My Child Was Recommended Both ABA and Special Education. Do We Need Both, and Where Do We Start?
Receiving an evaluation report that recommends both ABA therapy and special education can leave parents wondering whether their child really needs both.
You may be thinking:
"Are these two therapies doing the same thing?"
"Do we need to choose one first?"
"Will my child have to attend too many sessions?"
These are reasonable questions. ABA and special education can address different areas of a child's development, learning and everyday functioning. When both are recommended, the goal does not have to be doing two versions of the same intervention.
The right combination depends on your child's individual needs, goals and current skills.
What Is the Difference Between ABA and Special Education?
The simplest way to understand the distinction is to look at their primary focus.
ABA therapy can focus on learning, behaviour and skill development. Depending on the child's individual goals, this may include communication-related behaviours, following instructions, developing functional skills, reducing barriers to learning or building greater independence.
Special education focuses more specifically on learning and educational development. It can help children build foundational academic, functional and classroom-related skills in a way that is adapted to their current abilities.
There can be some overlap because both services may involve teaching skills.
However, the goals and teaching context can be different.
That is why an evaluation report may recommend both.
Why Would a Child Need Both?
Imagine a child who has difficulty following instructions, managing certain behaviours and participating in structured learning activities.
ABA may be relevant for specific learning or behavioural goals that affect participation.
At the same time, a special educator may work on foundational learning, academic concepts, classroom skills or individualized educational goals.
These areas can support each other without being identical.
The important question is not:
"Which therapy is better?"
It is:
"What does my child need to work on, and which professional is best placed to address each goal?"
Does "Both" Mean Therapy Every Day?
Not necessarily.
One of the biggest concerns parents have after seeing multiple recommendations is imagining an overwhelming weekly schedule.
A recommendation for both services does not automatically mean that every child needs the same number of sessions or the same timetable.
At INDC, the practical plan should be based on the child's individual needs, priorities and goals.
For example, one child may need more structured support in one area initially, while another may benefit from both services as part of a coordinated weekly plan.
The schedule should be realistic for the child and family.
How Can ABA and Special Education Work Together?
Coordination is important when more than one professional is involved.
Suppose ABA sessions are working on following instructions and completing everyday learning routines.
A special educator may then build on those skills within structured learning activities.
Rather than each professional working in isolation, the team can consider how the different goals fit together.
Parents can ask:
What is each service working on?
Which goals belong to ABA?
Which goals belong to special education?
Are any goals being duplicated?
How will progress be reviewed?
What should we practise at home?
How will information be shared between professionals?
These questions can make a multi-service plan much easier to understand.
How Do You Decide What Comes First?
There is no universal sequence that applies to every autistic child.
The starting point should depend on the child's current needs.
For example, if a child has significant barriers to participating in learning, the team may first prioritize skills that make structured learning more accessible.
Another child may already have strong participation skills but require targeted academic or functional learning support.
This is why parents should be cautious about copying another child's therapy schedule.
A therapy plan should be individualized rather than based on how many sessions another child attends.
What Should Parents Ask the Clinical Team?
If your report recommends both ABA and special education, take the report to the professionals involved and ask them to explain the recommendations in practical terms.
Useful questions include:
What is the main goal of each service?
Ask for specific examples rather than broad statements such as "development" or "improvement."
Are the goals different or overlapping?
Some skills may naturally connect across services, but parents should understand who is responsible for which goals.
What should we prioritize first?
If your family cannot manage every recommendation simultaneously, ask the team how priorities can be sequenced.
How will progress be reviewed?
A good plan should not remain unchanged simply because it was written in an initial report.
Your child's needs can change as skills develop.
Is the Therapy Plan Permanent?
No.
An individualized therapy plan should be viewed as a living plan.
As your child develops new skills, some goals may become less important while other areas may need greater attention.
For example, a skill that was a major priority six months ago may no longer require the same level of support.
This is why regular progress reviews matter.
Parents should feel comfortable asking:
"What has changed since the last review, and what should we focus on next?"
What About School?
Special education planning can also be relevant to your child's regular school environment.
If your child attends school, parents can ask how learning goals can connect with classroom expectations.
Where appropriate, professionals can also discuss relevant information with the school so that the child receives more consistent support.
The aim is not to create separate worlds where therapy happens in one place and learning happens somewhere completely different.
Where possible, useful skills should carry into everyday environments.
What If We Are Already Feeling Overwhelmed?
You do not have to make every decision at once.
Start by understanding why both services were recommended.
Then identify the most important goals, discuss how the services can complement each other and create a schedule your family can realistically maintain.
It is also completely reasonable to ask the clinical team to explain anything in the report that you do not understand.
You are not expected to become an expert in ABA or special education overnight.
There Isn't One Correct Combination for Every Child
If your child's report recommends both ABA and special education, that does not necessarily mean something has gone wrong or that your child needs an excessive number of therapies.
It may simply mean that your child has needs across more than one area.
ABA and special education can have different roles, and a coordinated plan can help prevent unnecessary duplication while keeping the child's goals at the centre.
At Inclusive Neuro Development Centre, parents can discuss their child's recommendations, understand the role of different services and work with the clinical team to develop an individualized support plan.
If your child's report recommends both ABA and special education, don't feel pressured to choose blindly. Ask what each service is addressing, how the goals fit together and what should be prioritized for your child.