WHO DO WE SERVE?
At Pillars, we serve a diverse group of children and young adults with a wide range of strengths, needs, and developmental profiles. Our programs are designed to support individuals with varying abilities across multiple areas, including communication, behavior, social development, and daily living skills.
For communication, we work with individuals who are non-speaking, use gestures, or rely on alternative communication methods, as well as those who need support with expanding language, building sentence structure, staying on topic, or improving conversational flow.
We also provide support for individuals who engage in challenging behaviors such as aggression, elopement (running away), property destruction, mouthing non-food items, self-injury, or spitting. Our team works to understand the function behind each behavior and teaches safe, functional alternatives in a supportive and respectful way.
Many of the individuals we work with also benefit from focused teaching in social and adaptive skills—such as sharing, waiting, accepting “no,” or participating in everyday activities like haircuts and dental visits. For older learners, our programs may include higher-level social understanding, safety awareness (such as calling 911), navigating boundaries with strangers, and distinguishing between accidents and intentional actions.
No matter the age or skill level, every treatment plan is personalized to meet the unique needs of the individual. Our goal is to support meaningful progress, greater independence, and improved quality of life—for both the individual and their family.
How soon can my child start ABA services?
The timeline depends on several steps, including completing your intake paperwork, obtaining insurance authorization, completing the assessment and treatment plan, and matching your child with an appropriate therapist.
We typically recommend allowing 1–2 months for commercial insurance patients from the beginning of the intake process to the start of services. For Medicaid patients, the timeline can range from 1–4 months, depending on insurance requirements and provider credentialing in your area.
What makes you different from other ABA companies?
We believe ABA should be effective, engaging, and centered around your child—not compliance for compliance’s sake.
1. We focus on connection, not just compliance.
We do not follow old-school compliance-based methods where the goal is simply for a child to obey. We want your child to feel safe, comfortable, engaged, and motivated to participate. When children are consistently upset or disengaged, we don’t simply expect them to push through it—we look at our programming and teaching approach and make changes.
Our goal is for your child to eventually see their therapist and think, “Yay, you’re here!” For younger children, that may mean feeling like their therapist is coming over to play and have fun. For older children, it may mean looking forward to interacting with someone they trust. We believe that when children are comfortable, connected, and engaged, they are in a much better position to learn.
That doesn’t mean every session will be happy or easy. Learning can be challenging, and frustration is normal. What matters is that we pay attention to your child’s experience and continually adjust our approach when something isn’t working.
2. We are a Christian-owned company.
Our faith is an important part of who we are. We believe God is the true owner of this company and that He guides us in how we serve our families, care for our staff, and make decisions.
We pray over our patients and staff and welcome prayer requests from the families we serve. Our goal is to reflect Christ’s example of loving, serving, encouraging, and caring for others in everything we do.
3. We create opportunities beyond the therapy session.
We want skills learned in ABA to carry over into real life. That’s why we offer opportunities such as:
- Community field trips twice a month, where families can participate during their child’s session, practice social skills, and interact with other families.
- Monthly parent nights, giving parents opportunities to learn about different topics, ask questions, and connect with other families.
- Specialty support tracks designed to provide additional support in specific areas. You can learn more about these under our Programs section.
- Spanish-language services to help us better serve more families in our communities.
Ultimately, we want to provide more than just hours of ABA. We want to build relationships, support families, create meaningful experiences, and help children develop skills that improve their everyday lives.
What paperwork do I need to get started?
To begin the intake process, we typically need:
- A referral for ABA services
- A qualifying evaluation that meets your insurance requirements, generally completed within the past three years
- Completed intake paperwork
- Front and back copies of your insurance card
Because requirements vary by insurance provider, additional documentation may sometimes be requested.
How does the insurance approval process work?
Once we have the required paperwork, we submit it to your insurance company for authorization. Insurance processing times vary, but authorization often takes around 15 days.
After the assessment is completed, our clinical team develops the treatment plan. This process typically takes about a week, followed by another insurance authorization period when required.
Are you in-network with my insurance?
Our accepted insurance plans are listed on our website. If you don’t see your insurance listed, we may still be able to help.
We can request a Single Case Agreement (SCA), which asks your insurance company to authorize services with us as an exception to their normal network requirements. Approval is determined by the insurance company and is not guaranteed, but we are happy to try.
What areas do you serve?
