Virtual ABA Therapy
Alpaca Health matches families with independent BCBAs who deliver ABA therapy over secure video, in every state we serve. Sessions are led by a BCBA who coaches you through the work with your child, and we accept private insurance and Medicaid. Most families know their coverage and provider options within a few days.
What virtual ABA therapy is
Virtual ABA therapy delivers the same applied behavior analysis programming as in-person care, over secure video. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst writes the treatment plan, supervises it, and adjusts it as your child progresses. In a virtual session you work directly with your child while the BCBA coaches in real time, so skills get taught in the place your child will use them. Our guide to how online autism care works walks through a full session from start to finish.
What happens in a virtual ABA session
A virtual session runs for the same length as an in-person one and follows the same treatment plan. The structure closely matches an in-home ABA session, and your child’s plan sets the number of weekly therapy hours.
The first ten minutes
Your BCBA checks in, reviews what has happened since the last session, and sets one or two targets for the hour. Your child does not need to be on camera for this part.
The working block
You run a short activity with your child while the BCBA coaches. Screen time stays brief, and the work happens in your kitchen or living room.
Recording data and adjusting
The BCBA records what worked against the plan targets. When a target stops moving, the BCBA changes the plan.
What you practice between sessions
You finish with one or two specific things to practice inside routines you already have, such as meals, transitions, or bedtime.
Choose your virtual ABA therapy provider today
Every provider in our network runs their own practice, and every one is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst licensed in the state where your child lives. We will match you with someone who has availability now and delivers sessions over secure video, for kids and young adults ages 0 to 21.
What families and providers say about working with Alpaca Health
How virtual ABA therapy works through Alpaca Health
Four steps from your first form to your first session, with no waitlist at any point.
1
Tell us about your child
Start with our short intake form. It asks for your child’s age, your availability, your insurance, and any autism diagnosis you already have. That is all we need to understand where your family is starting from.
2
We verify your insurance
After you submit the form, we verify your insurance and follow up within one business day to confirm the details.
3
Get matched with the right provider
We match you with a licensed provider who has current availability. If you have someone specific in mind, tell us and we will try to make it work. The match is built around your child’s needs and your family’s schedule.
4
Start care the same week
We introduce you directly to your provider, and they take it from there. Most families have their first meeting or assessment within the same week, whether that is in-home ABA therapy or a telehealth session.
What Alpaca Health's data shows about virtual care
These figures come from Alpaca Health platform data covering 1,082 clients across 118 independent provider practices between August 2024 and August 2026, of which 70 practices delivered telehealth sessions.
Home-based telehealth parent coaching cut challenging behavior by about 97% on average, matching in-person delivery (Lindgren et al., Pediatrics, 2016).
The same trial cost about $2,146 per child by home telehealth, against $5,950 for in-home delivery, for comparable outcomes.
All three delivery models tested, in-home, clinic telehealth and home telehealth, reduced challenging behavior by 91% to 97%, with no significant difference between them.
Telehealth works best for communication, self-care and daily-routine goals, where the caregiver is the person practicing with the child every day.
Goals that need hands-on physical prompting are better served in person, and we tell you which of your child's goals fall into that group during intake.
72.4%
of Alpaca Health families have had at least one telehealth session, across every state we serve.
83.5%
of our Colorado families, the highest share of any state where Alpaca Health delivers care.
8.9%
of all delivered therapy hours. Most families use video alongside in-person sessions. Alpaca Health platform data, 1,082 clients across 118 provider practices, August 2024 to August 2026.
Where Alpaca Health delivers virtual ABA therapy
Telehealth runs statewide in every state we serve, including areas with no in-person provider nearby.
Texas
Colorado
North Carolina
Hawaii
Michigan
Other settings
Why independent clinics matter
What independent means for your family
The providers we work with aren’t part of a large corporation. They’re small, fully independent clinics, founded and operated by the very clinicians who work with your child.
We do not tell them how to do their job.
Your child’s provider makes care decisions based on what is best for your family. Company policy, quotas and insurance rules do not drive those decisions. Clinical decisions stay between you and your provider.
