ABA alongside preschool or daycare in Bergen County

How Bergen County families can arrange ABA therapy alongside preschool or daycare, from PerformCare and insurance steps to coordinating with the school.

Published October 19, 2026 · Bergen County, New Jersey

Why this question comes up so often

Many families of autistic children in Bergen County find themselves asking the same thing: can ABA therapy happen while my child also goes to preschool or daycare? The short answer is usually yes, but the arrangement depends on your child's age, your insurance, the program you choose, and how well the therapy team and the early childhood setting talk to each other. This guide walks through the steps in the order most families encounter them.

Start by confirming your child's age and access point

Your route into services depends on how old your child is. If your child is under 3, the New Jersey Early Intervention System is the first stop. Early Intervention is a separate system with its own evaluations and service coordinators, and it works through the family's planning process rather than through a standard insurance referral. If your child is 3 or older, PerformCare is the single access point for the Children's System of Care, and it is the entry point you should contact for behavioral and developmental services. Ask PerformCare directly what they need from you to open a case, and write down the name of the person you speak with and the date of the call.

Find out what your insurance covers

Coverage for ABA in New Jersey runs through a few different channels. If your child is enrolled in NJ FamilyCare, the state Medicaid and CHIP program, coverage is managed through a managed care plan. The plans you may see include Horizon NJ Health, Wellpoint, Aetna Better Health of NJ, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. If you have employer-sponsored or private insurance, the policy will have its own rules. Call the member services number on the back of the card and ask three specific questions: Does the plan cover ABA for an autism diagnosis? Does it require prior authorization? Does it limit the number of hours per week or per year? Record the answers. Coverage details change, so treat anything you were told in a conversation as something to confirm in writing.

Look for providers who can work across settings

Bergen County has a large number of ABA providers. Our count shows 108 providers registered in the county on the federal NPPES registry, and 45 of the county's 70 municipalities have a provider registered inside the town itself. Every town has one within 7 miles. Towns with the most providers include Hackensack (12), Montvale (9), Fair Lawn (8), Englewood (6), Mahwah (5), and Teaneck (5). Proximity matters less than whether the provider will do the work you need. When you interview a provider, ask whether they routinely go into a preschool or daycare to observe and coach staff, whether they will sit down with the teachers, and whether they can write goals that a classroom aide can actually carry out. Ask who will be your child's direct therapist and how often the supervising clinician, usually a BCBA, reviews sessions. Ask how they handle scheduling around a school day so therapy does not replace the classroom experience you want your child to have.

Talk to the preschool or daycare early

Once you have a provider, ask the early childhood program for a meeting. Bring your child's diagnosis letter if you have one, and bring a short written summary of the goals the therapy team is working on. Ask the director or lead teacher how they handle children with individualized plans, whether they have worked with a therapist on site before, and what their policy is for a visiting clinician. Some programs welcome this. Others will need time to review their insurance and liability rules. Be clear that you are asking for permission and coordination, not making a demand. If your child is in a public preschool program, the district has its own process, and you should ask the district's special services office rather than assuming the daycare rules apply.

Ask about the school district's role

For children aged 3 to 5 in New Jersey, the local school district is responsible for offering special education services where they are needed, including preschool programs for children with disabilities. Bergen County has many districts, including Alpine, Bergenfield Borough, Bogota Public, Carlstadt Public, Cliffside Park, Closter Public, Cresskill, Dumont, Edgewater, and Elmwood Park, among others. Contact the child study team in the district where your child lives. They can evaluate your child, and if a classroom or program is recommended, the district must put the recommendation in an Individualized Education Program. An IEP and private ABA therapy are separate things, and one does not automatically pay for the other. Ask the child study team how they will coordinate with any outside therapist you use, and get the answer in writing if possible.

Plan the schedule with the whole team

When therapy and preschool both happen during the week, the schedule needs to protect your child's sleep, meals, and time to play. A practical arrangement is a weekly planning call or email exchange among you, the therapist, and the teacher. Use it to decide which days therapy happens, which goals are practiced in the classroom, and how the two settings will share information. Keep a simple shared log so a behavior noticed at school reaches the therapist the same week.

Know where to go when something is unclear

If PerformCare, your insurer, and your district give you different answers, ask each one to put its position in writing and ask who has authority to resolve the conflict. Under New Jersey law, parents of a child with a disability have procedural rights, including the right to request an evaluation and to dispute decisions. If a dispute continues, a family advocacy organization or a special education attorney can explain your options. This guide is an independent resource and is not a provider. It does not diagnose, provide therapy, or bill insurance, and every detail above should be confirmed with the agency or plan named, since rules and contacts can change.