Take a Breath

Receiving an autism diagnosis can bring up a wide range of emotions.

Some parents feel relief because they finally have answers. Others feel overwhelmed by the amount of information they are suddenly expected to understand. Many feel both at the same time.

If your child was recently diagnosed with autism, it is important to know that you do not need to figure everything out today.

There is no perfect roadmap, and there is no single "right" way to support an autistic child.

The most important thing is to take the next step, not every step at once.

What Does an Autism Diagnosis Mean?

An autism diagnosis provides information about how your child experiences and interacts with the world.

Every autistic child is different.

Some children have significant communication challenges. Others communicate well but struggle socially. Some need substantial support, while others need only occasional accommodations.

A diagnosis does not tell you what your child's future will look like.

It simply helps identify strengths, challenges, and supports that may help your child thrive.

What Should We Do First?

Many parents leave the diagnostic appointment wondering what they are supposed to do next.

While every child is different, common next steps may include:

• Learning more about autism

• Talking with your pediatrician

• Exploring available services and supports

• Scheduling an ABA evaluation if recommended

• Scheduling speech therapy and occupational therapy evaluations if recommended

• Learning about insurance coverage and funding options 

• Connecting with local support resources

• Building a team of professionals who can support your child

Families who have questions about insurance coverage, deductibles, copays, grants, scholarships, and other funding resources may find our Insurance & Funding resource page helpful.

If your child is young, you may also hear recommendations to explore early intervention services. Early intervention generally refers to services provided during the first few years of life, when many foundational communication, play, social, and learning skills are developing.

You do not have to do everything immediately.

Many families find it helpful to focus on one step at a time.

What Services Does My Child Need?

This is one of the most common questions parents ask after an autism diagnosis.

The answer depends on your child's individual strengths, challenges, and goals.

Some children benefit from:

• ABA therapy

• Speech therapy

• Occupational therapy

• Feeding therapy

• Social skills support

• Educational supports

• Parent coaching

If your child is school-aged, you may also want to explore our School & Learning Support resource page, which discusses IEPs, accommodations, sensory challenges, after-school meltdowns, and other common school-related concerns.

Not every child needs every service.

The goal is not to fill your child's schedule with therapy. The goal is to identify supports that help them communicate, learn, participate, and build independence.

Am I Behind?

Many parents worry they should have noticed signs sooner or started services earlier.

The reality is that most families make decisions based on the information they have at the time.

Whether your child was diagnosed at age two, five, ten, or older, the best time to start learning about available supports is now.

Progress is not determined by how quickly a diagnosis is received. It is influenced by finding the right supports, building strong relationships, and helping your child develop skills in ways that work for them.

Frequently Asked Questions:
What should I do immediately after an autism diagnosis?

• Start by learning about available supports and services in your area. Many families begin by speaking with their pediatrician, exploring therapy options, and learning more about their child's individual needs.

• If you're not sure where to start, a conversation with Aspen ABA can help. Our team can answer questions about available services, explain insurance and funding options, help families identify potential grant resources, and connect parents with trusted providers for services such as speech therapy and occupational therapy when appropriate.

• You do not need to have everything figured out before reaching out for support.

Does my child need ABA therapy?

• Every child is different, and the right services depend on their individual strengths, challenges, and goals.

• ABA therapy is often recommended for autistic children who need support with communication, play skills, social interaction, emotional regulation, daily living skills, flexibility, learning readiness, or reducing barriers that interfere with participation in everyday life.

• A quality ABA program should be individualized to the child and focused on meaningful skills that improve quality of life for both the child and family. An ABA evaluation can help determine whether ABA may be beneficial and what goals would be most appropriate.

Should my child receive speech therapy and occupational therapy?

• Many autistic children benefit from speech therapy, occupational therapy, or both. Evaluations can help determine which services may be appropriate based on your child's individual strengths, challenges, and goals.

• When multiple services are involved, collaboration between providers is important. At Aspen ABA, we regularly coordinate with speech therapists, occupational therapists, physicians, educators, and other members of a child's support team to help ensure everyone is working toward shared goals and supporting the child's progress in a consistent way.

• A coordinated approach often helps children generalize skills more effectively across home, school, therapy, and community settings.

Is my child going to be okay?

• This is one of the most common questions parents ask after receiving an autism diagnosis.

• While no one can predict exactly what the future will look like for any child, an autism diagnosis does not determine how happy, successful, or fulfilled a person's life will be.

