ABA Therapy in Arbutus, MD
Children’s Specialized ABA provides center-based and in-home ABA therapy for children near Arbutus, MD. Our ABA center is just a short drive away. If your child was recently diagnosed with autism, or you suspect something might be going on, we can help. Give us a call.
Medicaid Accepted.
Partnered With
Medicaid Accepted
What Families Like Yours Are Saying
ABA Therapy Services Near Arbutus
Center-Based ABA Therapy
Home-Based ABA Therapy
Speech Therapy
Our speech therapists work directly alongside the ABA team. They’re not in a separate building or a separate program. If your child is working on requesting, labeling, or holding a conversation, the speech therapist and the BCBA are talking to each other and coordinating on the same goals. That kind of collaboration makes a real difference.
Occupational Therapy
Fine motor skills, sensory sensitivities, getting dressed, using utensils, tolerating haircuts. These are the kinds of things occupational therapy addresses. Our OT team works with the rest of your child’s clinical team so that what happens in OT sessions connects to what’s happening in ABA.
Autism Diagnostic Evaluations
If your child doesn’t have a diagnosis yet, that’s okay. We have licensed psychologists who can do a full evaluation. Getting a clear answer about what’s going on is often the hardest first step, and we can walk you through the process from the beginning.
Parent and Caregiver Guidance
Every treatment plan we build includes time for you. Our BCBAs show parents and caregivers the strategies they’re using with your child so you can use them too, at home, during the week, in real situations. Progress that only happens during therapy sessions isn’t enough. We want it to carry into your child’s daily life.
You May Know Us as Blue Balloon ABA
Catherine Friend, MA, BCBA, LBA,
Regional Clinical Director, Maryland
As the Regional Clinical Director in Maryland, Catherine oversees all clinical operations, including the review, monitoring, and evaluation of treatment integrity to ensure the highest standards of protocol implementation by the clinical team. She plays a key role in developing strategies to drive growth across the state, while also nurturing strong relationships with local communities.
Catherine’s ability to unite her team and effectively promote Children’s Specialized ABA cultivates an environment where parents feel assured and confident in choosing the company to entrust with their children’s care. In her free time, Catherine enjoys spending time with her husband and three children.
We Treat The Whole Child
A lot of ABA providers are focused narrowly on behavior. We care about behavior too, but it’s not the whole picture. What’s driving the behavior? What is the child trying to communicate? What does their sensory world feel like? What do the parents need?
Our whole-child approach means the BCBA, the speech therapist, and the occupational therapist are all looking at your child together.
We also partner with RWJBarnabas Health, which gives our clinical team access to medical expertise that most standalone ABA centers don’t have.
How It Works When You First Call Us
A lot of parents we talk to have been putting off making the call because they don’t know what to expect, or they’re worried about being pushed into something before they’re ready. Here’s exactly what happens.
You call or fill out the form on this page. Someone from our team will reach out to schedule a conversation, usually 20 to 30 minutes. We ask about your child, you ask us whatever questions you have. No pressure to commit to anything.
Our intake team verifies your insurance before anything else happens. Maryland law requires most insurance plans to cover ABA therapy, and we're familiar with every major carrier in the Baltimore area. We'll tell you what's covered and what, if anything, comes out of pocket.
If your child hasn't been evaluated for autism, we connect you with one of our licensed psychologists for a comprehensive evaluation. If your child already has a diagnosis, we skip to the next step.
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst meets with you and your child to learn about their strengths, challenges, and goals. From that, they build a therapy plan: what sessions will focus on, how many hours per week, and whether center-based or home-based therapy is the right setting.
Your child meets their therapy team and gets started. You'll hear from us regularly with updates. As a parent, you're part of the process the whole way through.
Ready to talk?
We Serve Families from Across Howard County
Questions We Hear from Arbutus Families
What exactly is ABA therapy?
ABA stands for Applied Behavior Analysis. It’s the most well-researched treatment approach for autism and has decades of evidence behind it. In practice, it means breaking skills into small steps, teaching those steps through repetition and positive reinforcement, and tracking progress closely so the plan can be adjusted over time. The specifics look different for every child depending on what they need to work on.
How do I know if my child should do center-based or home-based ABA?
Our BCBA will give you a recommendation after the assessment, with an explanation of why. In general, center-based therapy is a strong choice for younger children and for kids who benefit from structure and peer exposure. Home-based therapy makes sense when the challenges are most tied to what happens at home, or when logistics make center attendance hard. A lot of families end up doing both.
Do you accept Maryland Medicaid?
Yes. We also accept most major private insurance plans. Our team handles all the verification and authorization so you know what to expect before therapy begins.
Is there a waitlist?
It varies. Call us to ask about current availability. In some cases we can get the intake process moving quickly.
My child hasn't been diagnosed yet. Can I still call you?
Yes. You don’t need a diagnosis to reach out. We can connect you with a licensed psychologist for a diagnostic evaluation, and we’ll walk you through the whole process from there.
What ages do you work with?
Center-based programs start at 18 months. Home-based ABA is available for children up to age 12. Call us if you’re not sure whether your child fits within that range.
What happens at the first appointment?
The first step is a free consultation by phone, not an in-person clinical visit. We talk through your child’s situation, answer your questions, and explain what comes next. You don’t have to make any decisions during that call.
Is this the same place as Blue Balloon ABA?
Call Us
Arbutus ABA Therapy
Columbia, MD
Directions to Our Columbia Center
Directions to Our Columbia Center
Directions to Our Columbia Center
Directions to Our Columbia Center
ABA Therapy Near You: Clarksville | Ilchester | Jessup | Linthicum | Savage
Catherine Friend, MA, BCBA, LBA