Daycare-based ABA therapy in Colorado
Playtime should mean progress
Daycare-based ABA therapy supports your child in this group environment so they can participate, build friendships, and develop the social skills that shape their confidence and relationships.
- Ages 2 to 21
- In-home, school, daycare, and telehealth
- Medicaid and most insurance accepted
- Parent training in every plan
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Why daycare-based ABA is different
Your child’s therapist works with your child’s daycare provider to support them during group activities, transitions, mealtimes, and free play so your child can participate alongside their peers instead of needing separate support or sitting on the sidelines. The skills your child builds in daycare are the skills they use in the moments that matter: sharing toys, taking turns, managing the pace and noise of a group, asking for help, and building connections with other children.
Your daycare provider sees the strategies firsthand and implements them throughout your child’s day because everyone is using the same approach and language. When your child’s therapist and their daycare provider are working together, your child gets consistent support and progress compounds.
How daycare-based therapy builds independence
We’ve seen how powerful ABA therapy is for a child with autism, and we believe parents deserve clarity, honesty, and a team that treats them like the superheros they are.
Your child learns alongside their peers
Your child's therapist works in the daycare classroom to support your child's participation in group activities, and over time your child needs less direct support because they're learning to manage the group environment with their peers.
Independence grows through peer interaction
As your child builds social skills and learns to navigate group dynamics, they become more confident asking for what they need, joining activities without prompting, and managing transitions that happen multiple times throughout the daycare day.
Short-term support. Long-term skills.
We're not here to manage your child's behavior through their daycare years but to build skills that help them participate in group settings so they can develop friendships and feel confident in their peer community.
What daycare-based therapy addresses
The challenges your child faces in group settings
Your child participates in group activities instead of withdrawing or becoming disruptive, shares toys and takes turns with other children, asks for help from teachers and peers, and develops the ability to join activities and make connections with classmates.
Your child moves between activities without escalation or resistance, adjusts to the pace and schedule of a group setting, and manages the unpredictability of a busy daycare environment.
Your child communicates needs and wants to teachers and peers, participates in group songs and games, waits for their turn to speak, and develops language that works in a social context.
Your child manages frustration when they don’t get what they want, handles waiting, responds to redirection from daycare staff, and develops the emotional regulation needed to stay engaged in a group setting.
Your child participates in mealtimes, naptime, toileting, and other group routines with growing independence and minimal prompting from staff.
These skills don’t disappear when therapy ends. They stick because you learned how to reinforce them every day.
What happens during daycare sessions
Summer ABA therapy is flexible, personalized, and built around your family’s actual summer.
The therapist arrives and observes
Your child's therapist comes to daycare and observes your child during group activities, mealtimes, transitions, and free play to understand where support would help most.
Provider and therapist collaborate
Your child's daycare provider and therapist communicate about strategies, and they coordinate how to support your child so your child gets consistent messages and approaches throughout the day.
Support happens naturally
Your child's therapist works alongside your child and the provider, modeling strategies, coaching the provider, and supporting your child in a way that looks natural to the other children in the classroom.
Independence increases over time
Your child's therapist gradually steps back as your child becomes more independent, and the daycare provider takes on more responsibility for supporting your child because they've learned the strategies and understand your child's needs.
You stay informed and coordinated
You get regular updates from the therapist and the daycare provider so you understand progress and can reinforce strategies at home, and when daycare and home are aligned, your child's progress accelerates.
We’re not working on abstract goals but on the things you need to change.
The Achieve difference: What we won't do
Most families watch their kid get better during sessions, then everything falls apart when therapy ends because nobody taught them how to keep it going. That’s heartbreaking and it shouldn’t happen.
We teach you the exact same strategies we teach your child. Every week you get coaching where you practice with real situations in your home. Here’s what changes for you:
We won't isolate your child
We won't pull your child out of group activities to work one-on-one but support them within the group so they develop social skills and confidence with their peers.
We won't create dependency
We won't keep your child dependent on one-on-one support forever but work toward independence so your child can participate in typical daycare life without needing constant assistance.
We won't ignore the provider
We treat daycare providers as partners and experts in their environment, and we coordinate with them, respect their classroom management, and work toward their goals for your child.
We won't claim your child is "fixed"
We support your child in developing skills that help them navigate group settings, and we're honest about what's helping and what needs adjustment.
We won't ignore home
We coordinate with you so strategies are consistent at daycare and at home, and your child gets the same message about expectations and how to manage group situations.
Medicaid won’t pay for parent training. We do because your involvement isn’t something nice to have. It’s everything.
A family's journey: Thriving in group care
The challenge
Jackson was 3 when his parents enrolled him in daycare, and within the first few weeks his provider called and said Jackson wasn’t adjusting well—he wasn’t playing with the other children, he got very upset during transitions between activities, and he seemed anxious in the group setting. His parents were torn between pushing through the adjustment period or accepting that maybe group daycare wasn’t right for him.
The consultation
Our BCBA, Marcus, visited Jackson’s daycare classroom and observed how Jackson managed the environment, how he responded to other children, and what was triggering his distress. He talked with Jackson’s provider and his parents about what Jackson needed to feel more confident and safe in the group setting.
Week two: In the daycare
Jackson’s therapist, Keisha, started coming to daycare three mornings a week and sat near Jackson during group activities, providing quiet reassurance when he became anxious, and coaching him through transitions. His daycare provider watched and started using the same calming language and strategies with Jackson.
