Frequently Asked Questions About ABA Therapy and Autism Care

Question 1

Why do I see more than one ChoicePoint name?

Accepted Answer

ChoicePoint Autism Therapy is our clinician-owned practice in Chicago, and it's the name you'll see most across the site. You may also see ChoicePoint Toilet Training, which is Dr. Lapin's three-day toilet training intensive, available now, in-home or virtual. And in formal places like our footer and paperwork, you'll see our full legal name, ChoicePoint Behavioral Services, PLLC. Same practice, same clinician, same standard of care.

Question 2

What is ChoicePoint?

Accepted Answer

ChoicePoint Autism Therapy is a clinician-owned ABA clinic in Chicago founded by Dr. Carly Lapin. We provide full-day and half-day ABA therapy in a center-based setting designed specifically for young children with autism. Our program is built around communication, social development, independence, emotional regulation, play, and preparing children for school. We typically serve children ages 2-10 with an autism diagnosis, and we can also help guide families through the diagnostic process if needed.

Question 3

What makes ChoicePoint different?

Accepted Answer

ChoicePoint was built by Dr. Carly Lapin after years spent inside ABA clinics where clinical decisions were often made by people far removed from the children themselves. We built this clinic differently: clinician-owned, intentionally designed, and centered around how children with autism actually learn, communicate, regulate, and experience the world. Every detail, from our sensory gym to our small pod structure to the therapists caring for your child each day, reflects that philosophy.

Question 4

What services does ChoicePoint offer?

Accepted Answer

ChoicePoint offers full-day and half-day ABA therapy for young children with autism, along with toilet training consulting services led directly by Dr. Carly Lapin. Our autism therapy clinic is scheduled to open in Chicago in Fall 2026, and families are welcome to reach out now to learn more or join our contact list ahead of opening. Our toilet training services are available now.

Question 5

What levels of autism do you work with?

Accepted Answer

ChoicePoint serves children across all three levels of autism support needs through our ABA therapy program. Our half-day program is often a good fit for children with Level 1 autism (requiring support) who may benefit from focused intervention in a few key developmental areas, while our full-day comprehensive program is designed more heavily for children with Level 2 (requiring substantial support) and Level 3 autism (requiring very substantial support) as we work across multiple developmental domains throughout the day.

Question 6

Does ChoicePoint accept insurance for ABA therapy?

Accepted Answer

ChoicePoint accepts most major insurance plans for ABA therapy, including Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Aetna. Many families are surprised to learn that ABA therapy for children with an autism diagnosis is typically covered by insurance, often with minimal out-of-pocket costs. If you're not sure what your plan covers, our team can help verify your benefits and walk you through what to expect. The fastest way to get specific answers for your family is to reach out and our team will do the legwork.

Question 7

What if my child doesn't have an autism diagnosis yet?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ChoicePoint can support families at every stage of the autism journey, including before a child has a formal diagnosis. If you suspect your child may have autism but haven't yet received a diagnosis, our team can help guide you through the diagnostic process and connect you with the right resources. A formal diagnosis is required to begin ABA therapy and for insurance coverage, but the conversation can start at any point. Dr. Lapin returns every intake call personally within 1-2 business days and welcomes the harder questions families bring.

Question 8

What's the difference between half-day and full-day ABA therapy?

Accepted Answer

ChoicePoint offers both full-day and half-day ABA therapy schedules, and the right fit depends on your child's developmental needs and family situation. Full-day programming provides comprehensive support across multiple developmental areas and is often a good fit for children with Level 2 or Level 3 autism who benefit from more intensive intervention. Half-day programming is typically a good fit for children with Level 1 autism, or for families blending ABA therapy with school, recreation, or other activities. Dr. Lapin can help you determine which schedule fits your child best during a free consultation.

Question 9

How do I get started with ChoicePoint?