• Many autistic individuals grow up to build meaningful relationships, pursue their interests, contribute to their communities, and live lives that reflect their own goals and strengths.

• Right now, the most important thing is not trying to predict the future. It is getting to know your child, understanding their unique needs, and building the supports that will help them learn, grow, and thrive over time.

How soon should services begin?

• Earlier support can be beneficial, but there is no point at which it becomes "too late" to help a child learn, grow, and develop new skills. 

You Don't Have to Figure Everything Out Alone

One of the most overwhelming parts of an autism diagnosis is feeling like you need to become an expert overnight.

You don't.

The reality is that most families learn one step at a time. Building a support team, understanding available services, and finding the right fit for your child is a process—not something that happens in a single appointment.

If your child was recently diagnosed with autism and you're unsure where to start, Aspen ABA can help.

Our team works with families throughout Utah and Wyoming to answer questions, explain available services, discuss insurance and funding options, and help parents understand what next steps may make sense for their child. Depending on your child's age and needs, that may include early intervention ABA services, school-age ABA services, or educational options such as our Homeschool/ABA Hybrid Program. Families who are concerned about school anxiety, school refusal, or whether a traditional school setting is still the right fit may also find our Alternative Education & School Refusal resource page helpful.

To learn more, complete our inquiry form and a member of our team will reach out to discuss your child's needs and answer your questions. You can also call to speak directly with an expert intake coordinator who has helped many families just like yours. 

"Everyone Keeps Telling Me to Start Early"

One of the first things many parents hear after an autism diagnosis is:

"The earlier you start, the better."

While that message is often well-intentioned, it can also feel overwhelming.

Parents may wonder:

• What exactly is early intervention?

• Why is it so important?

• Is my child already behind?

• How do I know what services my child needs?

The good news is that early intervention is not about rushing your child or trying to "fix" autism. It is about providing support during a time when many important communication, social, play, and learning skills are developing.

What Is Early Intervention?

Early intervention refers to services and supports provided to young children who may benefit from additional help developing important skills.

For autistic children, early intervention often focuses on areas such as:

• Communication

• Potty training

• Play skills

• Social interaction

• Joint attention

• Following directions

• Daily living skills

• Emotional regulation

• Learning readiness

Services may include ABA therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, parent coaching, or a combination of supports depending on the child's needs.

Every child is different, and early intervention plans should be individualized.

Why Is Early Intervention Recommended?

Young children learn and develop rapidly during the first few years of life.

Early intervention takes advantage of natural learning opportunities that occur throughout everyday activities such as:

• Playing with toys

• Reading books

• Eating meals

• Going to the park

• Spending time with family

• Participating in daily routines

Rather than waiting for challenges to become larger barriers, early intervention helps children build foundational skills that support future learning, communication, independence, and participation in everyday life.

What Skills Are Typically Addressed?

Many parents are surprised to learn that early intervention is often much more play-based than they expected.

Goals may include helping a child:

• Communicate wants and needs

• Respond to their name

• Engage in back-and-forth interactions

• Develop play skills

• Build attention and engagement

• Follow simple directions

• Learn daily routines

• Tolerate new experiences

• Increase flexibility

• Participate in family and community activities

• Learning to go potty on their own

The focus is not simply on teaching isolated skills. It is on helping children participate more fully in their world.

What Does ABA Therapy Actually Look Like?

One of the biggest misconceptions about ABA therapy is that it looks the same for every child.

In reality, therapy should be individualized based on a child's strengths, needs, interests, and goals.

For example, imagine a young child who loves Goldfish crackers but is not yet using words to communicate.

During lunch, the therapist might begin by teaching the child to point to the Goldfish crackers when they want them.

Once the child consistently points, the therapist may begin encouraging any vocal sound along with the point. The goal is not perfect speech—the goal is helping the child learn that making a sound can help them communicate what they want.

Over time, the therapist may shape those sounds into something more recognizable. A child might start by saying "ish" for Goldfish. Later, they may learn to say "fish." Eventually, those sounds may develop into the full word "Goldfish."

What looks like a simple request for a snack is actually an opportunity to build communication skills that can later be used to request help, ask questions, express preferences, and connect with other people.

For another child, therapy might focus on learning through play, participating in daily routines, tolerating new experiences, developing friendships, or increasing independence.

The goals are different for every learner, but the focus remains the same: helping children develop meaningful skills that improve their ability to participate in everyday life.

Is My Child Too Young for ABA Therapy?

Many parents worry that their child is too young for services.