We serve families throughout the states listed on our service-area page. If you live within one of those states, we can come to you—whether services take place in your home, school, or appropriate community settings.
Do you have a clinic?
We are currently a home, school, and community-based ABA provider and do not have a clinic at this time. We plan to offer a clinic setting in the future.
What are your therapists’ qualifications?
Our BCBAs hold certification through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and maintain the appropriate state licensure where required.
Our behavior therapists are Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) and maintain their appropriate BACB credentials. Our team members receive appropriate training and comprehensive background checks.
Can you work with my child in the community?
Yes! ABA doesn’t have to happen only at home.
If you’re going to the park, we can work on appropriate social and communication skills there. If you’re going to a doctor’s appointment, we can work on tolerating the experience, communicating needs, following directions, or asking for help.
The key is that the setting and activity must provide an opportunity to work toward your child’s treatment goals. We’re not simply there to play—we’re there to turn everyday experiences into meaningful learning opportunities.
What kinds of skills can ABA help with?
If a challenge related to your child’s autism is interfering with their ability to participate in everyday life, we may be able to develop a program to address it.
This can include communication, social skills, daily living skills, flexibility, tolerance, independence, safety, and many other areas. For example, if your child has difficulty tolerating nail trimming, we may work on gradually increasing their tolerance and teaching appropriate coping and communication skills.
Every child’s treatment plan is individualized to their specific needs.
How many hours of ABA does my child need?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Hours are determined based on your child’s individual needs, clinical assessment, treatment goals, and insurance requirements.
For effectiveness and meaningful progress, we generally do not recommend fewer than 15 hours per week. For some older children or children with different needs, fewer hours may be clinically appropriate. This is always determined on a case-by-case basis.
Do we have to use all of the hours that are approved?
We strongly encourage families to maintain a schedule that is as close as reasonably possible to the clinically recommended number of hours.
If your child’s treatment plan recommends 30 hours per week but only 15 hours are consistently being used, your insurance company may question whether the full number of hours is still medically necessary when authorization is reviewed.
Insurance authorizations are typically reviewed every 3–6 months, often around six months. During reassessment, we review your child’s progress and treatment goals and request continued authorization based on their current needs.
What are your hours?
Our general service hours are:
Monday–Friday: 7:00 AM–7:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM–4:00 PM
We can accommodate after-school schedules when possible, but these time slots can be more difficult to staff and may have longer wait times.
The more consistent your child’s schedule is, the easier it is for us to find and maintain a therapist. A schedule that allows for services Monday through Friday, for example, is generally easier to staff than a schedule that only includes a few days each week.
We understand that every family’s schedule is different, and we will work with you to find a schedule that fits your needs. However, when possible, we encourage families to provide a consistent schedule from week to week. This gives us more flexibility when matching your child with a therapist and can help reduce wait times.
Saturday sessions may also be available and can sometimes be used as make-up sessions.
Will my child have the same therapist every day?
This depends on your child’s schedule and the number of hours recommended. Longer schedules may be divided between two therapists, while shorter schedules may typically have one primary therapist.
We strive for consistency and high therapist retention. We also do our best to have additional team members who are familiar with your child’s programming available when a therapist is unexpectedly absent. However, because we provide services in homes, schools, and community settings rather than in a clinic, backup staffing can sometimes be more challenging.
How can my child benefit from in-home ABA? Can they still work on skills like socialization?
Home-based ABA can be especially valuable because your child is learning skills in the environment where they actually need to use them.
Social skills, communication, independence, daily living skills, and tolerance can all be taught in a familiar environment before practicing those skills in the community.
For example, we may first break a social skill into smaller foundational skills and practice them with caregivers and therapists. Once your child has developed those skills, we can practice them in real-world settings and during community outings.
What does it mean that you are a Christian-owned company?
We are a Christian-owned company, but we do not require our employees or families to be Christian or ask employees about their religious beliefs.
Our ownership is guided by Christian values, particularly the teachings of Jesus about loving and serving others, treating people with compassion, and caring for one another. We strive to reflect those values in the way we serve our families, support our staff, and interact with our community.
The owner also regularly prays for our staff and the families we serve.
Are there behaviors that are too severe for your team to treat?
Every case is evaluated individually. We consider the behavior, its severity, and the experience of our clinical team. We match each child with a BCBA and RBT who have the appropriate experience and competency to safely and effectively support their specific needs.
If additional expertise or support is needed, we will discuss that with your family.