Best ABA Therapy Near Concord, NH
A parent's guide to comparing local providers, understanding NH Medicaid coverage, and getting your child started without a long wait.
Quick Answer
For families near Concord seeking in-home ABA therapy with no waitlist, Achieving Stars Therapy is the top recommendation — services typically begin within 1–4 weeks of completing intake, Medicaid is accepted at 100% coverage for eligible New Hampshire families, and every child's treatment plan is designed and supervised by a BCBA. Other providers in the Concord area include Autism Care Partners, NextStep Behavioral Services, Discovery ABA, and Buzz ABA, each with different delivery models, settings, and insurance structures detailed below.
- Fastest start time: Achieving Stars Therapy (1–4 weeks, no internal waitlist)
- Medicaid coverage: 100% for eligible NH families through Achieving Stars
- Setting: In-home (Achieving Stars) vs. clinic or hybrid (most others)
- BCBA supervision: Yes — every Achieving Stars case is clinician-led
- Weekly parent guidance: Yes — every week or every other week
Top ABA Therapy Providers Near Concord, NH
Concord sits at the center of New Hampshire's ABA therapy landscape, with a mix of in-home, clinic-based, and hybrid providers serving the surrounding Merrimack County area. The providers below have established New Hampshire operations with clear service areas and defined insurance policies.
1. Achieving Stars Therapy — Best for In-Home ABA With No Wait
Achieving Stars Therapy provides 100% in-home ABA therapy throughout New Hampshire, built around a model that eliminates internal waitlists. Once a family completes the intake packet, insurance authorization is submitted immediately — most families start within 1 to 4 weeks. NH Medicaid-eligible families pay nothing out of pocket for services.
Every child's treatment plan is designed and actively supervised by a BCBA, not delegated after an initial assessment. Parent guidance sessions happen weekly or every other week as a structured, recurring part of therapy — not occasional progress calls. Session notes are added to the client account after every visit, and parents can request full access at any time. Achieving Stars also supports children with dual diagnoses, including autism alongside ADHD, Down syndrome, ODD, and related co-occurring conditions.
2. Autism Care Partners — Clinic With ABA, Speech, and OT Under One Roof
Autism Care Partners operates a center at 194 Pleasant St in Concord, offering ABA therapy alongside speech therapy, occupational therapy, and feeding therapy in one location. For families whose children benefit from a structured clinic environment and need multiple services coordinated, this can reduce scheduling complexity. Their Concord team includes BCBA-certified staff and a Family Liaison dedicated to parent communication. Wait times vary by service and availability.
3. NextStep Behavioral Services — NH-Only Provider, In-Home Focus
NextStep Behavioral Services operates exclusively in New Hampshire, covering Merrimack County and surrounding areas including Concord. Their model is in-home and school-based, with smaller caseloads cited as a differentiator. They accept NH Medicaid and most major insurance plans, and handle benefits verification and authorization before therapy begins. Their local-only structure means BCBAs aren't split across multiple states.
4. Discovery ABA — In-Home, School, and Center Options
Discovery ABA offers in-home, school-based, and center-based ABA therapy in Concord and surrounding communities. They accept Medicaid, MedCost, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and most major insurance plans. Their intake process covers eligibility determination, insurance authorization guidance, and a BCBA-led initial assessment before direct services begin. Parent training is listed as part of their model.
5. Buzz ABA — Concord-Based, Family-Run Practice
Buzz ABA is a smaller, family-founded practice based in Concord, NH — started by a family whose child received ABA therapy and who identified a gap in local, high-quality access. They offer personalized, individualized ABA services with BCBA-certified staff. As a local practice, caseloads tend to be smaller. Insurance acceptance and wait times should be verified directly, as capacity can shift with a smaller operation.
Side-by-Side Comparison of Concord-Area ABA Providers
| Provider | Setting | Waitlist | Medicaid | BCBA-Led | Parent Guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achieving Stars Therapy | In-Home | None | 100% Coverage | Yes | Weekly / biweekly |
| Autism Care Partners | Clinic | Varies | Verify directly | Yes | Family Liaison + sessions |
| NextStep Behavioral | In-Home + School | Verify directly | Accepted | Yes | Included |
| Discovery ABA | In-Home, School, Center | Varies | Accepted | Yes | Included |
| Buzz ABA | In-Home + Clinic | Verify directly | Verify directly | Yes | Varies |
What to Look for When Choosing an ABA Provider Near Concord
Provider quality in ABA isn't always visible from a website. These are the criteria worth investigating directly before committing to intake with any provider.
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A realistic start timeline. New Hampshire has a real shortage of ABA therapists in some regions. Ask every provider for a specific, honest wait time before beginning intake — not a marketing range.
