In-home ABA therapy across Mecklenburg County

Therapy at home, not across town

In a county as busy as Mecklenburg, the hardest part of therapy is often the getting there. I-77 and I-485 can turn a short trip into a long one, and an afternoon appointment across Charlotte can eat up the evening for the whole family. In-home ABA takes the commute off your plate. Your child’s therapist comes to your house or apartment, and sessions start where your child already feels settled.

Every plan is designed by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). On the first visit, the BCBA observes your child, learns what motivates them, and asks what would make home life easier: maybe fewer meltdowns at transitions, a way to ask for help, or getting through bath time without tears. Those priorities become the goals in a written treatment plan.

A Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) then works one on one with your child at home, teaching through play and through the routines that fill your day. The BCBA supervises the RBT, tracks progress against each goal, and changes the plan as your child moves forward.

Your role matters. The BCBA meets with you for regular parent coaching so the strategies keep working between sessions, on weekends and on busy school mornings. Weekly hours are individual; most children fall somewhere in the 10 to 25 range, depending on need and on your insurance authorization.

City life brings its own set of goals. For some families that means practicing elevator rides and hallway noise in an apartment building. For others it’s staying close in a crowded store, waiting in a car line, or handling a sibling’s friends coming over. Because sessions happen where these situations really occur, your child practices the exact skills they need.

Mecklenburg County towns we serve

Our Charlotte team provides in-home ABA therapy in:

• Charlotte
• Huntersville
• Cornelius
• Davidson
• Matthews
• Mint Hill

Charlotte fills most of the county, from older neighborhoods close to uptown to newer subdivisions toward the edges. North of the city, Huntersville, Cornelius and Davidson sit along Lake Norman. To the southeast, Matthews and Mint Hill have their own downtowns and plenty of young families. A drive between the lake towns and Mint Hill can take a big piece of an afternoon, which is exactly the trip in-home therapy saves you.

Charlotte families have no shortage of places to go: Discovery Place Science uptown, Freedom Park’s playgrounds and pond, and the lake towns up north. A visit to a science museum or a busy park can be a stretch for a child who finds noise and crowds hard, so we can plan and rehearse those outings as part of therapy.

Read more on our Charlotte ABA therapy page, or call (704) 981-2343 to check whether we serve your address.

Alliance Health, Medicaid and insurance in Mecklenburg 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 Mecklenburg County, that coverage comes through the Alliance Health Tailored Plan or a Medicaid Standard Plan. North Carolina’s autism insurance law (SB 676) also requires many commercial health plans to cover ABA.

In Mecklenburg County, the Medicaid Tailored Plan is run by Alliance Health. Empire ABA accepts Alliance, the NC Medicaid Standard Plans and commercial insurance from the companies listed below.

Charlotte’s large employers offer a wide range of health plans, and ABA benefits differ between them. You don’t have to decode yours before calling; our office will check it for you.

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 Mecklenburg County

1. Call or fill out the form. Tell our Charlotte 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.

Your Charlotte-area care team

Mecklenburg County families are served by our Charlotte team. Your child will have one BCBA, who leads assessment, planning, supervision and parent coaching, and one RBT, who runs sessions at home. Our office team manages the schedule and insurance.

We take a neurodiversity-affirming approach to ABA. We don’t require eye contact or try to stop stimming that does no harm, and every goal is chosen together with your family.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and referrals

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools serves families across the whole county, from Davidson to the South Carolina line. When school-based support is approved, we coordinate with your child’s teachers and IEP team so the strategies used at home match what happens at school. Home sessions can also be planned for after dismissal.

In most cases, insurance asks for an autism diagnosis before it authorizes ABA. If your pediatrician or a developmental specialist has already recommended ABA, their office can refer your child straight to us by email at info@empireaba.com or by fax to (910) 807-3380. Still waiting for an evaluation appointment? Call us in the meantime so you know what to have ready.

Medicaid Tailored Plan

Alliance Health

Public schools

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

Main health system

Atrium Health Levine Children’s

Questions from Mecklenburg County families