What we do and what we do not do
We handle the behind-the-scenes work, which covers billing, scheduling and insurance paperwork, so providers can spend their time on care instead of admin.
We do not employ the providers and we do not direct their clinical work.
Our role is to make it easier for independent providers to help your child grow and learn.
Is virtual ABA therapy covered by insurance?
Many major plans cover telehealth ABA therapy for eligible programs, including Medicaid and private plans. Our guide to ABA therapy that accepts private insurance explains what to check on your policy. Our care team verifies your benefits before services start, explains any copays, and handles the authorization paperwork for you.
Confirm your coverage and telehealth eligibility before therapy starts.
Manage prior authorizations for ABA codes when your plan requires them.
Give you a clear out of pocket estimate before the first session.
Frequently asked questions about virtual ABA therapy
Is virtual ABA therapy as effective as in-person ABA therapy?
In a Pediatrics trial (Lindgren et al., 2016), home-based telehealth parent coaching reduced challenging behavior by about 97% on average, which matched in-person delivery. The trial tested three delivery models, in-home, clinic telehealth and home telehealth, and all three reduced challenging behavior by 91% to 97%, with no significant difference between them.
Does insurance cover virtual ABA therapy?
Many major plans cover telehealth ABA therapy for eligible programs, including private plans and Medicaid. What you get depends on your specific plan and your state, and our guide to Medicaid coverage for ABA therapy explains how the rules differ. Alpaca Health verifies your benefits before services start, explains any copays, and handles the authorization paperwork for you.
What do we need at home for a virtual ABA session?
A device with a camera and microphone, a reliable internet connection, and a quiet space where your child already plays or works. Sessions run over secure video. You do not need special equipment or materials, because the BCBA builds the session around the toys and routines you already have at home.
Who runs the session, and where is my child during it?
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst writes the treatment plan, leads the session over video, and coaches you in real time while you work with your child. You can check the credentials of every BCBA in the Alpaca Health provider directory. Your child stays at home, so the skills get taught in the place your child will use them.
Does my child have to sit in front of a screen the whole time?
Screen time stays brief, and your child does not need to be on camera for the check-in at the start of the session. During the working block you run a short activity with your child while the BCBA observes and coaches, and that usually happens in your kitchen or living room.
Which goals work well over telehealth, and which do not?
Telehealth works best for communication, self-care and daily-routine goals, where the caregiver is the person practicing with the child every day. Goals that need hands-on physical prompting are better served by in-home ABA therapy, and Alpaca Health tells you which of your child’s goals fall into that group during intake.
Is virtual ABA therapy cheaper than in-person ABA therapy?
In the Lindgren trial, the same program cost about $2,146 per child delivered by home telehealth, against $5,950 for in-home delivery, with comparable outcomes. What you pay depends on your plan and your state, and our guide to how much ABA therapy costs breaks down the variables. Alpaca Health gives you an out of pocket estimate before the first session.
How quickly can we start virtual ABA therapy?
Most families have their first session within the same week, and Alpaca Health does not keep a waitlist. After you submit the intake form, we verify your insurance and follow up within one business day, then match you with a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who has availability.
Which states offer virtual ABA therapy through Alpaca Health?
Telehealth runs statewide in Texas, Colorado, North Carolina, Hawaii and Michigan. Your Board Certified Behavior Analyst needs to be licensed in the state where your child lives, so families in areas with no nearby in-person provider can still start care. Each state page lists the cities we cover.
Can we combine virtual sessions with in-person ABA therapy?
Most families do combine them. Across Alpaca Health platform data covering 1,082 clients and 118 independent provider practices from August 2024 to August 2026, telehealth accounted for 8.9% of all delivered therapy hours. Families commonly pair virtual sessions with in-school ABA therapy or community sessions.
Start virtual ABA therapy with Alpaca Health
Tell us about your child and we will confirm your insurance coverage and match you with a licensed BCBA who has availability now. Sessions run over secure video in every state we serve.