For many parents of children on the autism spectrum, deciding when to get help can be a scary thing. Figuring out if your child will need help in the first place can be hard enough, but even once you do, you may not know exactly when it will be most useful.

We want to help parents and children by preparing everyone for whatever challenges might be in the future. Here, we’ll look into when your child should start ABA (applied behavior analysis) therapy so that you can make a more informed decision that works for you.

The Right Age Range

Every child is unique, and thus there is no perfect age that every child should be before starting ABA therapy. Perhaps the best advice we can give regarding when your child should start ABA therapy is that the earlier you enroll them, the better off you and they will be. On average, parents of children with autism spectrum disorder tend to start ABA therapy as early as 2 years old and as late as 5 years old.

Why Start Early?

For a variety of reasons, starting ABA therapy earlier will show more success for your child in the future. It doesn’t just have to do with the amount of time your child spends in therapy, as different children spend variable amounts of time in therapy. Here are some of the biggest reason to start early:

Prevents Bad Habits From Forming

Any child will learn to deal with things in their own way as they grow older. For children with autism, this can manifest in maladaptive behavior. The more time this behavior has to grow and set in, the more difficult it will be to overcome later on.

Learning Skills for the Future

A child that begins ABA therapy early on will learn plenty of new skills that they can take with them as they grow older. Younger children have an easier time picking up new things, allowing the therapy to have its greatest effects.

Fosters Better Communication

Communicating with your child is integral to their well-being, but this can be difficult if there are more years of miscommunication between the two of you. ABA therapy helps children and their parents develop communication skills that they can use to connect to each other better over time.



If you’re looking for trustworthy, center-based ABA therapy that will help both you and your child, the HANDS Center for Autism can help you out. Contact us today to find out how you can get started.