ABA Therapy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Delaware Valley has many ABA providers — center-based and in-home — across Philadelphia and the collar counties (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery). Access depends heavily on your funding pathway.

For families on Medical Assistance (Medicaid). ABA is delivered through Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS), the program that replaced BHRS/wraparound in 2021. You access IBHS — which includes ABA as a distinct service — through Philadelphia's HealthChoices behavioral health managed care (Community Behavioral Health, CBH, is Philadelphia's behavioral-health managed-care organization). A written order from a qualifying licensed professional starts the process.

For families with private insurance. Pennsylvania's Act 62 requires many state-regulated plans to cover ABA for individuals under 21, subject to an annual dollar cap (originally $36,000, indexed over time). Self-funded employer (ERISA) plans are exempt from Act 62, so check your Summary Plan Description. Some families combine private insurance with Medical Assistance (often via the PH-95 pathway) to cover what Act 62 caps.

Where providers operate. Most ABA providers serve specific parts of the metro; services are delivered in clinics, homes, schools, or community settings depending on the provider's model. Both center-based and in-home approaches are available.

Wait times for assessment and intake vary by provider and funding pathway — commonly a few weeks to several months.