When your child starts ABA therapy, you expect the plan to reflect who they are, not just their diagnosis, but their strengths, challenges, and how they learn best. So, it’s understandably unsettling when the therapy plan feels more like a template than a personalized strategy.
At Inner Circle Autism Network, we believe every child deserves a treatment plan built for them, not copied about them. Here’s why that matters.
The Problem with Cookie-Cutter Goals
One mom we spoke with shared her frustration after receiving her child’s initial ABA plan at another clinic. Her 6-year-old, who is nonverbal and just starting to engage with his environment, was assigned a goal to “greet peers verbally.” No context. No accommodations. No consideration for where he was starting from.
Unfortunately, her experience isn’t uncommon. Some providers use recycled goal banks, filling in the blanks based on age or diagnosis rather than tailoring the plan to the actual child in front of them. It’s easier and faster, but it misses the point of ABA therapy entirely.
What the Research Says
Personalization isn’t just a preference. It’s a best practice.
Individualized programming is a key component of effective ABA. We believe that tailoring treatment to the child’s unique developmental profile leads to stronger outcomes in communication, behavior, and daily living skills.
That means when goals are chosen based on what’s clinically appropriate, what matters to the family, and where the child is developmentally, the resulting therapy is personal and beneficial.
How Individualized Plans Are Built at Inner Circle
At Inner Circle Autism Network, we never start with a goal bank. We start with the child.
Before therapy even begins, our Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) spend time getting to know your child — not just through assessment tools, but through real observation and listening to your concerns in a parent meeting. Then, they build a plan that reflects that understanding.
“We make sure that we always listen to the parent first to make sure that we are doing something that is going to be meaningful to the client’s life. We don’t want to just add something that checks off a list. We want to add something that’s going to be individualized to the client because that’s going to make the difference.” Regional Support Specialist Ruben Rios, BCBA.
For a nonverbal child, that might mean working first on joint attention or functional communication (like using a speech device or gestures), not vocal greetings right off the bat. For a child who has a hard time with transitions, we might focus on flexible routines before tackling peer interaction. Everything is based on progressions that fit your child’s learning style.
And we don’t do this alone. Caregivers are a core part of the planning team. We ask what matters most to you: Do you want your child to dress themselves? Make a friend? Sit through dinner? That feedback shapes the goals we set and how we approach them.
What It Looks Like in Action
Here’s the difference it makes:
- Instead of generic goals like “ask for help using full sentences,” your child might work on “pointing to a help icon on their tablet during snack time.”
- Instead of “complete a 5-step task independently,” we might start with “follow 1-step directions during play with preferred toys.”
- These may seem like small shifts, but they make the difference between therapy that fits and therapy that fails.
Because Your Child Deserves More Than a Template
At Inner Circle Autism Network, we believe your child deserves a care plan as unique as they are. We build it with you. We revise it as they grow. And we make sure it works in real life, not just on paper.
Ready to get started with ABA that fits your child?