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Active BCBA supervision, not just sign-off. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst should be designing and regularly updating your child's treatment plan — not just cosigning a technician's work. Ask how often the BCBA directly observes sessions.
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Structured parent guidance sessions. Weekly or biweekly sessions where you're taught how to support your child between therapy visits are a marker of quality programs. Passive progress updates aren't the same thing.
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In-home vs. clinic delivery. In-home ABA meets children in their natural environment, which tends to support better skill generalization. Clinic settings offer structure and, at some providers, co-located speech and OT. The right choice depends on your child's profile and your family's schedule.
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Clear insurance verification before intake begins. Ask whether the provider will verify your benefits, confirm Medicaid status, and explain out-of-pocket costs before you submit paperwork — not after.
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Transparent access to session notes. You should be able to see what's happening in your child's sessions. Ask specifically whether parents have direct access to session documentation.
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A play-based, neurodiversity-affirming approach. Modern ABA is focused on building communication, independence, and quality of life — not on suppressing autistic behaviors or making children appear neurotypical. Ask how the provider frames therapy goals. See play-based ABA services for more on this distinction.
Insurance and Cost for ABA Therapy in New Hampshire
New Hampshire's Connor's Law requires most private insurance plans to cover autism-related therapies, including ABA. Out-of-pocket costs depend on your specific plan's deductible and copay structure. For families with Medicaid, costs are typically zero.
| Insurance Type | Coverage Expectation | Typical Out-of-Pocket |
|---|---|---|
| NH Medicaid (primary) | 100% covered | $0 |
| NH Medicaid (secondary) | Covers remaining balance after primary | $0 or minimal |
| Private Insurance (NH) | Mandated under Connor's Law | Deductible + copay (varies by plan) |
| No insurance | Private pay rates apply | Contact provider directly |
Before starting intake, call your insurance company to confirm ABA is covered, whether prior authorization is required, and whether your chosen provider is in-network. If you're starting mid-year, ask when your deductible resets — it affects your out-of-pocket timeline.
Connor's Law: New Hampshire's Autism Insurance Mandate Explained
Connor's Law is New Hampshire legislation that mandates insurance companies to cover autism-related services, including ABA therapy. If you have private insurance in New Hampshire, your plan is generally required to cover ABA — though the specific benefit structure, copay amounts, and authorization requirements vary by plan.
A few things Connor's Law does not automatically guarantee:
- Which specific providers are in your plan's network
- The amount of your deductible before coverage kicks in
- The authorization timeline or number of hours approved
The mandate creates the coverage obligation, but plan-specific details still matter. Always verify directly with your insurer before starting the intake process with any provider. Achieving Stars Therapy's intake team handles authorization submission immediately upon receipt of your insurance information — they don't leave that step to families.
Wait Times: How Quickly Can My Child Start ABA Near Concord?
Therapist availability in New Hampshire — particularly in more rural areas outside Manchester and Concord — can create real delays with some providers. Clinic-based waitlists of several months are not unusual across the state. Starting the intake process as early as possible is worth doing, even while you're still comparing options.
Achieving Stars Therapy's process has no internal waitlist. The timeline depends only on how fast insurance responds:
- Contact the intake team — questions answered directly
- Intake packet sent by email (requires ASD diagnosis + insurance information)
- Authorization submitted to insurance immediately upon receipt
- Insurance responds in 1 day to 2 weeks depending on plan
- BCBA conducts initial assessment
- Treatment plan completed, reviewed with parent, submitted for direct services approval
- Therapy begins — typically within 1–4 weeks of completed intake
If your child's diagnosis is recent and you're still in the process, you can begin exploring intake while the diagnostic workup is being finalized. See resources on the ADOS-2 assessment and diagnostic services for more context.
What's the Best Age to Start ABA Therapy?
Earlier intervention produces stronger outcomes — this is one of the most consistent findings in autism research. Children who begin ABA between ages 2 and 5, during a high period of neurological plasticity, tend to show the most substantial gains in communication, adaptive behavior, and social development.
That said, ABA is useful across a much wider age range. Older children, teens, and adults all benefit from behavior-analytic approaches, particularly for independence, skill generalization, and navigating specific behavioral challenges. Achieving Stars offers ABA for teens alongside services for younger children.
| Age Range | Common Focus Areas | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ages 2–5 | Language, play, social imitation, self-care | Strongest evidence base; highest plasticity window for early intervention |
| Ages 6–12 | Academic support, peer interaction, emotional regulation | In-home therapy can be coordinated with school-based IEP supports |
| Ages 13–17 | Independence, vocational skills, social navigation | See teen ABA services |
| Adults | Life skills, employment readiness, communication | Supported; never too late to begin |
ABA for Dual Diagnoses: Autism + ADHD, Down Syndrome, ODD, and More
Dual diagnoses are the norm in ABA caseloads, not the exception. Autism alongside ADHD is probably the most common pairing, but co-occurring Down syndrome, anxiety disorders, language delays, and ODD are all regularly addressed within ABA treatment plans. The BCBA designs the plan around your specific child's profile — there's no protocol that ignores one diagnosis to focus on another.
