Questions to Ask a Potential Pediatric Therapist

1. What are your credentials and certifications?

• For BCBAs: Are you board-certified by the BACB? Are you in good standing?
• For SLPs: Do you hold a CCC-SLP from ASHA? Are you licensed in this state?
• For OTs/PTs: Are you licensed? Do you have any pediatric specialty certifications?

2. How much experience do you have with my child's diagnosis?

A BCBA who specializes in early autism intervention is different from one who works primarily with older children with ADHD. Ask how many children they've worked with who have your child's specific diagnosis and age.

3. How long have you been practicing?

Experience matters, but newer clinicians aren't necessarily a red flag — especially if they're supervised by someone experienced. Ask about their supervision structure if they're early in their career.

4. What is your therapeutic approach or philosophy?

For ABA providers, ask if they use naturalistic methods (like Natural Environment Teaching) or more structured approaches (like Discrete Trial Training). For speech therapists, ask if they use play-based methods or more traditional drills. There's no single right answer, but you should understand their approach and feel comfortable with it.

5. How do you handle challenging behaviors?

This is especially important for ABA therapy. Ask how they address behaviors like tantrums, aggression, or self-injury. The focus should be on understanding the function of the behavior and teaching replacement skills, not on punishment.

6. Do you use a play-based approach?

For young children, play-based therapy is often more effective and more engaging than table-based instruction. Ask how they incorporate play and follow the child's lead.

7. How will I be involved in my child's therapy?

Ask how often you'll receive updates, whether you'll be trained on strategies to use at home, and whether you're expected to observe sessions or participate directly.

8. How do you communicate progress with families?

Will you receive weekly updates? Monthly reports? Written summaries? Video demonstrations? Make sure the communication plan works for you.

9. Can I observe sessions?

Some providers encourage parent observation; others prefer parents step out to reduce distractions. Ask what their policy is and why.

10. What is your cancellation policy?

If you need to cancel a session, how much notice is required? Are there fees for late cancellations or no-shows? Life happens, especially with young children, so you want a reasonable policy.

11. How often will we meet? What is the recommended intensity?

For ABA, ask if they recommend 20 hours, 30 hours, or 40 hours per week and why. For speech/OT/PT, ask how many sessions per week they suggest and for how long.

12. Where will therapy take place?

In-home, clinic, school, or telehealth? Make sure the location works for your family's schedule and your child's needs.

13. How do you measure progress?

Good therapists collect data on specific, measurable goals. Ask how often they take data, what kind of data they collect, and how they share it with families.

14. How often do you reassess goals?

Goals should be reviewed and adjusted regularly (every 3 to 6 months for most therapies). If your child masters a skill, new goals should be added. If they're not making progress, the approach should be adjusted.

15. What happens if my child isn't making progress?

This is a critical question. A good provider should have a plan for adjusting strategies, consulting with supervisors, or recommending additional services if progress stalls.