Accepted Answer

Getting started with ChoicePoint begins by filling out a form on the site. From there, you'll have a conversation with Dr. Carly Lapin, BCBA-D, where she'll walk you through the program, share our mission and values, and make sure ChoicePoint is the right fit for your child. From that conversation, we collect documents, schedule a tour of the clinic, and verify insurance before your child's intake. Our toilet training consulting follows a different path and does require a free 30-minute consultation upfront to determine which support option fits your family best.

Question 10

How long does ABA therapy typically last?

Accepted Answer

The length of ABA therapy varies considerably from child to child, and that's by design. Some children benefit from one to two years of intensive intervention to build foundational skills, while others continue with ABA across several years as goals evolve with their development. Research consistently shows that 20 to 40 hours per week during early childhood produces the strongest long-term outcomes, but the right plan is the one built around your specific child. At ChoicePoint, Dr. Lapin reviews progress with families on an ongoing basis and adjusts the plan as your child grows.

Question 11

How involved will I be in my child's ABA therapy?

Accepted Answer

Parent involvement is one of the most important factors in long-term ABA therapy success, and at ChoicePoint, families are partners in every part of the process. Goals are written with your family at the table, progress is reviewed with you regularly, and you'll have access to parent training so the strategies that work at the clinic also work at home. Generalization across settings is a clinical priority, not an afterthought, which means the skills your child builds in therapy show up in real life. Your role isn't to do the therapy; it's to extend it.

Question 12

Where is ChoicePoint located, and what areas do you serve?

Accepted Answer

ChoicePoint Autism Therapy is located in Chicago, with the clinic opening in Fall 2026. The clinic was intentionally designed for the needs of young children with autism, featuring a custom motor gym, calibrated lighting, sensory-aware spaces, and riverfront views from every window. While we primarily serve families across the Chicago area, our toilet training consulting program with Dr. Carly Lapin, BCBA-D, is available virtually to families anywhere in the United States.

Question 13

Who will be working with my child during ABA therapy sessions?

Accepted Answer

Your child's day-to-day therapy is delivered by Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) trained and supervised directly by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). ChoicePoint pays its RBTs well above the Chicago market because continuity of care is one of the strongest predictors of progress in ABA, and we treat retention as a clinical priority. Every program is overseen by Dr. Carly Lapin, BCBA-D, who reviews progress with families on an ongoing basis and adjusts clinical plans as your child grows.

Question 14

Can I visit or tour the clinic before enrolling my child?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and we encourage it. ChoicePoint welcomes families to tour the clinic, meet the team, and see the spaces where your child would spend their time. Visits are an important part of how families decide whether a clinic feels right, and seeing the environment in person often answers questions that no website or brochure can. Once the clinic opens in Fall 2026, families on our contact list will be invited to schedule tours ahead of intake. To get on the list or learn more before then, the next step is a free 30-minute call with Dr. Lapin.

Question 15

What's the difference between clinic-based ABA therapy and in-home ABA therapy?

Accepted Answer

Clinic-based ABA therapy and in-home ABA therapy each have a place, and the right choice depends on what your child is working on. At ChoicePoint, our center-based ABA therapy program is built around the developmental needs of young children with autism. The clinic offers a sensory gym, peer interaction inside structured small pods, a circle-time space, and a naturalistic learning environment that's hard to replicate at home. Skills built in the clinic generalize back to home through parent training and coordinated home practice. In-home ABA is more common for families needing direct support inside their daily routine, and it can be a good fit for certain clinical goals. For ChoicePoint specifically, the clinic environment is the foundation of how we deliver care.

Question 16

How will I know if my child is making progress in ABA therapy?

Accepted Answer

Progress in ABA therapy is measured by data, not impressions. Every session, your child's therapists track specific, measurable behaviors tied to the goals in their treatment plan, and that data drives the clinical decisions that follow. At ChoicePoint, families are full partners in the data, with regular progress reviews where you'll see exactly how your child is doing and where the plan is going next. If a goal isn't working, we adjust it. If something is working faster than expected, we accelerate. Transparency about clinical data is core to how we work.

