Starting ABA therapy can feel like a big step for your family. You may wonder what your child will do during the day, who will work with them, and how therapy will support skills at home and in the community.
At Midwest Autism & Therapy Centers, our Waukee center provides personalized, center-based ABA therapy for children ages 2-6 with an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis. Our goal is to create a supportive place where children can learn, grow, play, and thrive with confidence, and practice skills that help them participate more fully in daily life. We provide quality care through a child-centred ABA program designed around each child’s needs. (midwestautismservices.com)
Our Waukee center is located at 287 SE Westown Parkway in Waukee, Iowa. The center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (midwestautismservices.com)
When your child arrives, a member of the therapy team helps them transition into the center. Some children may enter ready to play and explore. Others may need extra time, visual supports, movement, or a familiar routine before they feel comfortable.
We do not expect every child to begin the day in the same way. Our team takes time to understand your child’s communication style, sensory needs, interests, strengths, and preferences. These details help us create a therapy experience that feels predictable, respectful, and motivating.
Therapy is built around your child
Each child at Midwest receives an individualized treatment plan developed with support from a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, or BCBA. The plan is based on your child’s current skills, developmental needs, family priorities, and meaningful goals. After an initial assessment, the team creates a personalized treatment plan and updates it as your child grows.
Your child may work on skills such as:
- Functional communication, including requesting help, making choices, and expressing wants or needs
- Social interaction and group play
- Safe play and safety awareness
- Coping and emotional regulation skills
- Daily living and adaptive skills
- Fine and gross motor development
- Following directions and completing routines
- Pre-academic and classroom readiness skills
- Reducing behaviors that interfere with learning, communication, or participation
The purpose is not to make every child act the same. Instead, therapy focuses on helping your child communicate, connect, participate, and build greater independence while honoring who they are.
What happens during a typical ABA therapy day?
A day at the Waukee center may include a combination of 1:1 therapy, play-based learning, group activities, movement, structured routines, and natural opportunities to practice new skills.
Your child’s schedule will depend on their treatment plan and individual needs. A typical day may include the following activities.
Arrival and transition activities
The beginning of the day may focus on greeting familiar team members, putting belongings away, checking a visual schedule, and transitioning into the first activity.
Visual schedules and consistent routines can help children understand what comes next. Over time, these supports may also help children practice flexibility and transition skills.
Play-based learning
Play is an important part of early childhood development. At Midwest, therapy often takes place through activities that are engaging and meaningful to your child.
A favorite toy, puzzle, book, game, or sensory activity may become an opportunity to practice communication, turn-taking, problem-solving, or following directions. If your child loves trains, for example, the therapy team may use trains to encourage requesting, pretend play, matching, or social interaction.
When learning is connected to a child’s interests, it can feel more natural and motivating. This approach reflects the play-based and neuro-affirming philosophy highlighted across Midwest Autism & Therapy Centers’ programs. (midwestautismservices.com)
1:1 skill-building sessions
Many therapy activities happen during individualized 1:1 sessions with a Registered Behavior Technician, or RBT, a qualified behavior technician who works under the guidance of a BCBA.
During these sessions, your child may practice:
- Asking for a preferred item or activity
- Responding to a caregiver or teacher
- Imitating actions or sounds
- Participating in a short activity
- Cleaning up and moving to the next routine
- Using communication supports
- Completing simple self-care tasks
- Playing safely with toys and materials
The therapist may break a larger skill into smaller steps. Your child receives support, encouragement, and opportunities to practice each step. Progress may happen gradually, and small steps can be meaningful milestones.
Group play and social learning
Children may also have opportunities to learn with peers. Group activities can help children practice the give-and-take of play in a supported environment.
Depending on your child’s goals, group activities may focus on:
- Sharing space with other children
- Taking turns
- Waiting briefly
- Joining a game
- Responding to a peer
- Following group instructions
- Participating in songs, stories, or movement activities
- Communicating during play
The therapy team provides guidance so your child can participate at a level that feels appropriate for them. Group play is not about forcing interaction. It is about creating opportunities for connection, communication, and shared enjoyment.
Pre-academic and classroom readiness activities
Children ages 2-6 are often preparing for preschool, kindergarten, or another educational setting. ABA therapy at Midwest may include activities that support early classroom skills.
These activities may include:
- Sitting for a short learning activity
- Looking at books
- Matching or sorting objects
- Identifying colors, shapes, or letters
- Following a classroom routine
- Participating in a group activity
- Asking for help
- Transitioning between activities
- Using materials safely
- Completing a simple task from beginning to end
Our team can help your child practice these skills in a way that matches their developmental level. The goal is to support participation and confidence, not perfection.
