For children ages 1 to 5. The earlier we start, the more we can build on.
Early intervention ABA targets children from age one through age five — the years where brain plasticity is highest and where new skills can take root deepest. The research base for early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) is among the strongest in autism care. Our early intervention program uses naturalistic, play-based ABA that meets your toddler where they are, builds communication and social engagement, and prepares your child for school.
moments families remember
Sessions look more like extended playdates than clinical exercises. Your child learns through favorite toys, games, and routines.
Early intervention is typically more hours per week than ABA for older children — often 20 to 40 hours weekly to maximize the developmental window.
Parents are core to early intervention. Your BCBA coaches you to deliver strategies between sessions because every interaction is a learning opportunity at this age.
Early intervention often prioritizes functional communication — words, signs, picture exchange, or AAC devices — because communication unlocks everything else.
Three months in, our daughter said our names. We had been waiting two years.
— The Thomas family, Aurora
Children ages 1 to 5. Our early intervention program serves toddlers and preschool-age children.
Recently diagnosed children. Many families come to early intervention shortly after diagnosis. Starting early is the highest-leverage decision you can make.
Emerging speech, social, or behavioral concerns. Children do not need a confirmed autism diagnosis to start — we can begin assessment work even while diagnostic evaluation is in progress in some states.
Your RBT arrives during your child’s most regulated time of day, usually morning. The first 20 minutes are pure connection and play. Then your RBT weaves in programs from your child’s treatment plan — sometimes a few minutes of structured work at the table, often programs embedded into the play itself. Snack time, transition routines, and outdoor play all become learning opportunities. Sessions usually run two to three hours.
the typical weekly intensity in early intervention — high on purpose, to use the developmental window while it is widest.
Early intervention ABA is covered by Medicaid and commercial plans in all four states, and often coordinates with public Part C early-intervention programs. Specific notes:
Coverage details current as of 2026 and subject to your specific plan. We verify your exact benefits before you commit.
If your child is between 1 and 5 and has received an autism diagnosis or is showing developmental concerns your pediatrician has noted, early intervention is almost always the right starting point. The earlier we begin, the more developmental potential we have to build on.
A Colorado family started early intervention with their daughter at twenty-two months. She was not yet speaking and had limited eye contact. They committed to thirty hours a week with five sessions. The first month felt slow.
At three months she said her brother's name. At six months she was using a picture exchange system with twelve symbols. At nine months she had eleven spoken words and was using two-word combinations.
Early intervention is not for children over five. The program is built specifically around the developmental window of ages one to five, and the play-based, high-intensity model is tuned for very young children.
If your child is older, standard ABA — in-home, in-school, or a combination — is the right path, with strategies adapted to their age and goals. Same principles, different delivery. We will point you to the right service for your child's stage.
No — 18 months is well within the early-intervention window, and starting early is exactly the advantage. Sessions at this age are play-based and gentle, built entirely around your toddler.
Often 20 to 40 hours per week, because the research supports higher intensity during these formative years. Your BCBA sets the exact recommendation based on the assessment and your family’s capacity.
That is a core goal. We target the communication, social, and self-regulation skills that help children succeed in a classroom, and we can coordinate the transition with your future school.
Yes, and it often does. We coordinate with your SLP and OT so everyone is reinforcing the same goals rather than pulling in different directions.
In some states we can begin assessment work while diagnostic evaluation is in progress, and we can refer you to a diagnostic partner. Tell us where you are and we will map the fastest honest path.
It is higher intensity, more play-based and naturalistic, more parent-mediated, and more focused on foundational communication. The principles are the same; the delivery is tuned for very young children.
No waitlist. No runaround.
Call 305-209-3144 or email intake@houseofheartsaba.com. Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM.