Question 17

Is ABA therapy effective for older children, or just toddlers and preschoolers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. While early intervention between ages 2 and 6 produces the strongest research outcomes, ABA therapy remains effective for older children, and ChoicePoint serves children through age 10. For older children, the clinical focus often shifts toward social skills, peer relationships, navigating school environments, emotional regulation, and building independence with daily living tasks. The treatment plan is always built around where your child is now and what they need next, not a one-size-fits-all curriculum tied to age.

Question 18

Does insurance cover ABA therapy?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ABA therapy is covered by most major insurance plans as a medically necessary treatment for children with autism. ChoicePoint Autism Therapy is in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, Cigna, and Aetna. For other insurers, we apply for a single case agreement, an arrangement that lets us provide care as though we were in-network. The best way to know exactly what your plan covers is to send us a photo of your insurance card and let our billing team verify your benefits within two business days.

Question 19

Which insurance plans is ChoicePoint in-network with?

Accepted Answer

ChoicePoint Autism Therapy is in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO, Cigna, and Aetna. If your plan is with a different insurer, please don't assume that's a no. For every other carrier, we routinely apply for a single case agreement, which allows your child to receive ABA therapy at ChoicePoint as though we were in-network. The fastest way to find out where you stand is to send us a photo of your insurance card and let our team verify your benefits.

Question 20

What is a single case agreement, and how does it work?

Accepted Answer

A single case agreement (SCA) is an arrangement between an insurance company and an out-of-network provider that lets a family receive care at in-network rates. ChoicePoint routinely applies for single case agreements with insurers we're not contracted with, because the alternative is letting an administrative line decide whether a child gets services. We handle the paperwork, the negotiations, and the back-and-forth with the insurer directly. If your plan isn't one of the three we're already in-network with, this is often the path forward.

Question 21

How does ChoicePoint verify my insurance benefits?

Accepted Answer

For most families, the process is straightforward. Send us a photo of the front and back of your insurance card. Our billing team verifies your benefits within two business days, then Dr. Lapin walks you through a clear breakdown of what your plan covers for ABA therapy and what your out-of-pocket cost would be, if anything. No vague estimates, no surprises. You'll know exactly where you stand before you commit to anything.

Question 22

What if insurance doesn't fully cover ABA therapy?

Accepted Answer

When insurance doesn't cover the full cost of ABA therapy, ChoicePoint offers two paths forward. The first is a flexible payment plan, structured around what your family can actually carry month to month. The second is our dedicated grants department, which works directly with families to identify funding sources, walk through grant applications step by step, and connect families with autism-specific financial assistance programs in Illinois and nationally. ChoicePoint was built on the conviction that the price of ABA should never be the reason a child goes without it. If you're facing a gap, reach out and we'll help you find the path through.

Question 23

Does Illinois Medicaid cover ABA therapy?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Illinois Medicaid recently began covering ABA therapy, which is a real and meaningful step forward for families. However, the way the plan is currently structured places significant constraints on providers, and only a small handful of practices in Illinois are able to accept Medicaid for ABA therapy. Those few carry waitlists long enough that many families remain unable to begin services even with coverage in place. A covered service families cannot access isn't access, and ChoicePoint would rather be honest about that than let families find out the hard way.

Question 24

Does ChoicePoint accept Medicaid for ABA therapy?

Accepted Answer

ChoicePoint does not currently accept Medicaid directly, but that does not mean we can't help your family. Every year during open enrollment, Dr. Lapin and a dedicated insurance broker partner work with Medicaid families to apply for a private insurance plan through the Affordable Care Act, just for the child, not the entire household. From there, Dr. Lapin applies on your behalf for a specific Illinois grant designed to cover most of the cost of that private plan. If your child is on Medicaid and you've felt stuck, reach out and we'll walk you through it.

