Center-Based ABA Therapy in Silver Spring, MD
No waitlist for intake. Start your child’s intake process today
Check Your Insurance Benefits
Enter your name and phone number. Our intake team will contact you within one business day to review your ABA benefits, authorization requirements, and next steps.
We use your number only to contact you about ABA services. Please don’t send medical records, diagnosis reports or Social Security numbers through this form — we’ll give you a secure way to send documents.
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Why parents call us
If any of this sounds like your day, ABA may help
Parents usually reach out when their child has an autism diagnosis and daily routines have become hard for the whole family.
- Uses few words or has difficulty communicating needs
- Needs help building daily living skills
- Has difficulty with transitions or changes in routine
- Has behaviors that interfere with daily activities
- Needs support with social interaction and play
- Needs support preparing for school routines
No runaround
What actually happens when you call
Most parents have already been bounced between waitlists and voicemails. Here’s our first call, start to finish, so you know what you’re picking up the phone for.
You tell us about your child
Age, whether there's a diagnosis yet, and what you're finding hardest right now. No forms, no script.
We look up your insurance
We review your Medicaid or commercial insurance benefits for ABA and explain the coverage information, authorization requirements, and next steps. There is no cost for the benefits check and no commitment.
You get a document checklist
We give you a clear checklist so you know which documents your insurance plan requires.
We book the BCBA assessment
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst assesses your child and recommends goals and weekly hours.
We request authorization and schedule
Once your plan approves the hours, we match your child with an RBT and agree on a schedule that fits your week.
In session
What your child works on
Every program is built from your child’s assessment. These are the areas we most often target.
Communication
Asking for what they want, requesting help, and building functional language they can actually use.
Social and play
Taking turns, joining a game, and interacting with other children in a guided setting.
Daily living
Toileting, dressing, hygiene, and mealtimes — daily routines that support greater independence at home.
Following directions
Listening, completing a task, and moving between activities with less distress.
Behavior support
Understanding why a behavior happens, then teaching a safer skill that meets the same need.
School readiness
Sitting for an activity, waiting, sharing materials and taking part in a group.
Questions
The things parents ask us first
Do you accept Maryland Medicaid?
We work with many Maryland Medicaid and commercial insurance plans. Coverage and network participation vary by plan. Contact us for a free insurance benefits check.
Does my child need an autism diagnosis first?
Most insurance plans require a qualifying autism diagnosis and supporting clinical documents before ABA can be authorized. Call us even if you’re mid-process — we’ll tell you which documents your plan will ask for.
Do you diagnose autism?
No. We provide ABA therapy but we don’t carry out diagnostic evaluations. We can explain what is usually requested at intake and what to ask your pediatrician for.
What ages do you work with?
Children ages 2 to 12 at our center in Silver Spring.
Do you offer in-home ABA therapy?
No. Our ABA services are center-based at our Silver Spring location. The structured environment is part of how the program works.
How many hours a week will my child have?
A BCBA recommends hours after the assessment, based on your child’s needs and goals. Programs commonly range from part-time to full-time schedules, and the final number also depends on what your insurance authorizes.
How soon can we start?
It depends on how quickly documents come together, assessment availability, insurance authorization and our scheduling. We can’t promise a date on the first call, but we will tell you exactly which stage you’re at and what’s holding things up.
What happens in a session?
Structured teaching and play, practice with daily routines, and communication opportunities — all tied to the goals in your child’s treatment plan. A trained RBT works one-to-one with your child, supervised by a BCBA.
Will I hear how my child is doing?
Yes. The clinical team reviews progress data and updates you. Parent training is often built into the plan so the same strategies work at home.
What should I send first?
Nothing yet. Call or request a callback, and we’ll give you a checklist based on your child’s insurance and diagnosis status. Please don’t email medical records or Social Security numbers — we’ll set up a secure way to send documents.
Talk to our intake team
One call can help you understand your insurance benefits, authorization requirements, and next steps. There’s no cost for the benefits check and no commitment.
Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–6:00 PM
Saturday by appointment
Sunday closed
Service area
Center-based ABA therapy for children ages 2–12. Shining Star Clinic does not provide autism diagnostic evaluations. Insurance coverage, authorized hours and start dates vary by plan, diagnosis, documentation and scheduling. Treatment goals and outcomes depend on each child’s assessment, attendance and individual treatment plan; results are not guaranteed. Please do not submit medical records, Social Security numbers or other sensitive information through this website.
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