Month two: Jackson becomes braver
Keisha was still present but Jackson was initiating more play with peers, managing transitions more smoothly because he understood what was coming next, and the anxiety that had characterized his first weeks was decreasing. His provider reported that Jackson was actually smiling and engaging during group activities.
Month four: The shift
Keisha was there mostly observing now, and Jackson was playing alongside other children, participating in group songs and games, and managing the transitions that happen throughout the daycare day without escalating. He was asking for help from his provider instead of shutting down when things were hard.
Six months: Real confidence
Keisha transitioned out because Jackson had developed the skills to navigate the daycare environment with his provider’s support and the consistency that was in place. His daycare provider told his parents: “Jackson’s such a different kid now. He’s part of the group. He has friends. He’s confident. He loves coming to daycare.” His parents realized that group care was right for Jackson—he just needed support getting there.
The Achieve difference: What we won't do
You’re noticing your child isn’t hitting milestones the way you expected. Maybe they’re not talking yet. Maybe the meltdowns leave you shaken. Maybe something just feels off and you can’t quite name it. You shouldn’t have to wait months for a diagnostic appointment before anyone steps in to help.
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We won't punish disguised as parenting:
We won't tell you to "be firmer" or turn parenting into a consequence-based drill but work with understanding instead of punishment. -
We won't keep you dependent:
We won't keep your child in therapy indefinitely because our goal is for them to become independent. -
We won't treat you like a case file:
You're people with real lives, not a diagnosis to manage, and we respect that. -
We won't claim progress that isn't there:
We measure everything and tell you the truth, and if something isn't working we say so and change it. -
We won't ask you to step back:
You're not a distraction but essential, and we want you present, involved, and learning.
Those numbers matter because your child’s progress matters. And your sanity during summer? That matters too.
Insurance We Accept for Daycare ABA in Colorado
Achieve ABA Therapy Group works with most major insurance plans in Colorado so cost isn’t a barrier to your child getting the support they need. We accept:
- Medicaid (full coverage in Colorado)
- Most commercial insurance plans (Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and others)
- Military coverage (TRICARE, CHAMPVA)
- Verify your benefits upfront so you know exactly what you'll pay
- Handle all prior authorizations and paperwork
- Submit claims and manage reauthorizations
- Explain any out-of-pocket costs clearly before you start
Our team verifies your coverage within 48 hours — you’ll know exactly what you’re paying before therapy begins, with no surprises.
Learning more about autism and support
Resources that help
If you’re looking to understand autism better or explore Colorado services, these resources provide solid information and support networks for families.
National organization with resources, community, and information on autism.
Evidence-based information about autism, early signs, and support.
State resources and programs for families with developmental disabilities.
You focus on your child. We focus on making sure insurance doesn’t slow you down.
Daycare-based therapy across Colorado
Getting started: Your roadmap begins here
You reach out
Contact us and tell us what’s happening at daycare, what your provider is noticing, what concerns you have, and we explain how daycare-based therapy works and what the process looks like.
Daycare consultation
We talk with your child’s daycare provider to understand their observations, their goals for your child, and what support would help your child thrive in their group setting.
Insurance and planning
We verify your insurance coverage and explain what’s covered for daycare-based services, and within 48 hours you know exactly what your insurance includes and what you’ll pay.
Your collaborative plan
We build a plan with you and your daycare provider that’s tailored to your child and the daycare environment, and we explain it to everyone involved so everyone understands the goals and approach.
Therapy begins and progress happens together
Your child’s therapist starts coming to daycare, works with your provider and your child, you get regular updates and coaching on how to support your child at home, and we track progress as your child becomes more independent.
Questions Colorado parents ask about Daycare ABA
How often does my child get support at daycare?
That depends on your child’s needs and the daycare’s availability, and most children benefit from 1-2 sessions per week where the therapist can observe and support during group activities, transitions, and peer interaction.
Will this interfere with my child's daycare experience?
No, the goal is to support your child so they can participate more fully in the daycare community alongside their peers, and the therapist works to make support look natural so your child doesn’t feel separated or different.
How do I know what's happening at daycare?
You get regular updates from the therapist and your daycare provider, and we keep you informed about strategies and progress so you can reinforce at home and stay connected to what your child is learning.
What if my daycare provider resists the therapist?
We work collaboratively with daycare providers because they know their environment and their children, and we approach them as partners offering support that makes their job easier and helps your child succeed.
How long does daycare-based therapy take?
That depends on your child’s needs and how quickly they build social skills and confidence, and some children need support for a few months while others benefit from longer-term support.
Does Colorado insurance cover daycare-based ABA?
Most major insurance plans cover ABA therapy for autism in any setting including daycare, and we verify your coverage upfront so you understand what’s covered and what you might pay out of pocket. For more information, visit Colorado Department of Insurance.
Will my child be stigmatized or singled out?
The therapist works to provide support discreetly within the group setting, and we coordinate with your daycare provider on how to make support look natural so your child isn’t separated from their peers or made to feel different.
What if my child has a disability diagnosis?
We support all children with developmental needs in daycare settings, and we work with your family and your daycare provider to identify what support your child needs to participate and thrive in group care.
Can daycare-based therapy coordinate with home support?
Yes, we encourage it, and if your child is getting in-home therapy or other services we coordinate across providers so strategies are consistent and your child gets the same message everywhere.
What if progress is slow?
We track data and communicate with your provider about what’s working and what needs adjustment, and if progress is slow we change the approach because what matters is that your child builds the skills they need to succeed in group settings.
Ready to help your child thrive in group care?
Your child’s daycare success starts with one conversation, and let’s talk about what daycare-based ABA therapy can do for your child and their provider.