Support for communication and challenging behaviors
Communication is a central part of many ABA therapy plans. Children may communicate through speech, gestures, picture systems, sign language, augmentative and alternative communication devices, or other methods.
Our team works with each child’s existing communication system and helps them develop practical ways to express needs, choices, feelings, and ideas. A child who can communicate more effectively may have more opportunities to participate and advocate for themselves.
Therapy may also address behaviors that make it difficult for a child to communicate, stay safe, learn, or take part in daily routines. A BCBA may complete a functional behavior assessment to better understand what happens before and after a behavior, what the behavior may be communicating, and what supports could help.
Behavior support should be respectful and individualized. Our team focuses on teaching useful skills, building communication, adjusting the environment when needed, and helping children develop safe ways to cope.
Breaks, movement, and regulation
Young children learn best when their needs are supported throughout the day. Your child’s schedule may include movement, sensory activities, quiet time, preferred play, snacks, and other breaks as appropriate.
These moments are not separate from learning. They can help your child practice:
- Recognizing when they need a break
- Asking for help
- Moving between active and calm activities
- Using coping strategies
- Returning to an activity when ready
- Making choices about how to participate
The therapy team monitors your child’s engagement and adjusts activities when needed. If an approach is not working, the team can change the pace, materials, level of support, or environment.
How BCBAs and RBTs work together
Your child’s care team may include a BCBA and RBTs. The BCBA develops and oversees the treatment plan, reviews progress, provides clinical guidance, and makes adjustments based on your child’s needs.
RBTs provide direct support during daily activities and therapy sessions. They work with your child on the goals outlined in the treatment plan and share observations with the BCBA.
This team-based structure allows your child to receive consistent support while giving clinicians regular opportunities to review what is helping. The result is a plan that can change as your child learns and grows.
Family collaboration is part of therapy
Parents and caregivers know their children best. Your observations, questions, and priorities are important parts of the treatment process.
Midwest Autism & Therapy Centers provides caregiver education and support so families can continue practicing useful skills outside the center. Comprehensive family training and caregiver collaboration may include conversations about:
- What your child is learning at the center
- Skills your family would like to build at home
- Communication strategies
- Transition routines
- Safety skills
- Play and social opportunities
- Ways to support independence
- Progress toward treatment goals
Regular communication helps connect therapy with your child’s everyday life. When appropriate, the team can discuss ways to help skills transfer across settings, such as home, school, stores, parks, and family gatherings. (midwestautismservices.com)
Progress can look different for every child. It may involve using a new communication method, joining a group activity, staying safe during play, tolerating a transition, or completing a daily routine with less support.
Your child’s BCBA collects data during therapy and reviews progress over time. This information helps the team determine whether a goal should continue, change, or be replaced with a new goal.
Families can expect ongoing updates about their child’s development. Therapy plans are personalized because children do not all learn in the same way or at the same pace.
What parents can expect from the Waukee center
At Midwest Autism & Therapy Centers, families can expect a professional clinic environment with a team-centered approach to early intervention. Our Waukee center serves children ages 2-6 through in-center ABA therapy and offers individualized support for communication, social development, adaptive skills, behavior and safety, motor skills, and school readiness. (midwestautismservices.com)
You can also expect:
- A treatment plan tailored to your child
- BCBA oversight and clinical guidance
- Play-based learning opportunities
- Support for communication and independence
- Opportunities for group play and social learning
- Caregiver education and collaboration
- Progress updates and treatment plan adjustments
- Assistance with insurance coordination
Midwest Autism & Therapy Centers accepts several insurance plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Iowa TotalCare, Magellan Healthcare, Molina Healthcare, Optum, UnitedHealthcare, Wellmark BCBS, and Wellpoint. Coverage depends on your individual plan, and our admissions team can help verify benefits and explain the next steps, including Medicaid eligibility when applicable. (midwestautismservices.com)
Starting ABA therapy in Waukee
If your child is between ages 2 and 6 and has an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis, our admissions team can help you learn whether the Waukee center may be a good fit. We can also answer questions about available ABA therapy services, the initial assessment, insurance, and what to expect from your child’s therapy plan.
To get started, complete the Midwest information request form or call the admissions team at (515) 513-9649. You can also visit the Waukee ABA therapy center page to find the center address, hours, services, and contact information.
Every child brings unique strengths, interests, and needs to therapy. At Midwest Autism & Therapy Centers, we are here to partner with your family, celebrate meaningful progress, and help your child learn, play, and thrive in a way that respects who they are.
Call us today at 515-513-9649 to enroll!