What is ABA Therapy?

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a type of therapy that helps children with autism learn important skills for daily life, like communication, social interaction, and self-care. ABA works by breaking goals into small, manageable steps and reinforcing progress along the way. Over time, this helps children build new skills while reducing behaviors that may get in the way of learning or independence.

ABA programs are individualized, which means no two children will have the exact same plan or the same number of therapy hours. A treatment team will look at your child’s strengths, challenges, and family needs to decide what schedule makes sense.

How Many Hours Does My Child Need?

There’s no single answer to “how many hours are enough?” Research shows that more consistent hours generally lead to better progress, especially for younger children.

• Younger children (toddlers and preschoolers): Often benefit from 25–40 hours per week of ABA. This level of intensity helps with building foundational skills like language, play, and social interaction.

• School-aged children (6–12 years): Many children in this age group receive 10–25 hours per week, depending on their goals and whether they are also in school full-time. Therapy often focuses on social skills, school readiness, and independence.

• Teens and adolescents: May need fewer hours (about 5–15 hours per week) that focus on independence, life skills, and preparing for adulthood.

  
  

Keep in mind—these numbers are starting points. Your child’s therapy hours may increase or decrease over time as they make progress or as new goals are set and a variety of factors affect the actual clinical recommendation for hours for your child.

What Affects the Number of Hours?

A few key factors help decide how many hours your child may need:

• Age: Younger children usually benefit from more hours as there are more skills that could be worked on through the therapeutic approach.

• Needs and goals: A child working on basic communication might need more hours than one focusing on smaller, targeted skills.

• Severity of challenges: Children with more significant communication or behavior challenges may need higher intensity.

• Setting: Therapy in Hummingbird ABA Therapy’s center location may allow for more hours and peer interaction, school-based services limit the hours to times when the child is in need of the most support in the school day, and in-home ABA services typically are usually fewer and may focus more on daily routines with a larger emphasis on caregiver training and support.

• Family involvement: Parents who actively practice ABA strategies at home often see progress more quickly. Hummingbird requires that all of our families are meeting with their ABA Case Supervisors at least once per month to learn skills related to their child’s individual treatment plan and discuss progress and needs. The recommendation for all families is to meet 30-45 minutes per week, but we recognize that this is often not possible with busy schedules. Our ABA Case Supervisors also provide this service through telehealth to help accommodate schedule needs. 

  
  

The Bottom Line

ABA therapy is most effective when it is personalized. Instead of asking, “How many hours are enough for autism therapy?” the better question is, “What schedule will help my child meet their specific goals?” By working with your ABA Case Supervisor, you’ll create a plan that balances therapy time with school, family life, and other activities—all while supporting your child’s growth. 

Hummingbird’s Center provides specific blocks of time that can be added or adjusted based on the client's individual needs. We also collaborate with our local Intermediate Unit as well as a PA Cyber Charter School, which allows our clients who qualify for Center Based Services to receive all other IEP services within the center location in addition to their ABA therapy, providing consistency and flexibility for the family. It’s important to keep in mind that not all children will qualify for 30+ hours of ABA per week, and younger children who still nap may only be able to receive half day services if the center is your preferred location until they’re able to drop their nap.