In-home ABA therapy across Wake County

Why Wake County families choose therapy at home

Wake County is the state capital’s home and one of the fastest-growing places in North Carolina, and that growth shows up on the roads. Getting a child to a clinic several times a week, around school, work and other kids’ activities, can take over a family’s week. With in-home ABA, the therapist comes to your house in Raleigh, Cary, Holly Springs or wherever you live in the county.

Therapy starts with an assessment by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Your BCBA watches how your child communicates, plays and handles daily routines, listens to what you want help with, and writes an individualized plan. A Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) then works one on one with your child at home, following that plan.

Home is where the skills get used. A request for a snack, a tough transition from screens to dinner, brushing teeth before bed: these are the moments your child’s RBT can teach in, with you watching and joining in. Your BCBA supervises regularly, reviews data on your child’s progress, and trains you so the same approach carries through the rest of the day.

Hours are set per child. The range we usually see is 10 to 25 a week, shaped by your child’s needs and your insurance authorization, and we map out the schedule with you around school, daycare and work.

Towns we serve in Wake County

Our Triangle team provides in-home ABA therapy throughout Wake County, including:

• Raleigh
• Cary
• Apex
• Holly Springs
• Wake Forest
• Knightdale
• Garner

Wake County is big, and each part of it has its own rhythm. Inside the Beltline, families are close to everything but deal with city traffic. Out in Apex, Holly Springs and Cary, newer neighborhoods keep filling up with young families. Wake Forest to the north and Knightdale and Garner to the east each have their own commute patterns into Raleigh. What they have in common is that a weekday drive across the county at 4pm rarely goes quickly. In-home therapy means the only one dealing with that traffic is our RBT, not you and a tired child in the back seat. It also means sessions can happen at the time of day your child is at their best, instead of whenever a clinic has an open slot.

Raleigh’s free state museums downtown, Pullen Park’s carousel and train, and Marbles Kids Museum are staples for local families. They’re also loud, busy places. If outings like these are hard for your child, your BCBA can build up to them in small steps, starting with practice at home.

Live in another part of the county? Call (984) 224-0007 and we’ll check whether we can come to your home.

Alliance Health, Medicaid and insurance in Wake 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 Wake 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.

For children on a Medicaid Tailored Plan, Wake County’s plan is run by Alliance Health, which also covers Durham, Orange and Johnston counties. Empire ABA accepts Alliance, the NC Medicaid Standard Plans and commercial insurance.

Many Wake County families have coverage through an employer. Commercial plans vary a lot in what they cover for ABA, so we check before anything starts.

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 Wake County

1. Call or fill out the form. Tell our Triangle 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 Wake County care team

Every child we serve in Wake County has a BCBA who writes and oversees the treatment plan and an RBT who delivers sessions one on one. Your BCBA meets with you for parent training and updates goals as your child grows. Our office team keeps scheduling and insurance moving in the background.

We practice neurodiversity-affirming ABA. That means no forced eye contact and no stopping harmless stimming. Instead, we focus on the skills your family has told us matter.

WCPSS, pediatricians and referrals

The Wake County Public School System is the largest school district in North Carolina, and it runs both traditional and year-round calendars. In-home sessions can follow your child’s calendar, including track-out weeks. When school-based support is approved, we coordinate with your child’s teachers and IEP team.

An autism diagnosis is normally the first thing an insurer asks for. Once a pediatrician or developmental specialist in Wake County has recommended ABA, their office can refer your child to us directly, by email to info@empireaba.com or by fax to (910) 807-3380. Still on a waitlist for an evaluation? Call us now rather than later, so you know what your plan needs when the diagnosis comes through.

Medicaid Tailored Plan

Alliance Health

Public schools

Wake County Public School System

Main health system

UNC Health and Duke Health

Questions from Wake County families