Neuroaffirming Autism Care | Las Vegas + Reno
Neuroaffirming ABA + Speech + Occupational Therapy + AAC — one coordinated autism team.
Your child doesn't experience communication, sensory needs, behavior, movement and everyday life in separate boxes. Their therapy shouldn't either.
At Autism & Brain Institute, Behavior Analysts, Speech-Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and diagnostic professionals work together to understand what your child is communicating, what their nervous system may need, what skills would meaningfully improve daily life, and how we can help them build greater safety, autonomy and independence.
Our goal is not to make your child appear less autistic. Our goal is to help your child communicate, advocate for themselves, participate, build meaningful skills, stay safe and thrive as themselves.
Speech and OT currently have no ABI waitlist. If clinically appropriate, your child may be able to begin Speech Therapy, AAC or Occupational Therapy while we work through the ABA intake, authorization and staffing process.
Care is delivered by autism-specialized clinicians. Individual certifications are listed on clinician profiles.
Takes about 30 seconds
Tell us three things and our intake team will call or email you with your child's real options — including services with no ABI waitlist that may be able to start sooner.
Submitting this request does not guarantee eligibility, insurance authorization, a treatment recommendation or a start date.
Two Nevada locations
Two Nevada locations. One coordinated autism-care model. Serving families in Las Vegas and Reno.
In-person neuroaffirming ABA, Speech, AAC and Occupational Therapy for families across Southern Nevada.
In-person neuroaffirming ABA, Speech, AAC and Occupational Therapy for families throughout Northern Nevada.
A different approach to autism care in Nevada
ABA shouldn't operate in a vacuum. At Autism & Brain Institute, ABA works alongside Speech-Language Pathology, AAC, Occupational Therapy, caregiver coaching and autism diagnostic services.
One of the most important differences isn't how many services we offer. It's how intentionally those services work together.
Instead of sending families across town to build their own autism team, we're building the team around the child.
See us in action
Take a short walk through our center and hear directly from our team about what makes our neuroaffirming, coordinated approach to autism care different.
A short tour of our center and our approach to coordinated autism care.
You may have heard the concerns about ABA. So have we.
Parents want effective support. But they also want to know that therapy respects their child's communication, body, sensory needs, autonomy and identity.
Autistic adults have raised important concerns about coercion, compliance-based goals and therapies designed around appearing less autistic. Those concerns deserve to be heard.
ABI's answer is not to abandon evidence-based behavioral science. It is to practice it thoughtfully, ethically and alongside the professionals who understand communication, sensory processing, motor development and participation.
We rotate through what Nevada families search and ask most about ABA, and answer each one the way our team actually practices.
How many hours of ABA per week does my child need?
Hours should come from assessment, not a template. Some children do well with focused programming a few hours a week; others need comprehensive support. We factor in school, existing therapies, family capacity and your child's tolerance.
Does insurance cover ABA therapy in Nevada?
Nevada Medicaid, Medicaid managed care plans, many commercial plans and TRICARE commonly include ABA benefits with a diagnosis and authorization. ABI verifies participation per service line and per location before we quote coverage — we never assume ABA coverage from Speech or OT participation.
What is the difference between ABA and Speech Therapy?
Speech-Language Pathologists own language, speech and AAC treatment. Behavior Analysts address behavior, learning and skill acquisition. At ABI they share one plan, so AAC taught in speech is honored and generalized in ABA instead of contradicted.
“I don't want someone teaching my child to look normal.”
ABI response
Neither do we.
The goal of therapy should not be to erase harmless autistic characteristics. We prioritize goals that meaningfully affect:
Different does not automatically mean disordered.
“I don't want compliance-based ABA.”
ABI response
We don't want obedience for obedience's sake.
Children need to learn important safety, communication and adaptive skills. But treatment should also recognize:
The question isn't simply “How do we make the child comply?” Sometimes the more useful question is: “Why is this difficult, and what support would make participation possible?”
“My child's behavior is communication.”
ABI response
Sometimes it is.
That's exactly why our Speech-Language Pathologists and Behavior Analysts collaborate. A child who cannot reliably communicate:
…may communicate those messages through behavior. The team needs to understand both the function of behavior and the child's access to communication.
“ABA didn't understand my child's sensory needs.”
ABI response
That is why Occupational Therapy is part of the ABI model.
Behavior can be influenced by:
We don't assume every behavior has one explanation. Our OT and BCBA bring different professional lenses to the same child.
“I don't want my child's stimming stopped.”
ABI response
Harmless movement is not a treatment target.
Harmless autistic movement or self-regulation should not automatically become a treatment target simply because it looks different.
If a behavior is injurious, unsafe or substantially interfering with the child's own access to meaningful activities, the team can evaluate how to support the child safely.
