In-home ABA therapy across Brunswick County

Therapy that comes to you, wherever you are in the county

Brunswick County is spread out. A family in Shallotte and a family in Leland can be a long drive apart, and many services sit across the river in Wilmington. For a child who needs several hours of therapy a week, a clinic schedule can mean long drives on top of school, work and everything else. In-home ABA removes the commute: your child’s therapist travels to you.

Each child’s therapy is delivered one on one by a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and planned by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Your BCBA starts with an assessment in your home, sets goals with you, and writes a plan around the skills that matter most right now, whether that’s asking for help, getting through the morning routine, waiting a turn, or staying safe near water and roads.

Because sessions happen at home, practice fits into real life. Mealtimes, bath time, play with siblings and getting out the door all become chances to learn. Your BCBA meets with you regularly to coach you on the same strategies, so progress doesn’t stop when the session ends.

Hours depend on your child’s needs and on what insurance authorizes. Most children receive between 10 and 25 hours a week, scheduled around school, daycare and family life. That flexibility helps in beach towns, where summer can change everyone’s routine.

Hurricane season is a fact of life between the Cape Fear River and the state line. When a storm is on its way and families are boarding windows or evacuating, sessions simply pause, and we pick back up once your household is settled again. Disruptions like that can unsettle a child who depends on routine, so your BCBA can also help you prepare: visual schedules for the days when power is out or school is closed, and calm, practiced steps for leaving the house in a hurry.

Towns we serve in Brunswick County

Our team provides in-home ABA therapy across Brunswick County, including:

• Leland
• Southport
• Oak Island
• Shallotte
• Boiling Spring Lakes

Each part of the county brings its own routines. Leland families are often tied to Wilmington for work and school. On Oak Island and in Southport, life follows the seasons, with busier summers and quieter winters. Around Shallotte and Boiling Spring Lakes, homes can be spread far apart. In-home ABA fits all of these, because the plan is written around your household, not a clinic’s hours.

Brunswick’s best-known spots are on the water: the Oak Island Lighthouse, Southport’s waterfront and its ferry across to Fort Fisher, and the colonial ruins at Brunswick Town. For a child who finds new places hard, a short ferry ride or an afternoon on the Southport docks is a realistic goal that we can build toward step by step.

We also serve families in Supply, Bolivia and nearby communities. Not sure whether we reach your address? Call (910) 773-1234 and we’ll tell you.

Medicaid and insurance in Brunswick County

NC Medicaid covers ABA therapy for children under 21 through EPSDT, where it is billed as Research-Based Behavioral Health Treatment (RB-BHT). In Brunswick County, that coverage comes through the Trillium Health Resources Tailored Plan or a Medicaid Standard Plan. North Carolina’s autism insurance law (SB 676) also requires many commercial health plans to cover ABA.

Brunswick County’s Medicaid Tailored Plan is run by Trillium Health Resources, which also serves New Hanover, Pender and Duplin counties. Empire ABA accepts Trillium as well as the NC Medicaid Standard Plans and commercial insurance.

If you’re not sure whether your child is on a Standard Plan or a Tailored Plan, check their Medicaid card, or let our office look it up for you when you call.

NC Medicaid plans we accept:

• Alliance Health
• AmeriHealth Caritas
• Carolina Complete Health
• Healthy Blue
• Partners Health
• Vaya Health
• WellCare
• Trillium Health Resources
• UnitedHealthcare Community Plan

Commercial insurance we accept:

• BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina
• Aetna
• Cigna Healthcare

Getting started in Brunswick County

1. Call or fill out the form. Tell our Wilmington team about your child.
2. Insurance check. We verify your benefits and submit the authorization.
3. BCBA assessment. Your Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) meets your child at home and builds an individualized plan with you.
4. Therapy begins. Your Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) starts sessions on a schedule that fits your family.

Who cares for Brunswick County families

Brunswick County families are served by our Wilmington team, which covers both sides of the Cape Fear River. You’ll have one BCBA who oversees your child’s plan and one RBT who works with your child at home, along with an office team that handles scheduling, benefits and authorizations.

Our approach is neurodiversity-affirming. We don’t force eye contact or try to stop stimming. Goals are chosen with your family and focus on communication, independence and safety.

Brunswick County Schools and local doctors

Children across the county attend Brunswick County Schools. When school-based support is approved, we coordinate with your child’s teachers and IEP team, so the strategies used at home and at school point the same way. Home sessions can also be scheduled after the school day ends.

An autism diagnosis is usually required before insurance will authorize ABA. Your pediatrician is the place to start, and if your doctor has already recommended ABA, we can take the referral directly. Doctors and care managers can send referrals to info@empireaba.com or fax them to (910) 807-3380. Still waiting on an evaluation? Call us anyway, and we’ll explain what your plan needs and help you find an evaluation.

Medicaid Tailored Plan

Trillium Health Resources

Public schools

Brunswick County Schools

Main health system

Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center

Questions from Brunswick County families