ABA Therapy in Des Moines, Iowa

In the Des Moines metro, ABA is accessed through several funding pathways — and Iowa has one distinctive option many families miss.

Iowa Medicaid (IA Health Link). Iowa Medicaid covers ABA for eligible children diagnosed with autism. For families who qualify for Medicaid, this is the primary pathway. Iowa Medicaid is delivered through managed care (IA Health Link).

The Autism Support Program — Iowa's distinctive gap-filler. This is the one many families don't know about. Iowa's Autism Support Program (ASP) provides state funding for ABA for children under 14 who don't qualify for Medicaid AND don't have ABA coverage through private insurance, for families with household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty level. Given that Des Moines has a large insurance and financial services employer base — and many large employers use self-funded ERISA plans that aren't subject to Iowa's autism insurance mandate — ASP can be the difference between accessing ABA and not. If your employer plan doesn't cover ABA, check ASP eligibility.

Private insurance. State-regulated health plans in Iowa are required to cover ABA. Self-funded ERISA employer plans are not subject to the state mandate and may differ — check your Summary Plan Description.

Des Moines-area ABA providers. ChildServe, headquartered in Johnston, provides ABA among its range of pediatric services — and its integrated model (ABA, speech, OT under one organization) appeals to families who want coordinated care. A number of other private ABA providers, including regional and national agencies, operate across the Des Moines metro. Provider capacity is constrained relative to demand; most providers maintain waitlists.

Wait times. ABA provider waitlists in the Des Moines metro vary by provider. Getting on multiple waitlists improves your timeline. The fast-growing western suburbs (West Des Moines, Waukee, Ankeny) have seen demand grow quickly.