The goal is not cosmetic normalization.
“I don't want my child forced to make eye contact.”
ABI response
Eye contact is not a goal by default.
Eye contact should not automatically be targeted simply because neurotypical people expect it. Communication and engagement can happen in many ways.
We care far more about whether your child can understand, communicate, connect, participate and advocate for themselves.
“My child uses AAC. Will ABA take the device away?”
ABI response
No.
AAC is communication. Communication should not be treated as something a child must earn.
Our Speech-Language Pathologists lead AAC assessment and treatment while the broader care team helps the child access and use their communication system across environments.
“Why was my child automatically prescribed 40 hours?”
ABI response
We don't believe every autistic child belongs on the same schedule.
Treatment intensity should reflect the individual child. We consider:
More therapy is not automatically better therapy. The right therapy should be individualized.
“My ABA, Speech and OT providers don't talk to each other.”
ABI response
At ABI, collaboration is part of the model.
Not an occasional courtesy call.
Each clinician maintains their own professional scope and plan of care while sharing clinically relevant information and identifying overlapping priorities.
One child. One team. One coordinated direction.
“I'm on an ABA waitlist and nothing is happening.”
ABI response
Don't spend the waitlist waiting.
Qualifying ABI families can ask about beginning Speech Therapy, AAC and Occupational Therapy while we complete ABA assessment, authorization and staffing.
You can start building your child's team now.
Join the priority waitlist so our team can begin understanding your child's needs and next steps. Most families hear back within one business day.
Prefer to talk to a person? Call (702) 463-5460 · No cost, no obligation.
What neuroaffirming ABA means at ABI
We are helping them build the skills they need to navigate the world as themselves.
The ability to communicate needs, preferences and boundaries matters.
“No,” “stop,” withdrawal, distress and avoidance provide clinical information. The team should understand what is happening — not automatically overpower the communication.
We evaluate whether communication barriers are contributing to frustration, avoidance or unsafe behavior.
A child should have access to an effective method of communicating throughout their day. AAC may include:
Behavior cannot always be understood without considering sensory processing, environmental demands and regulation. That's why OT is part of the team.
Different movement isn't automatically a clinical problem.
We prioritize goals that help the child live their life. Examples:
Parents know the child beyond the clinic. Their priorities and observations matter.
Neuroaffirming treatment does NOT mean:
It means those concerns are addressed using individualized, ethical, respectful, functional intervention.
Three disciplines. Three lenses. One child.
Expertise may include:
A communication breakdown can look behavioral.
Sensory overload can look behavioral.
Pain can look behavioral.
Motor difficulty can look like refusal.
A task that is too difficult can look like avoidance.
And behavior can also be shaped by what happens before and after it.
Instead of assuming one explanation, the ABI team brings multiple professional perspectives together.
A child begins screaming, dropping to the floor and hitting when entering a busy cafeteria.
A fragmented system might create three unrelated plans.
ABA
“Reduce tantrums.”
Speech
“Request a break.”
OT
“Improve regulation.”
At ABI, the team asks a larger question: What is happening for this child?
The coordinated plan may therefore include:
Behavior makes more sense when the whole team is looking.
Interactive
Choose what you see. The same behavior can have very different explanations.
Describe the behavior in your own words. We'll walk through what could be underneath it, what a single-discipline approach often misses, and how our coordinated team would respond — with the research behind it.
ABA hours designed around your child
Historically, families have sometimes been told that autistic children automatically require very high numbers of weekly intervention hours. Current research does not support assuming that simply increasing intervention hours will automatically improve developmental outcomes.
Therefore ABI does not start with “How many hours can we schedule?” We start with “What does this child need?”
May involve shorter treatment blocks when a child has a focused set of meaningful targets. For example, a child may attend approximately 2–3 hour blocks several times per week when clinically appropriate.
Some children may participate in approximately 3–4 hour ABA blocks with separately scheduled Speech and/or Occupational Therapy incorporated into the overall weekly care schedule.
Children with significant safety, adaptive or developmental support needs may require longer or more frequent treatment.
More hours are not automatically better. Better-matched treatment is better.
Treatment schedules shown are examples only. Actual frequency, duration and services are determined through assessment, clinical recommendations, medical necessity, authorization and family circumstances. These decisions are individualized rather than automatically prescribing the maximum number of available hours.
Treatment blocks can allow skills to occur naturally across:
The goal is not to have a child sit at a table performing drills for hours. ABA can occur within natural activities that matter to the child.
Example only — your child's schedule will be individualized
8:30
Arrival + Connection
Predictable transition, preferred activities, relationship building.
9:00
Naturalistic ABA
Functional learning through play, communication and everyday routines.