Question 25

Can my child keep Medicaid if we get private insurance through the ACA?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and this is the piece most families are surprised to learn. When ChoicePoint helps a Medicaid family enroll their child in a private insurance plan through the ACA, the new plan becomes the child's primary insurance and Medicaid stays in place as secondary coverage. Nothing is given up. A door is simply added. Your child keeps Medicaid for everything Medicaid covers, while gaining access to ABA therapy through the new primary plan.

Question 26

What is open enrollment, and why does it matter for ABA therapy?

Accepted Answer

Open enrollment is the annual window when families can sign up for or change health insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. In Illinois, open enrollment runs November 1st through December 15th. This is the single window each year when ChoicePoint can help a family on Medicaid enroll their child in a private insurance plan for ABA therapy. If your child is on Medicaid and you've felt stuck, please don't wait for the deadline to sneak up. Reaching out a few months before open enrollment gives Dr. Lapin time to make sure you're ready when the window opens.

Question 27

How does ChoicePoint help Medicaid families access ABA therapy?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Lapin personally guides roughly 20 to 40 families through this process every year. The work starts with a conversation about your child, your current coverage, and what you've been told so far. During open enrollment, Dr. Lapin and a dedicated insurance broker partner help you apply for a private insurance plan for your child through the ACA. Then Dr. Lapin applies on your behalf for an Illinois grant designed to cover most of the cost of that private plan. The result is a child who can begin ABA therapy immediately, with no waitlist, at a clinic the family actually chose.

Question 28

Who is qualified to diagnose autism in a child?

Accepted Answer

An autism diagnostic evaluation should be performed by a licensed child psychologist or a physician with the right credentials and training in autism diagnostics. At ChoicePoint, evaluations are provided in-house through a trusted partnership with LifeSpan Behavioral Health, founded by Dr. Matthew Harings, a licensed child and adolescent clinical psychologist. A diagnosis shapes everything that follows for your child, and it deserves to be made by someone trained and credentialed for exactly that work.

Question 29

Can a BCBA diagnose my child with autism?

Accepted Answer

No. BCBAs are not the appropriate professionals to conduct diagnostic evaluations for autism, and ethically, we shouldn't be. ChoicePoint holds itself to that line and would encourage every family to hold their providers to it too. Be cautious of ABA providers offering diagnoses performed by BCBAs. A diagnosis shapes the entire course of your child's care, and it should be made by a licensed psychologist or physician with the right training, not by a behavior analyst.

Question 30

Does ChoicePoint offer autism diagnostic evaluations?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ChoicePoint provides diagnostic evaluations in-house through a trusted partnership with LifeSpan Behavioral Health. Rather than handing families a referral list and the quiet expectation that they'll sort through it themselves, we coordinate the evaluation directly with Dr. Matthew Harings and his team. Dr. Lapin and Dr. Harings have worked alongside one another for several years, and ChoicePoint partners with LifeSpan because we trust this team to evaluate the children in our care.

Question 31

Who is LifeSpan Behavioral Health, and why does ChoicePoint partner with them?

Accepted Answer

LifeSpan Behavioral Health is the diagnostic partner ChoicePoint works with for autism evaluations, founded by Dr. Matthew Harings, a licensed child and adolescent clinical psychologist whose specialty is ADHD. That specialty matters enormously for families navigating comorbid diagnoses, where the full picture is rarely just one thing. The LifeSpan team brings genuine depth and passion to autism diagnostics, and they are compassionate, ethical, and thorough in the way these evaluations are supposed to be, but so often aren't.

Question 32

How do I schedule a diagnostic evaluation for my child?

Accepted Answer

You don't need to make the calls or untangle the logistics. Reach out to ChoicePoint and Dr. Lapin's team will schedule the evaluation for you with the LifeSpan team, start to finish, handled. Once the evaluation is complete and a diagnosis is confirmed, ChoicePoint can begin the intake process for ABA therapy, toilet training consulting, or whichever services fit your child's needs.

