In-clinic ABA therapy services give your child a predictable day in a space set up for learning.
There’s a daily schedule, a fun start with their therapist, focused time on goals, and social practice like group games and lunch with other kids. And it’s a medically indicated, insurance-funded service. Not daycare.
Alice Okamoto, a BCBA and Cardinal’s Chief of Staff, explains how Cardinal’s clinics work and answers the worry parents bring up most.
Maybe you’ve booked a clinic tour and you’re still reading up on in-home ABA therapy. Totally normal. Cardinal offers both as part of its ABA therapy services, and the right one depends on your kid, not on which one sounds better.
What usually decides it:
If a clinic is on your list, here’s what the day looks like and why it works so well for some kids.
A day of in-clinic ABA therapy at Cardinal runs on routine: your child arrives, starts with something fun alongside their therapist, works on the goals in their plan, then joins group games and lunch with other kids. Kids walk in to the same routine every day, and that’s on purpose.
The details shift with your child’s age and goals. Most days move through four parts:
That last part is hard to copy at home. Lunch with friends is therapy too. It just doesn’t look like it.
A clinic can do two things that are harder at home: therapists can set up the room so your child’s target skill keeps coming up, and they can keep out everyday distractions. We asked Alice what a clinic offers that home doesn’t. Her first answer was control over the room.
Put simply, therapists can arrange a room so the skill your child is working on keeps coming up. Some clinic rooms are even set up like a classroom, with the kind of structure you’d see in preschool classroom activities for kids with autism.
The other half of her answer was about what a clinic leaves out. At home, therapy shares the space with:
None of that means something is wrong with your home. In Alice’s words, “It’s just all very natural things that happen at home. And we’re able to limit, obviously, some of those things in the clinic.” For a child learning something brand new, every interruption is a chance to practice that gets lost.
Structure helps some children learn because a predictable day leaves more time and attention for practice. With fewer surprises and interruptions, a child gets more repetitions on each goal. Asked what all that structure gives a child, Alice didn’t hesitate: “the potential to be able to pick up new skills, maybe faster.”
A kid who knows what comes next isn’t spending the morning watching the door, so more of the day goes to learning. Alice listed what a structured clinic day adds:
Hours matter too. A National Research Council report set a recommended weekly minimum of intervention for young children with autism (National Research Council, 2001).
That’s a guideline, not a prescription. Your child’s BCBA recommends hours after an assessment, so the right number for your child may be different.
Wondering what a clinic day would look like for your child? Talk with our team and we’ll walk you through it.
No. Most children in Cardinal’s clinics still have their own one-on-one therapist for the whole session, and that therapist stays focused on your child’s goals. It’s a fair worry, since more kids in the building can sound like less time for yours. Alice’s answer is short.
A clinic adds people to your child’s day. It doesn’t take away the one-on-one ABA services at the center of every session.
Those extra people turn out to be useful. Alice pointed to “opportunities to provide generalization to other adults, more peers.” Generalization means a skill your child learned with one person shows up with other people and in other places too. In practice, that’s a skill being used:
A skill that only works with one person in one room isn’t finished yet. A clinic gives it more places to get tested.
In-clinic ABA is not daycare because every hour works toward goals in your child’s treatment plan, with data taken and progress reviewed by a BCBA. Alice is kind about this one. She gets why it can feel that way. Parents want to know their child is “in a safe environment with people that they trust.”
But, as she put it, “we are much more than daycare and babysitting.”
What makes it therapy, according to Alice:
At Cardinal, your child’s goals and progress get reviewed every six to twelve weeks. In Alice’s words, kids in the clinic “are working on really, really important things throughout their day at therapy.”
Cardinal offers in-clinic ABA therapy services in four clinics across North Carolina and Arizona, each set up for structured learning and group practice, and every child there has a BCBA guiding their plan and a therapist working with them directly. Here’s what that looks like across our locations:
Each clinic’s address is listed on our in-clinic ABA therapy page.
Thinking about a clinic for your child? Call (919) 705-0668 and we’ll help you figure out if it’s the right fit. No pressure, just answers.
Center-based ABA therapy, also called in-clinic or clinic-based ABA, is ABA delivered at a therapy center instead of at home. Your child follows a daily routine with a trained therapist, works on goals from their treatment plan, and practices social skills with peers in rooms set up for learning.
At Cardinal, your child’s goals and progress get reviewed every six to twelve weeks. The BCBA looks at the session data, updates goals your child has met, and adjusts anything that isn’t working, so the plan keeps up with your child as they grow.
Often, yes. Some kids get their therapy at the clinic while parent training happens at home. Alice told us the team stays flexible about “going in home and also working with parents in that natural environment.” What’s possible also depends on your plan and your BCBA’s recommendation.
Cardinal has ABA clinics in Cary, Clayton and Wilmington, North Carolina, and Phoenix, Arizona. If a clinic isn’t close by, in-home and community ABA is available across North Carolina, Arizona and Texas, so your child can still get care in the setting that fits your family.
Often, when ABA is medically necessary. Plans differ on what they cover, including which settings and how many hours. Cardinal can give you a quote of benefits so you know what your plan covers, and what you might owe, before your child starts.
Dr. Mike Henderson, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA
Regional Operations Director
North Carolina
Felicia Freeman
Clinic Manager
Amanda Dean, MA, BCBA, LBA
Johnston County, NC
Becky Fronheiser
Operations Director
Arizona
Matthew Wilkinson
Operations Director
Cary, NC
Matthew holds a bachelors degree from the University of Utah, Medical Degree from the Autonomous University of Guadalajara and an MBA from Western Governors University. He has worked in the pediatric field for the majority of his professional life and has a passion for helping bring the best care to children in need. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three children and day trips to the coast.
Trisha Iannotta Bieszczad, PsyD., BCBA
Triad, NC
Trisha is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with extensive expertise since 2016 in applying behavior analytic principles to improve the lives of children and adolescents. Her professional journey began with a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, emphasizing child and adolescent development. This foundation has equipped her with a deep understanding of psychological theories and practices, which she seamlessly integrates into her work as a BCBA. Outside of her professional endeavors, Trisha enjoys reading, spending time outdoors with her family & trying out new restaurants. Trisha’s dedication to both her career and personal interests reflects her commitment to continual growth and enrichment, both professionally and personally. Her multifaceted background allows her to approach each aspect of her life with a blend of expertise, enthusiasm, and a genuine appreciation for learning and exploration.
Tina Lee
Director of Finance
William Evans
Director of Outreach and Recruitment
William is a UNCW Graduate who started his professional career working in Marketing and Recruiting for a local technology company before looking for an opportunity to take those skills and help others. In his spare time he plays hockey, including annually for the North Carolina Autism Hockey Tournament, which is dedicated to the raising money and awareness for organizations helping local families with children diagnosed with autism.
Alice Okamoto, MA, BCBA, LBA
Chief of Staff
Alice has been with Cardinal for over 4 years and has worn many hats along the way! Alice has a passion for working with clients and families as a unit, supervising behavior analyst trainees, and collaborating on strategic initiatives to ensure clinical efficiencies. Alice‘s professional experience began with ABA in a school setting, and has worked in schools, homes, and clinics throughout the years while enjoying collaboration with related providers. In her free time, Alice enjoys traveling, exploring parks with her dog, Oliver, and trying new restaurants.
Darrin Miller
CEO
Darrin has dedicated his education and career to the field of behavioral health. As a licensed therapist and master’s in clinical counseling he works to create solutions that improve the lives of those impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder at a local, state, and national level. He strives to create a culture of caring and empathy while innovating solutions for improving families’ access to quality care as quickly as possible.