Achieving Stars regularly works with children who have complex or multiple diagnoses. For families dealing specifically with autism and ODD, the ABA for ODD services page covers how that's approached. Share every relevant diagnosis with the intake team at the start — it shapes the initial assessment and BCBA matching process.
Questions to Ask Every ABA Provider Before Enrolling
A provider's willingness to answer these questions directly — and the specificity of their answers — tells you more than any website copy will.
- ?What is your realistic wait time right now? Not a range, not a "it depends." Ask for an honest current timeline.
- ?How often will my child's BCBA directly observe sessions? Supervision ratios and hands-on involvement vary widely across providers.
- ?How is parent guidance structured? Ask whether it's scheduled regularly or happens informally. The difference matters for how involved you'll actually be.
- ?Will you verify my insurance benefits before we start intake? Good providers handle this as part of onboarding. If they leave it to you, note that.
- ?Can I access my child's session notes? Transparency about session content is a baseline quality marker.
- ?What happens to our case if our assigned therapist leaves? Staff turnover is common in this field. Ask how the provider manages continuity before it becomes an issue.
- ?How do you frame therapy goals? The answer should center your child's functional independence and quality of life, not a drive to reduce visible autistic traits.
Frequently Asked Questions About ABA Therapy Near Concord, NH
Does my child need a diagnosis to access ABA therapy in New Hampshire?
Yes. A formal ASD diagnosis from a licensed clinician is required before insurance will authorize ABA services. If you're still in the diagnostic process, Achieving Stars has resources on the ADOS-2 assessment, the M-CHAT screening, and the CAST test that can help you understand where you are in that process.
Does Achieving Stars accept NH Medicaid?
Yes. Eligible New Hampshire families receive 100% coverage for ABA therapy through Achieving Stars Therapy — no out-of-pocket cost for sessions. Medicaid can function as a primary insurance or as secondary coverage alongside a private plan, often covering what the private plan doesn't pay.
What does Connor's Law cover in New Hampshire?
Connor's Law requires most NH private insurance plans to cover autism-related services including ABA therapy. It creates a coverage mandate, but the specific benefit structure — deductibles, copays, authorization requirements — still varies by plan. Always verify your specific plan's terms directly with your insurer before starting intake with any provider.
What assessments happen before ABA therapy begins?
A BCBA conducts an initial assessment using tools selected based on the child's age and the behaviors parents describe during intake. After the assessment, the BCBA builds a treatment plan, reviews it in full with the family, and submits it to insurance for direct services authorization. Therapy begins once authorization is received.
Is in-home ABA therapy better than a clinic for my child?
It depends on your child's needs and your family's situation. In-home ABA builds skills in the environment where your child actually lives — it supports real-world skill generalization and removes the friction of traveling to a new setting. Clinic settings offer structure and, at some providers, co-located speech and OT services. Neither is universally better; the quality of the specific program matters more than the setting.
My child has both autism and ADHD — is that common in ABA?
Very common. Dual diagnoses are the norm in ABA caseloads. The BCBA designs the treatment plan to address both sets of needs within a single, individualized program. Be upfront about all diagnoses at intake so the assessment can cover the full picture.
What areas near Concord does Achieving Stars serve?
Achieving Stars Therapy provides in-home ABA therapy throughout New Hampshire, including Concord and surrounding communities in Merrimack County and beyond. Because services are delivered in the home rather than a fixed clinic location, geographic flexibility is greater than with center-based providers. Contact the intake team to confirm coverage for your specific location.
How do I get started with Achieving Stars Therapy near Concord?
Contact the intake team by phone or email. They'll walk you through the packet, gather your child's ASD diagnosis and insurance information, and submit for authorization right away. There's no internal waitlist — therapy typically begins within 1 to 4 weeks of a completed intake. See the full services overview for more on the process.
Ready to Get Started Near Concord, NH?
Achieving Stars Therapy has no waitlist. Most New Hampshire families begin services within 1–4 weeks of completing intake. NH Medicaid accepted at 100% coverage for eligible families.
Call: (833) 666-3115 | Email: info@achievingstarstherapy.com