Question 33

What does clinician-owned really mean for my child's care?

Accepted Answer

Clinician-owned means the founder of the practice is a working clinician, not a hospital system, a private equity firm, or a corporate operator. At ChoicePoint, the founder is Dr. Carly Lapin, BCBA-D, a doctoral-level behavior analyst with over a decade of experience in autism care. Every clinical decision, every staffing call, every detail of how the clinic runs is made by someone who understands what it means for the children in our care. This is the structural difference that shapes everything else, including our in-clinic ABA therapy program and our toilet training consulting service.

Question 34

What experience does Dr. Carly Lapin have with autism and ABA?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Carly Lapin is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Doctoral level (BCBA-D), with over a decade of experience in autism research, clinical practice, and family-centered care. She has worked across some of the most respected ABA settings in the Chicago area, with specialty depth in complex cases, comorbid diagnoses, and families navigating systems that haven't worked for their child. Dr. Lapin is one of a small number of BCBA-D clinicians nationally who specializes in toilet training for children with autism, an area she runs personally through ChoicePoint's three-day toilet training intensive. To talk with her directly about your child, reach out through our contact page.

Question 35

What makes ChoicePoint different from chain ABA providers in Chicago?

Accepted Answer

The biggest difference is who is making the decisions. Chain ABA clinics in Chicago are typically owned and operated by private equity firms or large corporate networks, which means caseloads, treatment timelines, and clinical scope are driven by financial targets, not by what each child actually needs. ChoicePoint is clinician-owned and clinician-led. Dr. Lapin, BCBA-D, is the founder and remains the clinical director, with direct involvement in every family's care. We pay our team above the Chicago market, we run daytime-only hours to prevent burnout, and we treat ABA as a medical practice, not a daycare. Our full programs and insurance coverage details lay out exactly how we work with families.

Question 36

What programs does ChoicePoint offer for children with autism?

Accepted Answer

ChoicePoint Autism Therapy offers two programs for children with autism in Chicago. The first is our in-clinic ABA therapy program, which provides comprehensive, individualized care across communication, social skills, school readiness, behavior, and independent living goals. The second is our toilet training consulting service, a focused three-day intensive led personally by Dr. Carly Lapin, BCBA-D, for families dealing with toilet training challenges. Both programs are clinician-owned, clinician-led, and built around the same standard of care.

Question 37

What's the difference between ABA therapy and toilet training consulting?

Accepted Answer

The two programs serve different needs. ABA therapy is a comprehensive, ongoing program for children with autism, addressing communication, social skills, school readiness, behavior reduction, and independent living skills over time. Children typically attend in-clinic for half-day or full-day sessions multiple days a week, with a full treatment team and individualized programming. Toilet training consulting is a focused three-day intensive that addresses one specific challenge: helping a child with autism learn to use the toilet independently. It's led directly by Dr. Carly Lapin, BCBA-D, and is available to families whether or not they're also enrolled in ABA therapy with us. Many families start with toilet training and stay for ABA, but the two services can also run completely separately.

Question 38

Which ChoicePoint program is right for my child?

Accepted Answer

The right program depends on what your child needs and what you're hoping to address. If your child has a recent autism diagnosis or you're looking for ongoing developmental support across multiple skill areas, ABA therapy is the broader, more comprehensive path. If your child is already in another ABA program or is mostly on track developmentally but toilet training has been a persistent challenge, our three-day toilet training intensive is built specifically for that. If you're not sure, reach out and Dr. Lapin will help you figure out which path fits your family on a free 30-minute consultation. If your child does not yet have a diagnosis, you can also start with our diagnostic evaluations page to learn how we handle that step.

Frequently Asked Questions About ABA Therapy and Autism Care

Honest Answers for Families Researching ABA in Chicago

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