In reality, ABA therapy is commonly recommended for toddlers and preschool-aged children when autism-related challenges are impacting communication, learning, play, or daily life.

Quality early intervention ABA should be individualized, developmentally appropriate, and focused on meaningful skills that improve quality of life for the child and family.

For young children, this often means learning through play, natural interactions, and everyday activities rather than sitting at a table completing tasks.

What Does Early Intervention Look Like at Aspen ABA?

Aspen ABA provides in-home early intervention ABA services for young children throughout Utah and Wyoming.

Our approach is:

• Neurodivergent-affirming

• Assent-based

• Play-focused

• Family-centered

• Individualized to each child

We focus on helping children build meaningful skills in the environments where they live, play, and learn.

Goals may include communication, play skills, emotional regulation, social engagement, daily routines, independence, and reducing barriers that interfere with participation in everyday life.

Because services are provided in the child's natural environment, families are able to be actively involved in the learning process.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does every autistic child need early intervention?

• Every child is different, and no single service is right for every learner.

• However, many autistic children benefit from early intervention because it focuses on building foundational skills during an important period of development. Depending on the child, this may include communication, play skills, social engagement, emotional regulation, learning readiness, daily living skills, or increasing participation in family and community activities.

• An evaluation can help determine whether early intervention services may be beneficial and identify goals that are meaningful for your child and family.

Does early intervention mean my child will be in therapy all day?

• Not necessarily. Recommendations vary based on each child's needs. The goal is to provide the right level of support while allowing children to continue learning, playing, and participating in family life.

Can ABA therapy help with potty training?

• Yes. Potty training is one of the many daily living skills that may be addressed through ABA therapy when it is a meaningful goal for the child and family.

• For some children, potty training challenges may be related to communication difficulties, difficulty recognizing body signals, anxiety about the bathroom, sensory sensitivities, challenges with transitions, or simply not yet understanding the steps involved.

• ABA therapy can help break potty training into smaller, achievable steps and provide individualized support based on the child's unique needs. Goals may include communicating the need to use the bathroom, tolerating sitting on the toilet, completing parts of the toileting routine independently, handwashing, and building consistency across environments.

• Every child develops at their own pace, and potty training plans should be individualized to the child and family.

Is it ever too late to start services?

• No. Children, teens, and adults can continue learning and developing new skills throughout their lives. However, many families choose to pursue early intervention because it provides support during an important period of development.

Can ABA therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy work together?

• Absolutely. Many children benefit from multiple services, and collaboration between providers can help create a more coordinated and effective support plan.

• At Aspen ABA, we regularly coordinate with speech therapists, occupational therapists, physicians, educators, and other members of a child's support team to help ensure everyone is working toward shared goals and supporting the child's progress in a consistent way.

• A coordinated approach often helps children generalize skills more effectively across home, school, therapy, and community settings.

Small Steps Can Lead to Big Changes

Early intervention is not about changing who a child is.

It is about helping children build the communication, play, social, and daily living skills that allow them to participate more fully in the activities that matter to them and their families.

As children enter the school years, families often begin exploring topics such as IEPs, accommodations, school anxiety, after-school meltdowns, and educational options. Our School & Learning Support and Alternative Education & School Refusal resource pages provide additional information on these topics.

If your child was recently diagnosed with autism, Aspen ABA can help you understand whether early intervention services may be a good fit. Complete our inquiry form to learn more about available services in Utah and Wyoming. 

If you prefer, you can also call our Utah or Wyoming office directly to speak with our experienced Intake Coordinator. Our team can answer questions, explain available services, discuss insurance and funding options, and help you determine what next steps may make sense for your child and family. 

There Is No Single Autism Journey

One of the most common misconceptions about an autism diagnosis is that it provides a roadmap for the future.

In reality, autism looks different for every child.

Some children are diagnosed as toddlers. Others are diagnosed later in childhood or even as teenagers.

Some children are speaking fluently. Others communicate using gestures, AAC devices, sign language, vocal approximations, or a combination of methods.

Some need significant support. Others need only occasional accommodations.

While every family's journey is unique, there are often common questions and milestones that many parents encounter along the way.

The First Few Weeks

For many families, the first few weeks after diagnosis feel overwhelming.

Parents often find themselves learning new terminology, researching services, speaking with insurance companies, scheduling evaluations, and trying to make sense of conflicting information online.

It is common to feel like there is an enormous amount to learn.

The good news is that you do not need to become an expert overnight.

Most families move forward one step at a time, learning and adjusting as they go.

