What Happens While You're Waiting to Start ABA Therapy? A Caregiver Checklist for Kansas and New Hampshire

‍Key Points:

• An ABA therapy waitlist may mean a family is waiting for assessment, insurance authorization, scheduling, staffing, or another intake step. 
• Caregivers can keep contact and insurance details current, provide requested records, and document availability. 
• A clear follow-up date helps families track what comes next.

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Finding out that your child is on an ABA therapy waitlist can leave you unsure about what comes next. You don’t need to start behavioral techniques on your own while you wait. Focus on keeping intake information current, responding to record requests, confirming insurance details, and writing down the schedule your family can maintain.

At Aluma Care, we help caregivers in Kansas and New Hampshire identify the current intake step and understand what our team still needs. This checklist covers the most useful administrative steps to take while you wait.

What an ABA Therapy Waitlist May Mean in Kansas and New Hampshire

An ABA therapy waitlist can describe several stages of intake. Your family may be waiting for an assessment appointment, insurance authorization, staffing availability, or another administrative step.

One study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders surveyed 376 caregivers who had received ABA services. Caregivers reported long waitlists and limited provider availability as barriers to accessing services.

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board's 2026 employment-demand report found that BCBA and BCBA-D job postings rose 63% in New Hampshire and 12% in Kansas from 2024 to 2025. These figures show active workforce demand, but they don’t predict a family's wait time.

Caregiver Checklist While Waiting for ABA Therapy

These steps can help you keep information current while waiting for ABA therapy. Take note, however, that they do not replace ABA services.

1. Check Which Intake Step Is Still Open

Instead of asking, "Where are we on the list?" ask the intake team for the exact current step.

Useful questions include:

• Does the intake team still need any forms, records, or diagnostic information?
• Are we waiting for insurance authorization, an assessment, scheduling, or staffing?
• Does our family need to complete anything before the next update?
• Who should we contact if our phone number, email, insurance, or schedule changes?

Our intake team reviews each child's needs, checks insurance information, and explains the evaluation process.

2. Keep Your Phone, Email, and Insurance Information Current

Updated contact information helps the intake team reach you about records, scheduling, or insurance.

Keep these details up-to-date:

• Primary caregiver phone number
• Current email address
• Home address and city
• Insurance carrier or plan changes
• Preferred contact method
• Changes in family availability

Aluma Care's intake form asks for basic contact, location, and insurance information. Kansas caregivers may have Medicaid coverage through KanCare, while New Hampshire caregivers may use New Hampshire Medicaid. Our intake team can tell you which details apply.

3. Gather Only the Records the Intake Team Requests

Ask the intake team which records apply to the next step instead of gathering every document your child has received.

Requested information may include:

• A diagnostic evaluation
• An order or referral when insurance requires one
• Current insurance information
• Previous evaluations specifically requested by intake
• Other payer-required documents

New Hampshire Medicaid’s April 14, 2026 ABA authorization notice lists a treatment plan, supporting documentation, a qualifying diagnostic evaluation, and a signed order or referral among required materials. Kansas caregivers can review the Kansas Medicaid State Plan and contact their child’s KanCare plan to confirm which records and authorizations are required. 

Our team can explain which records apply.

4. Write Down the Schedule Your Family Can Consistently Keep

Provider availability and family availability both affect scheduling. Accurate information helps the intake team understand which hours your household can maintain.

Write down:

• Days that can work for sessions
• Practical start and end times
• Regular appointments or commitments
• Work schedules that affect caregiver availability
• Upcoming schedule changes

Share the hours your household can consistently support with our intake team. Openings for ABA therapy in Kansas and New Hampshire can differ based on location and staffing. 

5. Ask When You Should Check Back

Ask for a specific follow-up date so you know when to contact intake again.

You can ask:

• When should we expect the next update?
• Which contact method should we use?
• Should we contact you if we have not heard back by that date?
• Which changes should we report before then?

How to Check Your ABA Therapy Waitlist Status

A short question usually works best when checking your ABA therapy waitlist status:

"Can you tell me which intake step we're waiting on and whether you need any additional information from me?"

The question gives the intake team a chance to identify missing information.

Can Caregiver Coaching Start While You Wait for ABA Therapy?

Caregivers can contact our intake team or their assigned BCBA, if they already have one, to ask whether caregiver coaching can begin before direct treatment starts. For example, coaching may be available while we hire a behavioral technician (BT) or registered behavior technician (RBT) for the child’s sessions.

Early coaching can help caregivers learn strategies and support initial skill development with the BCBA’s guidance. This option is not available for every family or at every intake stage. Our team can confirm whether it is available and explain any requirements before coaching begins.

Questions to discuss include:

• Can caregiver coaching begin while we wait for direct treatment?
• Which evaluation or insurance requirements must we complete first?
• Who would provide coaching, and how often would we meet?
• Which initial skills could we support at home with guidance?
• How should we share questions or changes we notice at home?

Caregiver coaching gives families a chance to learn with professional support while they wait. It does not replace the child’s planned direct treatment.

What Not to Do While Waiting for ABA Therapy

The waiting period does not require you to take over clinical responsibilities. The BCBA needs assessment information before setting goals and strategies.

While you wait:

• Do not create your own ABA program.
• Do not copy behavioral techniques from social media.
• Do not predict future skill-based targets.
• Do not change major routines because you think it will speed up intake.

Contact Aluma Care to ask about current availability, requested intake records, insurance information, or your next intake step. Our team can review what you have already provided and tell you what still needs attention.

A Simple Way to Keep Your Waiting Information in One Place

One phone note, document, or folder can keep intake details easy to find.

Your list can include:

• Provider and intake contact name
• Date of your most recent contact
• Current intake stage
• Records still requested
• Insurance information
• Family availability
• Next follow-up date
• Questions for the intake team or BCBA

A Michigan needs-assessment study found that 72.9% of 48 caregivers pursuing or planning ABA reported a waitlist. Among them, 51.4% reported multiple waitlists. The Michigan findings do not represent Kansas or New Hampshire, but they show why families may benefit from tracking names, dates, and requests. 

FAQs About the ABA Therapy Waitlist

Can I ask about current availability before finishing every intake step?

Yes. You can ask about current availability even when another intake step remains open. Our team can tell you what your family still needs to complete for ABA therapy in Kansas or ABA therapy in New Hampshire. 

Does joining an ABA therapy waiting list guarantee my child's start date?

No. Joining an ABA therapy waiting list does not guarantee a specific start date. Provider availability, family scheduling, assessment steps, required records, and insurance authorization can affect when services begin.

Do I need to buy toys or therapy materials while waiting for ABA therapy?

No. You don’t need to buy a standard set of therapy materials while waiting. Your BCBA can tell you what items or activities to prepare once your family reaches that stage.

Confirm Your Next ABA Intake Step 

An ABA therapy waitlist may involve assessment, insurance authorization, scheduling, or staffing. Keeping contact details current, supplying requested records, sharing your availability, and setting a follow-up date can help you understand what remains before services begin.

Our intake team supports caregivers in Kansas and New Hampshire with questions about availability, records, and next steps. Contact our team to review your child’s current intake stage and whether caregiver coaching may be available while you wait. Kansas caregivers can call +1 913-232-2003, and New Hampshire caregivers can call +1 603-903-1003.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: Content was written by an outsourced marketing team and reviewed by Aluma Care’s clinical leadership for accuracy and service alignment. It is for educational purposes and does not replace individualized medical or clinical advice.