Pieces of the Puzzle

Children First ABA Clinic specializes in behavioral therapy for clients diagnosed with autism, developmental delays and other special circumstances.  We do not provide play therapy, talk therapy, or mental health counseling.

No, we cannot.   Children First ABA Clinic provides ABA therapy after a client has received a medical diagnosis of autism.  At this time, Children First ABA Clinic does not have the appropriate staff to provide a diagnosis.

While our first step with any client is an assessment, this is not a diagnosing assessment.  An ABA assessment is used to investigate your child's strengths, weaknesses, and interests for the development of a treatment plan.  

Please contact your pediatrician and/or insurance company for professionals in our area that can evaluate and provide a diagnosis for your child.

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that effects behavior, socialization and communication.

The goal of ABA therapy is not to cure autism.  Rather we help children develop their individual toolkits so they may positively interact with their environment with the least amount of frustration, giving them greater potential to live a fulfilling life.

Our services are clinic based.  As autism is a disorder of social awareness and interaction, we believe therapy works best where there is a variety of individuals and situations that allow the generalization of learned behavior.  Therefore, we do not provide in-home therapy.

We are conveniently located off Interstate 64 in the Greenbrier section of Chesapeake.  We are near Kroger and Sam's Club off Battlefield Boulevard.  We serve the entire Hampton Roads area and as far west as Isle of Wight.  Our address is: 1525 Technology Drive, Chesapeake, Virginia, 23320.

Children First ABA Clinic serves children (age 2) through adults (age 21) who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and/or other developmental disabilities.

ABA therapy is not the same as physical medical appointments or even mental health counseling sessions in which you can be given the next available appointment or fit in if someone cancels an appointment.

• Each client's needs are different, therefore each client's therapy schedule is different.  ABA therapy can run from a 2-hour social group once a week to a child being seen daily for 5+ hours of ABA therapy. 

• Depending on your child's availability and the level of services needed, your child may be able to begin services immediately or it may be 12+ months until appropriate time slots are available.  

• Our Intake Team cannot provide a realistic waitlist time until we have received and reviewed your intake paperwork to get a general idea of your child's availability and what level of services your child may need.

The current estimated wait time will be discussed with you once our assessment team has reviewed your intake paperwork and has a general idea of your child's availability and what level of service your child might need.

Our normal office hours are:

1. Monday-Thursday 8:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. and Friday 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

2. We are closed on Saturday and Sunday

To keep the confidentiality of our clients and due to the availability of our staff, we ask that you do not "just stop by" to check out our facilities.  Please feel free to contact us by phone or email and we would be happy to schedule a tour of our facility at that time. 

If you are a potential new client - we welcome your interest and would love to show you our clinic!  Please contact our office manager via the email or phone number listed at the bottom of the page and we will be happy to set up an appointment for you to take a tour of the clinic and talk with our intake staff.

If you are a current client - We welcome our client’s parents and caregivers participation in sessions!  However, to protect the confidentiality of our clients and cut down on confusion during transition times, we ask that you talk with your child's therapist to determine the best way to handle your presence.

Children First ABA Clinic reserves the right to close at any time the director feels it necessary and appropriate.   If any changes are made to our regular schedule, it will be posted near the front desk, announced on Facebook and listed on our webpage at least a week ahead of the scheduled closure. 

We are generally scheduled to close for the following dates.   

• New Year’s Eve

• New Year’s Day

• Martin Luther King Day

• Memorial Day

• July 4

• Labor Day

• Veteran’s Day

• Thanksgiving (Wednesday - Friday)

• Christmas Eve

• Christmas Day

• The week between Christmas and New Year we are open by appointment only.

If there is a weather issue, we generally follow Chesapeake Public School’s decision regarding closings, at least initially.  Depending on the situation, there may be times we will reopen sooner than the school system.  Please check our Facebook page and website for any announcements prior to your child's scheduled appointment.

At Children First ABA Clinic we use a team-based approach. Each child is assigned to a therapist or a team of therapists, depending on the child's individual need.  Each child will also have a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst who oversees the treatment.  Daily data and the program goals are reviewed regularly by our Behavior Analysts and the interventions are adjusted as needed to help each child meet their individualized goals. 

With permission from the caregiver, we may consult with other service providers your child may receive services from on a case-by-case basis. 

We currently accept the following: 

• Commercial:   

o Elevance (Anthem / Healthkeepers / Blue Cross Blue Shield) 

o Sentara Health Plans

o Tricare / Humana Military

• Virginia Medicaid / Cardinal Care

o Anthem Healthkeepers +

o Straight Medicaid

o Sentara Community Plan

If you have an insurance that is not listed, we may still be able to assist you.  Please give us a call.

ABA Therapy coverage varies, not only by insurance company, but by each individual policy.  We cannot guarantee that your insurance will cover ABA therapy.   Please call your insurance to discuss your coverage.  

The following may help:

• The diagnosis code for autism is F84.0 

• The most common ABA Therapy CPT codes include 97151, 97153, 97155 and 97156.

• We do take self-pay clients.  

• We do not provide services on a sliding fee scale.  

• We would be happy to discuss our current service fees and your situation to determine if we can provide services to your family in a manner that fits your budget.

Thank you for considering us as a provider for your child's care.  Please click the button below to learn more about our intake and treatment process.