The honest answer is that it depends, and no one has a single number. In the one peer-reviewed-style survey I could find, families who waited for ABA services waited about five and a half months on average. Utah’s own state directory shows providers reporting everything from no waitlist at all to a year or more.
At Little Champs ABA, we do not keep a waitlist, and after your consultation and insurance verification we typically start services within one to two weeks.
The rest of this post explains what creates the wait, what Utah providers report and what to ask before you commit. It also covers what “no waitlist” does and does not mean at Little Champs ABA in Utah.
The honest answer: how long families usually wait
Reliable data on ABA wait times is thin. A 2021 survey by researchers at Eastern Michigan University and the Autism Alliance of Michigan found that roughly three in four caregivers had spent time on a waitlist for ABA services, with an average wait of about five and a half months.
That is a small survey from one state, and the researchers noted that little data exists on how often and how long families wait.
No comparable Utah-wide figure exists. The CDC’s 2022 estimate is that about one in 31 eight-year-olds has been identified with autism, up from one in 36 two years earlier, and demand for ABA has grown with it. The most useful Utah evidence is what providers report themselves.
What Utah providers report
Utah’s Children with Special Health Care Needs program publishes a directory of ABA providers, last updated in September 2026. Providers fill in their own waitlist information, and the state notes that it does not endorse any listing. Even so, the pattern is clear:
- Many providers list no waitlist.
- Others report waits of about a month, eight months or a year.
- Several split the answer by time of day. One lists no waitlist for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. but more than 24 months after 3 p.m. Another lists about six months for after-school hours.
That last pattern matters most. School-day slots are easier to fill than the hours after school, which is when many working families need therapy. “No waitlist” can mean very different things depending on the hours attached to it, so ask which hours it covers.
Why the wait happens
Four things stretch the gap between a diagnosis and a first session.
Staffing
Every child needs a Registered Behavior Technician for direct sessions and a BCBA to design and supervise the plan. Utah Medicaid requires technicians to be fully certified before they work with a member, and it requires BCBAs to supervise at least 10 percent of the hours a technician works with the child. A provider can only open as many slots as its trained team can cover. Our post on what an RBT does explains why that team matters.
Time blocks
Providers often have openings in some hours and none in others, as the state directory shows.
The diagnosis itself
ABA needs a diagnosis, and the evaluation can be the longest wait of all. The state also publishes a directory of autism evaluation providers with current waitlist information, including about two weeks at some practices and one to two months at others. Calling several practices is the fastest way to compare.
Insurance authorization
Utah Medicaid’s rules do not force a long pause. According to the state’s provider manual, behavior identification assessments do not need prior authorization, and providers have 10 business days after services begin to submit the authorization request. Other plans have their own rules, which is why verification comes first.
From first call to first session
Whatever provider you choose, the path has the same stages:
- Consultation. You tell the intake team about your child and your schedule.
- Insurance verification. The provider confirms your benefits and what the plan requires.
- Assessment. A BCBA observes your child, talks with you and writes the treatment plan.
- Authorization. The provider submits the plan and diagnosis records to your insurer.
- Scheduling. Sessions are matched to your child’s needs and your routine.
What speeds this up is a complete diagnostic report and a quick return of consent forms. What slows it down is a missing report, a plan that needs extra review or a narrow schedule request.
What “no waitlist” means at Little Champs ABA
Little Champs ABA is accepting new clients in Utah, and we do not keep a waitlist. Families are not placed in a queue for a spot. After the consultation and insurance verification, we typically start services within one to two weeks.
Here is what that looks like in practice:
- Home and clinic options. In-home ABA sessions include daytime, evening and weekend times. Our Cottonwood Heights clinic is open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with Saturday by appointment. Our Park City clinic serves Summit County.
- Across the Wasatch Front and beyond. We serve families in Salt Lake City, West Jordan and Murray, in Utah County communities such as Provo and Orem, and in northern Utah in Layton and Ogden.
- Insurance support. Our team verifies benefits and handles the authorization paperwork. See the plans we accept, including Utah Medicaid.
Picture a family in West Jordan where both parents work until 5:30. They need sessions after school, and many providers they call can only offer school-day hours or put them on a list. They call us, finish the consultation and benefits check, and the BCBA schedules the assessment. This scenario is an illustration, not a client story.
“No waitlist” does not mean a same-day start. You still need a diagnosis, verification, an assessment and an authorization. It also does not mean capacity is unlimited. Availability can shift by area and time of day, so call us at 385-494-3500 for current openings near you.
Questions to ask any Utah provider about wait times
- Do you keep a waitlist, and which hours does it cover?
- How long from my first call to the BCBA assessment?
- Do you wait for authorization before sessions begin, and what does your insurer require?
- How are after-school, evening and weekend slots handled?
- Who will supervise my child’s plan, and how often?
Our guide to choosing the right ABA provider has more questions worth asking.
What to do while you wait, anywhere
If you are on a list somewhere else, the time does not have to be idle:
- Keep your paperwork ready. The full diagnostic report, insurance card and any referral speed up intake.
- Get on more than one list. Waitlists are not shared, so joining several does not hurt your place on any of them.
- Use early support. Early childhood programs can run alongside ABA. Our post on early intervention for autism explains your options, and our article on the best age to start ABA shows why timing matters.
- Think about scheduling. If you want therapy at home, our guide to home-based ABA scheduling helps you plan around routines.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to start ABA in Utah?
It depends on the provider, the hours you need and your insurance. Utah’s state directory shows waits from none to a year or more. At Little Champs ABA there is no waitlist, and we typically start services within one to two weeks after consultation and insurance verification.
Do I need a diagnosis before I call?
A diagnosis is needed before a treatment plan can be authorized, so start by gathering your report. If you are still waiting for an evaluation, call us anyway. Our intake team can explain what to prepare and point you toward evaluators.
Does Utah Medicaid slow things down?
Not necessarily. Utah Medicaid does not require prior authorization for the behavior assessment, and providers have 10 business days after services begin to submit the authorization request.
What if a provider says there is a waitlist?
Ask which hours it covers and how long it is, and keep calling other providers. Then confirm exactly what each provider means by “no waitlist” before you decide.
Book a free consultation and we will check your child’s coverage and tell you what current availability looks like in your area.
Sources
- Autism Alliance of Michigan. (n.d.). Prevalence of delays to receiving behavioral therapy in Michigan: A summary of survey data. https://autismallianceofmichigan.org/contributed-by-adam-m-briggs-phd-bcba-d-lba-andrea-m-peterson-ma-bcba-lba-eastern-michigan-university/
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Data and statistics on autism spectrum disorder. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/data-research/index.html
- University of Utah Health. (2025). Autism prevalence in Utah remains steady, lower than nation: Report. https://healthcare.utah.edu/press-releases/2025/04/autism-prevalence-utah-remains-steady-lower-nation-report
- Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Children with Special Health Care Needs. (2026). Applied behavior analysis (ABA) providers. https://familyhealth.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Office_CSHCN/pdf/autism/ABAProviders.pdf
- Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Children with Special Health Care Needs. (2026). Autism evaluation providers. https://familyhealth.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/Office_CSHCN/pdf/autism/Autism-Evaluations.pdf
- Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Integrated Healthcare. (2026). Utah Medicaid provider manual: Autism spectrum disorder services. https://medicaid-documents.dhhs.utah.gov/Documents/manuals/pdfs/Medicaid+Provider+Manuals/Autism+Spectrum+Disorder+Services/AutismSpectrumDisorder.pdf