You're juggling Gage Park playdates, Kansas Children's Discovery Center memberships, and now you've got an autism diagnosis to navigate. Most Topeka ABA providers will tell you to drive across town twice a week for clinic sessions. We're not doing that.
Achieving Stars Therapy brings Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) directly to your Topeka home. Your child learns in the environment where they'll actually use these skills—your living room, the backyard, the kitchen during snack prep.
How Play-Based ABA Works in Topeka Homes
Your RBT arrives at your house. They're not showing up with flashcards and a timer. They're following your child's interests. If your kid wants to build with LEGOs and knock them down repeatedly, we're teaching patience, turn-taking, and problem-solving through that. If they're fixated on dinosaurs, we're using that to build vocabulary, social scripts, and conversation skills.
This is play-based ABA therapy—evidence-based Applied Behavior Analysis woven into activities your child already loves. Not hours of table drills. Natural learning that transfers to real situations.
Start Timeline for Topeka Families
Topeka families typically quote us 3-6 month waitlists from other providers. That's unacceptable. We built our model around fast starts. Once your intake packet is submitted and insurance approves (usually 1-2 weeks), therapy begins.
- Week 1: Insurance authorization request submitted
- Week 2-3: BCBA assessment scheduled and completed
- Week 3-4: Treatment plan created, RBT matched to your family
- Week 4: First in-home therapy session
We serve families throughout Kansas including Topeka, Wichita, Overland Park, and Olathe.
Why Topeka Parents Choose Us
BCBA-Designed Treatment Plans
Every program is created by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst for your specific child. We're members of the ABA Coalition of Kansas and follow BACB ethical standards. Your BCBA knows what triggers your child's meltdowns at Gage Park and why transitions between activities are hard.
Real Parent Guidance (Not Just Data Review)
BCBAs meet with parents weekly or biweekly for actual coaching. Not a rushed quarterly meeting where they show you graphs. Real strategies for managing behavior at home, at Lake Shawnee, during family dinners. Session notes go to your portal same-day—review them while your kid's asleep if you want.
Natural Environment Teaching
We teach skills where your child will use them. The RBT working on sharing during a board game is also preparing your child to share playground equipment at Crestview Park. Skills learned at the kitchen table transfer to preschool lunch tables.
Our clinical team includes Cassandra Mathias (M.S., BCBA, 10+ years in autism intervention) and Samantha Seidenberger (M.Ed., BCBA, dual-certified in special education). They're each managing 12-15 families, not 40. They text back when you have a question.
Kansas Medicaid & Insurance
If you have Kansas Medicaid (KanCare) through Aetna Better Health, Sunflower Health Plan, or UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, ABA therapy is covered 100%. No copays. No deductibles.
Our authorization specialists handle all paperwork. Benefits verification comes back in 24-48 hours. You're not spending your lunch break on hold with insurance companies.
Common Questions from Topeka Parents
How many hours weekly?
Depends on your child's needs and your schedule. Most families start with 10-25 hours per week. Some do morning sessions before preschool. Others schedule after-school or weekend sessions. We work around your existing therapy appointments and commitments.
Same therapist every time?
Yes. Consistency matters tremendously. We match an RBT to your family based on your child's needs and your schedule, and that person stays unless clinical needs or scheduling requires a change. Backup RBTs who already know your child cover if someone's sick.
Can you help with school readiness?
Absolutely. Many Topeka families use us to prepare for kindergarten transitions or support existing IEP goals. BCBAs can attend IEP meetings at your request, consult with Topeka USD 501 teachers, or provide in-school support if your insurance authorizes it.
What about the Kansas Autism Waiver?
The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services offers an Autism (AU) waiver that can provide additional supports. While we primarily bill through KanCare Medicaid or private insurance for ABA services, families can pursue the AU waiver for complementary services. We can coordinate with waiver case managers.
Topeka Autism Resources
Family Service & Guidance Center (FSGC) in Topeka provides autism assessments for children up to age 18 and can connect newly diagnosed families with local resources.
Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training at KU offers parent training programs and can help connect Topeka families with diagnostic services and research opportunities.
Families Together Inc. is a statewide Kansas resource providing family support at 1-800-264-6343.
If your child already participates in Shawnee County Parks + Recreation programs or visits the Kansas Children's Discovery Center, our RBTs can work on skills that help them succeed in group settings—waiting in line, following group directions, handling transitions.
Next Steps
Want to see what in-home ABA looks like in practice? Watch this video explaining how ABA therapy works in natural environments. Or browse what other parents are asking about choosing ABA providers.
Ready to Get Started?
We'll answer questions about insurance, scheduling, what the assessment looks like, and what realistic progress timelines are. No sales pitch—just information.