10:00
Movement / Regulation / Snack
Child-specific opportunities for movement, communication and daily living.
10:30
Functional Communication + Adaptive Learning
Natural communication, self-advocacy and meaningful skill development.
11:15
Speech Therapy / AAC
Separately scheduled when clinically appropriate.
12:00
Lunch / Daily Living
Communication, independence and routines in meaningful context.
12:45
ABA / Play / Generalization
Applying skills beyond a single teaching context.
1:30
Occupational Therapy
Separately scheduled when clinically appropriate.
2:15
Generalization / Transition Home
Use communication, routines and adaptive skills across transitions.
This is an illustrative example only. Actual schedules vary substantially by child. Speech, OT and ABA remain distinct professional services and are scheduled and billed according to clinical need, authorization and payer requirements.
Join the priority waitlist so our team can begin understanding your child's needs and next steps. Most families hear back within one business day.
Prefer to talk to a person? Call (702) 463-5460 · No cost, no obligation.
AAC should not end at the speech therapy door
For a child who communicates using AAC, their communication system shouldn't be available only during a Speech Therapy appointment.
ABI's Speech-Language Pathologists lead AAC assessment and communication intervention. The broader team can then help create opportunities for the child to communicate throughout real activities.
Communication is not a reward.
Communication is a right.
Parents and caregivers are the most consistent people in a child's life.
Your child's intervention shouldn't be something mysterious happening behind clinic doors.
Families should understand:
We don't just want to hand you a progress report. We want you to understand the plan.
Caregiver education and coaching are a core component of the ABI model — not an optional add-on.
ABA services can require:
That process can take time. But your child's communication and occupational therapy needs may be able to start being addressed now.
ABI currently has no waitlist for Speech and Occupational Therapy.
If your child clinically qualifies, ask about beginning Speech Therapy, AAC and/or Occupational Therapy while we prepare their ABA services.
Choose Las Vegas or Reno and tell us about your child.
If clinically indicated, begin appropriate services without waiting for the ABA program to be completely established.
Our ABA team evaluates needs and works through the appropriate insurance authorization process.
ABA joins the child's existing ABI team. Speech. AAC. OT. ABA. Parents. One coordinated direction.
Still need an autism evaluation?
Getting an autism diagnosis can sometimes mean calling multiple offices, sitting on multiple waitlists and then starting over again when treatment is needed. ABI is building a more connected pathway.
Our in-house autism evaluation services may involve:
…depending on your child's needs.
The diagnostic team can help families understand:
Our neuropsychology and speech-language teams can work together to help families understand their child's developmental profile and determine appropriate next steps. If ABA is appropriate, your family is already connected to the team.
Request an Autism EvaluationCoverage, diagnostic requirements and eligibility vary by insurer. For Nevada Medicaid ABA access, the applicable qualifying practitioner must complete the required diagnostic certification.
ABA, Speech, AAC, OT and autism evaluation within the ABI system.
We support autistic children rather than trying to make them perform neurotypicality.
AAC and complex communication are core ABI specialties.
OT contributes expertise regarding sensory, motor, environmental and participation needs.
We don't automatically assign every child the same treatment schedule.
Caregiver priorities and coaching are built into treatment.
Access the same ABI philosophy in Las Vegas or Reno.
Care is delivered by clinicians whose professional focus includes autism and neurodevelopment.
The ABI standard
If we cannot explain why a goal matters to your child's life, it doesn't belong in the plan.
Autism intervention should be informed by more than tradition. ABI's model draws from peer-reviewed research, interdisciplinary practice and the perspectives of autistic individuals and families.
These findings help inform the principles behind our model.
Not ready to join a waitlist yet? Take this with you instead. It is the same list our clinicians would use as parents — including the questions most families only think of after they have signed.
We'll also send one short, practical email a week on neuroaffirming autism support. Unsubscribe anytime.
Educational information only. Requesting the guide does not create a clinical relationship.
A few short questions — our team follows up to understand your child's needs and next steps.
You share a little about your child
Our intake team calls or emails within 1 business day
We map ABA plus any service that can start sooner
Rather do this by phone? Call (702) 463-5460
The therapy should fit your child.
One child.
One coordinated team.
Communication understood.
AAC respected.
Sensory needs considered.
Behavior understood in context.
Autonomy protected.
Parents included.
Autism respected.
Progress measured by what makes life safer, more communicative, more independent, more accessible, and more meaningful.
Come build your child's autism team at ABI.
Las Vegas + Reno
ABA • Speech • AAC • Occupational Therapy • Autism Evaluation • Neuropsychology
Not sure which service fits? Call (702) 463-5460 and our intake team will walk you through it.
One Child. One Team. One Coordinated Plan.
Autism & Brain Institute
Las Vegas • Reno • Nevada