sessions begin.

You've done the hard part. You have the diagnosis, the referral, and the insurance authorization. And now you're stuck waiting. Three months. Six months. Sometimes longer. Watching your child struggle while a clipboard somewhere has their name on it is one of the more demoralizing parts of this whole journey. 

Here's something worth knowing: the time before ABA starts isn't wasted unless you treat it that way. Families who use the waitlist period actively often see faster progress when therapy begins, because their child arrives with stronger routines, more communication tools, and parents who already understand the basics. 

This article covers practical things you can do right now, no matter where you are in Kansas, Colorado, or Ohio. None of this replaces what is ABA therapy formally delivered by a trained team, but it can move the needle in the meantime.

Why the Waitlist Exists (And What That Means for You)

Demand for ABA has grown faster than the workforce can train. There aren't enough BCBAs or behavior technicians in most regions, and credentialing takes years. Add Medicaid authorization delays, and you get the waitlist you're sitting on right now. 

Understanding the why doesn't shorten the wait, but it helps explain why making a hundred phone calls won't magically jump the line. What does help is making sure you're on multiple waitlists and that your authorization paperwork stays current.

Start with the Free or Low-Cost Resources

Plenty of resources exist outside of formal ABA. Early intervention programs, school district services, and community-based developmental groups can fill gaps. If your child is under three, the early intervention program in your state offers free developmental services, including speech therapy alongside ABA and occupational therapy in many cases. 

For older kids, school districts run preschool special education programs that often include speech and behavioral support. Combining these with ABA therapy services in Colorado or another state, once your spot opens up, creates a stronger overall picture.

Local options worth checking

If you're in the Denver area: local autism support nonprofits offer parent workshops, sibling groups, and recreational programs. Resources around Denver, Colorado, include several free parent training events each month.

If you're in the Cincinnati area: several hospital-affiliated programs offer parent education classes covering communication, behavior, and daily routines. Looking into ABA-adjacent services in Cincinnati, Ohio, can connect you to interim supports while you wait.

Build Communication Tools Now

Communication challenges sit at the center of a lot of autism-related stress, for both kids and parents. You can start building communication systems before ABA begins. Visual schedules, picture cards, and simple choice boards give your child concrete ways to express needs. 

Many families have success with the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS), which uses pictures to support requests and labels. Even basic versions of these tools, made at home with index cards, can reduce meltdowns and tantrums dramatically.

Focus on Daily Routines

Predictable routines reduce anxiety for most kids on the spectrum. Mornings, mealtimes, bedtime, and transitions between activities are the high-stress moments where structure pays off. You don't need fancy charts. A consistent order of events, repeated every day, often works better than elaborate visual systems.

A few practical things to try:

• Use the same wake-up sequence every morning, including the same songs or phrases
• Build in a five-minute warning before transitions, every time
• Offer two choices for things like clothes, snacks, or activities to give your child agency
• Use the same words for the same routines, like 'time to clean up' rather than varying phrases
• Consider how ABA techniques applied at home can give you structure while you wait

Start Parent Training on Your Own

Plenty of free resources teach ABA principles at a parent level. Organizations like Autism Speaks, the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and various university programs offer guides, videos, and online courses. 

The Autism Navigator and AFIRM modules from the National Professional Development Center are evidence-based and free. Reading about what to expect during your child's first ABA session before the time comes can help you arrive ready rather than anxious.

Address Sleep, Eating, and Sensory Issues

These three areas affect everything else. A child who isn't sleeping well or who's having major sensory struggles will have a harder time engaging in any therapy. The waitlist period is a good time to work with your pediatrician on sleep problems linked to autism, talk to an occupational therapist about sensory tools, and try out feeding strategies if mealtime is a battle.

Common starting points:

• A consistent bedtime routine that includes calming sensory input
• Limiting screens an hour before bed, especially blue light
• Heavy work activities, like jumping or carrying groceries, help regulate sensory needs
• Weighted blankets or pressure vests for kids who respond well to deep pressure
• Offering preferred foods alongside new ones rather than insisting on switches, since picky eating in autism often eases with patient exposure

If sensory issues feel like the biggest obstacle, exploring sensory activities for a child with autism can help you build a toolkit before therapy starts.

Connect with Other Parents

Online and in-person parent groups exist for autism families in nearly every region. The community knowledge is unmatched. Other parents know which evaluators are responsive, which Medicaid case managers actually call back, and which behavior strategies worked for kids like yours. 

For families in Kansas, support resources near Wichita include several active Facebook groups and in-person meetups. Don't underestimate this. Some of the best practical advice comes from a parent who was three months ahead of you on the same journey.

Stay on Top of Your Spot

Waitlists aren't always reliable. Providers lose paperwork, change systems, or have staff turnover that affects intake. Call your provider monthly to confirm you're still on the list and that your authorization hasn't expired. 

Many families also benefit from being on multiple waitlists at once, especially in regions with limited ABA capacity. Looking at ABA services in Ohio across multiple providers, for instance, can shorten your effective wait considerably.

Consider Telehealth Parent Training Programs

Several ABA providers now offer telehealth parent coaching as a standalone service, separate from full ABA. These programs typically run six to twelve weeks and teach parents specific techniques for communication, behavior management, and skill building. 

Insurance coverage varies, but it's worth asking. For some families, this becomes a useful bridge until in-person services begin. Looking at ABA support in Kansas, including telehealth options, can speed up the support timeline.

FAQs

How long are ABA waitlists in Kansas, Colorado, and Ohio?

Waits range from one to twelve months, depending on location, insurance, and provider capacity. Urban areas tend to have shorter waits than rural regions, though demand has increased everywhere over the past few years.

Can I do anything that will speed up my spot?

Being responsive to provider communication helps. Keeping insurance authorizations current, returning intake paperwork quickly, and signing up at multiple agencies all increase your odds of an earlier start date.

Is it worth doing ABA-like activities at home while waiting?

Yes, when done thoughtfully. Focus on visual supports, predictable routines, and reinforcing communication. Avoid trying to implement complex behavior plans without training, since consistency in ABA therapy matters, and inconsistency can undo progress.

Should I pay out of pocket to skip the waitlist?

Private-pay ABA exists but costs $100 to $250 per hour, which adds up fast. Some families do this short-term while waitlists are clear. Most stick with insurance-covered services and use the waiting time for parent training and other supports.

What's the most important thing to do while waiting?

Build communication tools and stable routines. These two areas have the biggest cross-cutting impact, and they make therapy more effective once it starts because your child arrives with foundations already in place. Learning how to integrate ABA therapy into everyday routines ahead of time pays off later, too.

The Waitlist Wait Is Hard, But It's Not the Whole Story

Nobody plans on staring at the calendar for months while their child needs help right now. The system isn't built for fast access, and the gap between wanting therapy and getting it can feel like the longest stretch of this whole journey. 

The work you do during this stretch matters. Routines, communication tools, and parent training all create a foundation that therapy builds on later. 

We work with families across Kansas, Colorado, and Ohio, and we know the waitlist conversation well. Visit us today, or reach out, and we'll help you map out what to focus on between now and your start date.