Building a Support Team

As families begin exploring services, they often build a team of professionals who can help support their child.

Depending on a child's needs, this may include:

• ABA therapy

• Speech therapy

• Occupational therapy

• Medical providers

• Educators

• Support groups

• Community resources

At first, all of these options can feel overwhelming. Many parents worry about making the "right" decisions or feel pressure to pursue every recommendation they receive. 

In reality, most families build their support team gradually over time. As they learn more about their child's strengths, challenges, and goals, they gain a clearer understanding of which services and supports are likely to be the most helpful.

As Your Child Grows, Their Needs May Change

One of the most important things parents learn is that support needs often evolve over time.

A toddler may initially need help building communication, play, and daily living skills.

As children enter school, new challenges sometimes emerge. Increasing academic demands, more complex social expectations, sensory demands, transitions, and the pace of the school day can create new barriers for some learners. A school-age child may need support with emotional regulation, friendships, independence, flexibility, learning readiness, managing overwhelm, or navigating school-related challenges. Some children may also begin experiencing anxiety, behavioral challenges, frequent after-school meltdowns, or school refusal. Families who are navigating school-related challenges may also find our resources on School & Learning Support and Alternative Education & School Refusal helpful.

A teenager may face entirely different challenges related to self-advocacy, social relationships, executive functioning, employment, or preparing for adulthood.

The diagnosis itself may remain the same, but the goals often change as children grow.

Early Intervention Is Only One Part of the Journey

When children are diagnosed young, many families begin by exploring early intervention services.

Early intervention focuses on helping children develop foundational skills such as communication, social engagement, play, emotional regulation, and participation in everyday activities. Learn more about early intervention services in the article above, "Why Do So Many People Recommend Early Intervention?"

For many families, these services provide an important starting point. 

But autism support does not end when a child enters kindergarten.

As children grow, new opportunities and challenges often emerge.

What Happens When Traditional School Is Not the Right Fit?

For some children, traditional school is a great fit.

With appropriate supports and accommodations, many autistic learners thrive in public, private, charter, or other educational settings.

For others, however, school may become a significant source of stress.

Families sometimes begin noticing:

• Increasing anxiety about school

• Frequent after-school meltdowns

• Sensory overwhelm

• Burnout and exhaustion

• Difficulty keeping up with the demands of the school day

• School refusal

• Behavioral challenges related to school

When this happens, families often begin exploring whether a different educational approach may better meet their child's needs.

Exploring Different Educational Paths

There is no single educational setting that works for every learner.

Some families pursue additional school supports and accommodations.

Others explore private schools, microschools, homeschooling, virtual learning, or hybrid educational models. Learn more in our Alternative Education & School Refusal resource guide.

The goal is not to find a "perfect" school.

The goal is to find an environment where a child can access learning, build confidence, develop skills, and maintain their well-being.

Why We Created the Homeschool Hybrid ABA Program

Over the years, we met many families whose children were capable learners but were struggling in traditional educational environments.

Some were experiencing school anxiety, burnout, sensory overwhelm, or school refusal.

Others were spending so much energy getting through the school day that there was very little left for family activities, friendships, hobbies, or simply being a child.

Many were also trying to balance a full school schedule with ABA therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and other services after school.

Our Homeschool Hybrid ABA Program was created to provide another option.

The program combines individualized academic instruction with ABA support during the school day, allowing learners to build meaningful skills while reducing some of the barriers that can make learning difficult.

For many families, this approach also creates more time for rest, family activities, community involvement, and personal interests outside of therapy.

Every Child's Path Will Look Different

It can be tempting to compare your child's journey to someone else's.

Try not to.

Progress is not a race, and there is no single path that every autistic child should follow.

The most effective supports are the ones that align with your child's strengths, needs, interests, and goals.

What works well for one child may not be the best fit for another.

Focus on the Next Step, Not the Entire Journey

One of the most helpful things parents can remember after an autism diagnosis is that you do not need to solve everything at once.

The goal is not to map out the next ten years.

The goal is to identify the next step that will help your child thrive.

For some families, that next step may be an ABA evaluation.

For others, it may be speech therapy, occupational therapy, school supports, early intervention services, or exploring alternative educational options.

If you're unsure where to start, Aspen ABA can help. Our team works with families throughout Utah and Wyoming to answer questions, explain available services, discuss funding options, and help parents understand what next steps may make sense for their child and family.

Complete our inquiry form or call our Utah or Wyoming office to speak with an experienced Intake Coordinator and learn more about available services and supports.