How to choose an ABA specialist or center in Armenia: 12 questions to ask
How to choose an ABA specialist in Armenia when the market of private centers is still loosely structured and independent reviews are scarce? The most reliable way to check any center, ours included, is to ask twelve identical questions before work begins. This is a practical list, not a research result: no study exists for such a topic, and we will not pretend otherwise.
Why asking yourself matters especially in Armenia
Of the Yerevan centers with open data, only ICDC names ABA among its services, and queues for in-person centers, according to publications from different years, exceed the number of places: more than 150 people were waiting for My Way in 2017, and 200 for Teach Me More in 2019. When choice is limited, the temptation to accept the first free option is strong, and that is exactly when the questions matter most. Also check qualifications: ICDC offers a course for ABA technicians, which is a different level of training from a behavior analyst. A behavior analyst's certification can be checked in the BACB registry. For a budget reference, see what ABA therapy costs.
Questions about method and program
- 1. Do they build skills in the child or work on symptoms? A good program names specific skills (asking, waiting, dressing, playing alongside) and a plan for teaching them, rather than promising to "remove" behavior.
- 2. Do they take your child's individual features into account, or are skills set from standard testing (VB-MAPP/ABLLS-R)? Assessment with a standard tool is needed, but the program should rest on what matters to your family and what the child already manages.
- 4. Do they work on everyday requests and self-care (toileting, eating, unwanted behavior)? If the program has no room for your hardest everyday problem, ask how they would handle it.
Questions about family involvement and transparency
- 3. How and when are family members taught to carry these skills into everyday life? A skill that exists only in the therapy room does not change life. Ask how much time is set aside for parent training.
- 7. Are the program and test results handed to the parent? The assessment results and the current program belong to the family: you have every right to show them to another specialist.
- 8. How often does the supervisor see the child and talk to parents, and is that paid? Agree on the frequency and format of contact in advance so questions do not pile up for weeks.
- 9. Can you attend sessions or watch them on video? Open sessions are a simple check: if parents may neither watch nor ask why not, be wary.
Questions about money and the contract
- 5. Is a refund guarantee written into the contract if there is no result? Nobody can guarantee an outcome, but the refund procedure and termination terms should be in the contract.
- 6. How often is the child's case supervised, and is it paid separately or included in the price? Supervision by the lead clinician is what keeps program quality up, and its cost is better known in advance.
- 12. If the child is ill or away, is the slot in the schedule kept free of charge? A small thing that shows attitude to the family: a child's illness should not cost you your place.
Questions about safety and ethics
- 10. Are time-outs or physical restraint used? Ask in which cases and under what protocol. Physical restraint should be an exceptional safety measure, not a working technique.
- 11. Are any punishments used on the child? Modern ABA is built on supporting desired behavior rather than punishing, and the answer here should be unambiguous.
Get the answers to the last two questions in writing: a vague "we work gently" is no substitute for specific rules. How to tell sound methods from doubtful promises we covered in myths about autism treatment. And if you are still at the assessment stage, start with which centers work in Yerevan.
How Sense Behavior helps families in Armenia
These twelve questions apply to us just as much: ask them at the first consultation and compare the answers with those of any other center. We are ready to show the program and assessment results, explain the contract terms and answer in writing. You can start with a free thirty-minute consultation.