We strive to simplify the process from intake to discharge
Step 1: Intake Paperwork
We want to get to know your family! Our Care Team needs the following background information before we can begin services with your child:
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Initial Intake Application
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Copy of Autism Diagnosis*
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Signed Consent Forms
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Reports from ST, OT, PT, previous ABA
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Most Recent Hearing Screening
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IEP/504
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Reinforcer Inventory
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Copy of Insurance Card (Front & Back)
*The diagnosis letter should be dated 2015 or after with new coding (F84.xx instead of 299.xx).*We are unable to accept diagnosis paperwork provided through a school system. Insurance payors require a medical professional to diagnose before services will be approved.
To receive an Initial Intake Packet, please call or email our Care Team.
770-627-2267 ext. 2
Step 2: Verify Benefits
The next step is our Care Team needs to check your child's insurance plan for ABA and Speech benefits. In order to do this, our Care Team needs the following information which is provided in the intake paperwork:
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Copy of Current Insurance Card (Front & Back)
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Policy Holder's First and Last Name
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Child's First and Last Name
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Child's Date of Birth
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A Current Address
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A Current Phone Number
Our Care Team will contact your insurance carrier to find out if you have coverage for ABA services. This process can take 5-7 business days. After we receive the details, a Team Member will contact you with the specifics of your plan.
Step 3: Authorize Assessments
If you have ABA and/or Speech benefits and you would like to move forward with services, our Care Team needs to authorize an assessment.
Our Care Team needs the following information:
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Proof of Autism Diagnosis*
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Prescription for ABA services written AND signed by a Physician, Pediatrician, etc (anyone with a M.D. or PhD)
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Prescription for Speech services written AND signed by a Physician, Pediatrician, etc (anyone with a M.D. or PhD)
*The diagnosis letter should be dated 2015 or after with new coding (F84.xx instead of 299.xx).
*We are unable to accept diagnosis paperwork provided through a school system. Insurance payors require a medical professional to diagnose before services will be approved.
Our Care Team will then call the insurance company back. The insurance company will give us permission to start an assessment with your child. We can not start services until we have an authorization.
Step 4: Initial Caregiver Meeting
Before we start working with your child, our clinical team will meet with you. We want to get to know you, your child, and understand why you are seeking services. Every program our Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Speech Language Pathologists develop are individualized to the child and family's needs. This meeting typically lasts one hour. Caregivers regularly involved in the child's life such as mothers, fathers, grandparents, babysitters, teachers, therapists etc. are encouraged to attend. Our goal is to get a well rounded picture of the child in order to develop appropriate goals for treatment.
Step 5: Initial Assessments
A member of our Care Team will reach out to schedule the initial assessments.
The Initial ABA Assessment can take up to 8 hours. Sessions are typically scheduled in 2 hour blocks across 4 days. During this time, your child will work 1:1 with a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) or BCaBA (Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst) until the Initial ABA Assessment is complete. Our team will use a standardized assessment such as the VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R, or AFLS to determine current skill level, identify barriers to learning, and develop an individualized treatment plan. For children with significant or interfering behaviors, FBAs will be completed and subsequent BIPs developed.
The Initial Speech Assessment will be scheduled for one hour before or after on a day during the Initial ABA Assessment. The SLP will use a standardized assessment such as the PLS-5,
OWLS-2, CAAP-2 or
SLDT-E: NU.
Step 6: Treatment Plan Meeting
One week after the Initial Assessments are complete, our Clinical Team will meet with you again to review the results of the assessments and treatment plan goals.
The Clinical Team will provide their professional recommendation on how many hours the child should attend therapies per week to master the suggested goals across 6 months. Our team will also recommend whether these therapies would be most beneficial in a clinic setting, in a home based setting, or additionally in the community. Once the goals, a treatment setting, and a treatment schedule have been agreed upon by the Caregivers and Clinicians, the finalized Treatment Plan will be signed and sent for insurance approval.
Step 7: Ongoing Authorizations
Our Care Team will submit the signed Treatment Plan to your insurance company for approval and a request for an authorization for on-going services. Once we have received an ongoing authorization, we will begin services. Your child will work 1:1 with an RBT (Registered Behavior Technician) daily. Your child will receive supervision of their program by a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) and a BCaBA (Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst) on a regular basis.
Your child will be pulled from their ABA sessions once or twice a week to work directly with an SLP (Speech Language Pathologist). The SLP, BCBA, BCaBA and RBTs will collaborate on a regular basis to ensure treatment integrity.
Step 8: Caregiver Involvement
Caregiver involvement is a required and essential part of the child's intervention. A large piece of this is caregiver training. Caregiver training goals will be outlined on your child's treatment plan and reviewed with you by our clinical staff. These goals will be individualized based on client needs and may include group classes or one on one training with a supervisor and/or RBT, either in clinic or in home. The frequency and length of parent training is dependent on the client and the individualized parent training goals, but occurs at a minimum of bi-weekly and a maximum of twice weekly.
Similar to skill acquisition goals for client's, data will be collected on parent training goals and reported to insurance companies.
Step 9: Re-Assessments
Every 6 months, insurance companies require an updated Assessment. Our Team needs the following information:
NEW prescription for ABA services written AND signed by a Physician, Pediatrician, etc (anyone with a M.D. or PhD) dated within the last six months. Our Team does NOT need a new Proof of Diagnosis.
Our Team will then call the insurance company back. The insurance company will give us permission to start an assessment with your child.
Re-assessments will be conducted during your child's regularly scheduled ABA and Speech sessions. A separate appointment time is not needed.
Caregivers and Clinicians will attend a treatment plan meeting to review the child's progress and upcoming treatment plan recommendations.
Step 10: Graduation
top 10 questions about STARTING SERVICES AT appleseeds behavioral center
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