03/23/2026
ABA is billed as medical treatment.
So why do some full-day programs look like a childcare schedule?
When therapy days are built around meals, quiet time, and group activities — and those hours are still billed as intensive treatment — the line between therapy and childcare starts to blur.
The issue is not whether children should eat, rest, or socialize. They should.
The issue is whether those parts of a child’s day are being counted as 30–40 hours of medically necessary care each week.
That distinction matters more than most people realize.
If something is labeled and reimbursed as medical treatment, the structure of that day should reflect medical treatment.
This post breaks down where that line begins to blur, and why clarity matters for families, providers, and the integrity of care.
Link in the comments.
