Dr. Chanti Fritzsching Waters, Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs at ABS Kids, shares her personal experience in researching and providing tailored ABA therapy for autistic children.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a therapy grounded in decades of research and is used to help children with autism build meaningful skills and reduce barriers to learning. One of the most discussed topics in ABA is treatment intensity, or how many hours per week of therapy a child receives.
The goal of ABA is not to “maximize hours”—it’s to maximize outcomes. Early intervention can help children gain skills that improve their independence, safety, communication, and ability to participate fully in school, home, and community life.
A Personal Look Back
When I first began working with children with autism in the 1990s, I witnessed firsthand the power of ABA therapy. I saw children begin to speak for the first time, others learn to communicate using pictures, and families who once avoided public places attend community events together with confidence. Many children I worked with were later integrated into school classrooms, and over the years, I’ve received updates from families celebrating graduations from high school—and even college.
After more than 30 years in this field and participation in early intervention research, one thing has remained constant: high-quality, individualized treatment can make a life-changing difference.
Industry Standards of Care
The Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP), a national organization dedicated to advancing quality autism care, published the ABA Practice Guidelines (Version 3.0) to “inform decision-making regarding the use of ABA as a medically necessary, efficacious, and cost-effective treatment to develop, maintain, or restore, to the maximum practicable extent, the functioning of individuals with ASD” (CASP, 2024). These ABA Practice Guidelines explain the key components of ABA services and are meant to help families, providers, insurance companies, and others understand how quality care should be delivered. Included in these guidelines are two ABA program types: focused and comprehensive.
Two Models of ABA Treatment
At ABS Kids, we offer two primary models of care designed to meet the individual needs of every child with ASD:
- Focused ABA Treatment
- This model targets a limited number of goals, often related to safety, communication, or reducing harmful behavior.
- Typically ranges from 15 to 25 hours per week.
- Best suited for children who have specific needs in a few areas, or who have already made progress in more intensive programs.
- Comprehensive ABA Treatment
- This model addresses multiple areas of development—communication, social skills, play, self-care, and behavior—at the same time.
- Often recommended for young children who are newly diagnosed or those with more significant support needs.
- Typically ranges from 25 to 40 hours per week and may include Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI).
We recommend a treatment intensity and ABA program model to best meet each child and family’s priorities for growth and development.
What Do We Mean by “Treatment Intensity”?
The foundation for ABA treatment services for individuals with autism was significantly shaped by a landmark study by Dr. Ivar Lovaas (1987). This research demonstrated that young children who received 35–40 hours of structured, one-to-one ABA services per week made significant gains in areas such as IQ, language, and daily living skills. Nearly half of the children in that study reached developmental levels comparable to their same-aged peers. This seminal work helped establish intensive ABA as a leading evidence-based approach to autism treatment, and its findings have since been supported and replicated by numerous studies published in the last few years. Meanwhile, many strides have been made to increase access to care for autistic children across the country.
But in recent years, some have begun to ask: Are 35-40 hours of ABA services per week still necessary for every child?
The answer is: it depends on the child’s unique needs.
Why Intensity Matters—Especially Early On
While ABA services are not a “one-size-fits-all model,” many young children with a new autism diagnosis benefit from a Comprehensive ABA program. This evidence-based approach reflects what we know about how quickly the brain develops in early childhood. Research shows that this is when children are most able to learn and build new connections, and when intensive intervention has the greatest impact.
CASP recently published a white paper by Dr. Sigmund Eldevik and colleagues that emphasizes the critical role of treatment intensity in improving outcomes for children with autism. This latest research examines how varying levels of treatment intensity affect cognitive abilities, daily living skills, and the likelihood of placement in general education settings following intervention.
Figure 1. Impact of ABA intensity on gains in children’s cognitive function and everyday skills (CASP, 2025).
Figure 2. Children who receive ABA require less support in general education after treatment (CASP, 2025).To read more about this research, I recommend reviewing the Evidence About ABA Treatment for Young Children with Autism: The Impact of Treatment Intensity on Outcomes (CASP, 2025).
While the data demonstrate a clear relationship between the number of treatment hours per week and positive outcomes, it’s important to recognize that effective ABA services must be tailored to the unique needs of each child. Treatment intensity should be determined through a comprehensive assessment, which guides the development of individualized recommendations based on the child’s strengths, challenges, and goals.
How Treatment Recommendations are Made
Before beginning services, a comprehensive assessment is completed by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). This process includes:
- Interviews with caregivers to understand the child’s daily life, strengths, and areas where support is needed.
- Standardized questionnaires and direct assessments of behavior and skills.
- Observation of the child in one or more environments.
- Review of previous evaluations, services, and outcomes.
The BCBA uses all of this information gathered through the ABA assessment to recommend either a Focused or Comprehensive ABA model and a personalized treatment plan to fit your child’s unique strengths and needs.
Common Questions from Families about ABA Intensity
Our Commitment at ABS Kids
At ABS Kids, we believe that ABA services should be customized to each child’s specific needs and that high-quality ABA treatment can be life changing. Our commitment is to provide personalized, evidence-based treatment that reflects the latest research, follows industry guidelines, and is designed to help each child thrive.
We’re here to partner with families, ensuring that every child can build meaningful skills and reach their fullest potential.
If you’re interested in an autism diagnosis, the MCHAT screener is now available on our website. This free online tool can screen for the likelihood of autism in your child and can help guide your next steps if a diagnosis is needed.
Written by Chanti Fritzsching Waters, EdD, BCBA-D, Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs, ABS Kids
