After an autism diagnosis, the immediate priorities are starting the ABA therapy waitlist process (which can take 3–12 months), contacting Early Intervention if your child is under 3, and verifying insurance coverage. The diagnostic report itself will include recommendations — follow them as a starting point, but a BCBA's own functional behavior assessment will ultimately drive the treatment plan. Most families find the first 90 days after diagnosis to be the most logistically intense.
What Happens After an Autism Diagnosis? The day you receive an autism diagnosis for your child, you are handed both an answer and a new set of questions. What comes next, and in what order? None of what follows happens automatically. A diagnosis opens doors, but someone has to walk through them, and that someone is you. The pathway is well-defined once you know which steps exist and which to take first. This guide explains each stage in order. What This Tells You After an autism diagnosis, the f
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