ABA Clinic Referral Guide

Make a Referral to our Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Clinic

At Easterseals Midwest, our ABA Clinics help children with autism build communication, social, and daily living skills through individualized ABA therapy. We work closely with pediatricians, diagnosticians, psychologists, and other providers so every child gets timely access to the care they need. When you refer to our clinic, we handle the rest.

This page explains who can make a referral, what information we need, how to submit it, and what to expect after we receive it.

Who Can Make a Referral

Anyone involved in the individual's care can start a referral, including:

• Parents and legal guardians
• Physicians and other healthcare providers
• School professionals
• Service coordinators and case managers
• Behavioral health providers
• Other community professionals

A parent or legal guardian must take part in the intake and consent process before services can begin.

Who May Be a Good Fit

Consider a referral when a child or individual has an autism diagnosis, is being evaluated for autism, or has needs that may benefit from an ABA clinical assessment.

Common reasons for referral include:

• Communication, social interaction, play, or daily living skills
• Behavior that affects safety, learning, participation, or independence
• Difficulty with transitions, routines, flexibility, or emotional regulation
• Toileting, feeding, self-care, or other adaptive skills
• Caregiver support and coaching around skills or behavior

Please note: A referral does not guarantee admission. During intake we review clinical fit, program capacity, age served, service location, funding authorization, and insurance requirements.

How to refer

1. Contact the clinic nearest you. Reach us by phone, secure email, or fax. Details are below.
2. Share basic referral information. The individual's name and date of birth, parent or guardian and contact information, reason for referral, diagnosis status, insurance or funding, and the best way to reach the family.
3. Send available records. Diagnostic, medical, educational, behavioral, and insurance records. Please use an approved secure method only.
4. Complete intake screening. We contact the parent or guardian to talk through current needs, goals, availability, location, funding, and whether we're a good fit.
5. Complete benefit and authorization review. We verify coverage and identify any prior authorization, referral order, assessment, or documentation your funding source requires.
6. Schedule next steps. If the clinic is a fit and space is available, we explain the assessment and admission process. If there's a waitlist or we're not the right fit, we share other options and resources when we can.

Referral Check-List

1. Individual: Full legal name, preferred name, date of birth, address, and primary language.
2. Parent or guardian: Name, relationship, legal decision-making status, phone, email, preferred contact method, and any communication needs.
3. Reason for referral: Main concerns, current strengths, priority goals, safety concerns, and any services already in place.
4. Diagnosis: Autism diagnostic evaluation and report, if completed, including provider name and date.
5. Medical: Relevant medical history, medications, allergies, hearing or vision information, and a provider referral or order if one is required.
6. Education and services: IEP, behavior support plan, psychological or therapy evaluations, progress reports, and relevant service plans, when available.
7. Funding: Current insurance card, policyholder information, Medicaid details, and any other funding or authorization information.

What happens next

We review your referral for completeness and contact the parent or guardian. We may ask for more information. Timing for contact and admission depends on how complete the referral is, clinical fit, staffing and capacity, funding approval, and family availability.