ABA and autism therapy providers in Colorado, by county
Every provider on the state's Medicaid list that serves your county: at home, in a center, ages, Health First Colorado.
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Resource guide for Colorado families
Four statewide guides, each with a table for every county on this site, and a list of the words the agencies use. For one county in one place, start from the county pages.
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Early Intervention in Colorado: who to call before age 3
The Early Intervention agency for each county, how to refer, what happens at the evaluation and after age 3.
Health First Colorado for a child with autism
What Colorado's Medicaid covers for behavioral therapy, how to apply, the children's waiver, and the case management agency for your county.
School and special education in Colorado
Child Find by district, how evaluations and IEPs work, and how districts handle outside therapy during the school day.
Words you will meet
Every term the agencies use, spelled out, with the guide that explains it.
- ABA
- Applied behavior analysis, a behavioral therapy for autism. Health First Colorado covers it for children when medically necessary. Providers
- BCBA
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst: the graduate-level certified analyst who plans and supervises ABA. Providers
- RBT
- Registered Behavior Technician: delivers ABA sessions under a BCBA's close supervision. Providers
- EI
- Early Intervention: free evaluation and services for children from birth to 3 with a developmental delay. Early Intervention
- IFSP
- Individualized Family Service Plan: the Early Intervention plan, built on your family's priorities. Early Intervention
- CCB
- Community centered board: a local agency for developmental disabilities. Many run Early Intervention. Early Intervention
- CMA
- Case management agency: the county's door to Medicaid waivers such as CES. Health First Colorado
- CES
- Children's Extensive Support waiver: extra Medicaid services for children under 18 with a developmental disability and high support needs. Health First Colorado
- HCBS
- Home and Community Based Services: the Medicaid waivers a case management agency helps with. Health First Colorado
- EPSDT
- Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment: the Medicaid benefit for members 20 and under that covers behavioral therapy. Health First Colorado
- PAR
- Prior Authorization Request: what the therapy provider sends the state before treatment starts. Approvals last up to six months. Health First Colorado
- RAE
- Regional organization (Regional Accountable Entity): coordinates Health First Colorado care in one of four regions. Health First Colorado
- HCPF
- Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing: runs Health First Colorado. Health First Colorado
- Child Find
- The free service school districts run to find and evaluate children who may need special education, from age 3. School
- IEP
- Individualized Education Program: the written special education plan for one student. School
- 504 plan
- A plan under Section 504, a civil rights law, for a student who needs supports but not specialized instruction. School
- IEE
- Independent Education Evaluation: one you can ask for if you disagree with the school's results. School
- BOCES
- Board of Cooperative Educational Services. In some areas, Child Find runs through a BOCES instead of a single district. School
- HB22-1260
- Colorado's 2022 law that makes every district adopt a policy on medically necessary treatment at school, including outside providers. School