In-Home ABA Therapy in Richmond, VA
Most ABA clinics serving Richmond families sit out in Henrico and Chesterfield. We work the other way around: our clinicians come to homes across the city itself, from Church Hill to Westover Hills. A BCBA walks you through what comes next, and we verify your insurance before therapy starts. In-network with Aetna and Anthem, including HealthKeepers Plus (Virginia Medicaid).
In-Home Care
A diagnosis is a lot. The next step doesn't have to be.
Most families find us right after a diagnosis, staring down a pile of acronyms: IEP, BCBA, RBT, prior authorization. Our team explains every piece in plain language, and through our interpreter service we can talk with parents in 334 languages, so whatever language your family speaks at home, we speak it with you. We verify your insurance benefits as soon as you reach out, so you know what is covered before you commit to anything, and we handle the back-and-forth with insurance to advocate for the services your child qualifies for. You focus on your kid. If you are still waiting on a diagnosis, start with our diagnosis page; our telehealth partner As You Are evaluates children across Virginia.
Neighborhoods We Serve in Richmond
About 230,000 people call RVA home, and it is an independent city, part of no county. Our clinicians work in homes across all of it.
Why in-home
Why we come to you
Skills stick where they're learned Your therapist works in the rooms where your child actually lives: the kitchen, the playroom, the backyard. A skill practiced at your own dinner table transfers to real life far better than one practiced in a clinic across town.
Your BCBA sees real life The morning rush before school drop-off, the meltdown when a sibling gets home, how your child handles the dog or the doorbell. Seeing the real routine is what makes a treatment plan work outside the session.
The clinics are in the counties; you don't need them Clinic-based ABA around Richmond clusters in Henrico and Chesterfield, which means city families get told to drive out to the West End or Midlothian several times a week. In-home therapy erases that map: sessions happen at your kitchen table, whether that's a rowhouse in Church Hill or an apartment in Manchester.
Day to day
What a session looks like
One on one, built around your child A typical session runs a few hours of structured, play-based teaching using what your child already loves: blocks, books, snacks, the family dog. The goals are practical. Asking for what they want, riding out a transition, getting through a meal at the table.
A BCBA writes the plan, an RBT runs the sessions A Board Certified Behavior Analyst designs your child's program, watches the data, and adjusts goals. A Registered Behavior Technician runs the day-to-day sessions and is the person your child sees most. Both will know your kid's name, favorite toy, and the thing that always sets them off.
Parents stay in the loop You see the data, you hear what worked, and through parent and caregiver training you learn the same strategies, so progress doesn't stop when the session ends.
Our Services in Richmond
Every program is designed and supervised by a BCBA and built around your child.
In-Home ABA Therapy
One-on-one, play-based sessions in your own home, where skills are learned in the place they will actually be used. Learn more.
ABA Therapy for Kids
Early support for toddlers and elementary-age children. The earlier therapy starts, the more ground it can cover. Learn more.
ABA Therapy for Teens
Independence, social navigation, and executive skills for older kids, including the transitions middle school and high school bring. Learn more.
In-School ABA Support
Coordination with your child's school team, including RPS IEP and behavior plan meetings, so home and classroom pull in the same direction. Learn more.
Parent & Caregiver Training
We teach you the same strategies your child's therapist uses, so progress continues between sessions and after therapy ends. Learn more.
Free BCBA Consultation
Not sure where to start? Talk through your situation with a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at no cost and no obligation. Book a time.
Richmond Resources We Know Well
The people and programs Richmond families rely on most, in one place.
Richmond Public Schools
RPS's Exceptional Education Department handles IEPs and evaluations, with an Early Childhood Special Education line for ages two to five (804-780-8058) and a Spanish-language line (804-293-2701). Your BCBA can attend IEP and behavior plan meetings with you through our in-school ABA support.
Getting a diagnosis in the city
The Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU runs its Child Development Clinic right in Northside on Brook Road (804-828-2467), with free interpreters in your preferred language. If waits are long, our telehealth partner As You Are evaluates children statewide; start on our diagnosis page.
Parent communities & advocacy
The Autism Society Central Virginia (804-259-3188) is based at Stony Point in the city and serves Richmond families directly, including a free virtual Spanish-language parent support group. RAIN (Richmond Autism Integration Network) runs local family programming, and SOAR365 serves the metro from its Northside campus.
City services that help
Richmond's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement (804-646-0145) offers interpretation help and community referrals, and the city's Parks and Recreation therapeutic recreation office coordinates program accommodations (804-646-6646). We are glad to help you connect with either.
Most Richmond Families Pay Little or Nothing Out of Pocket
We are in-network with Aetna and Anthem, including Anthem HealthKeepers Plus, the Virginia Medicaid managed care plan. We are TRICARE-certified for military families, and we work with almost every other plan out of network. We verify your benefits before therapy starts and handle the paperwork, so you know exactly what to expect. See our insurance page for details, or call (804) 409-0601 and we will check your coverage for you.
1. Reach out
Call, text, or send the form. A real person answers, and a BCBA talks with you about your child, usually the same day.
2. We verify your benefits
We run a verification of benefits right away and tell you exactly what your plan covers before you commit to anything.
3. Assessment at home
Your BCBA meets your child where they are comfortable, builds the treatment plan, and walks you through every goal in plain language.
4. Therapy starts
Sessions begin on a schedule that fits your family: mornings, after school, or weekends. No long waitlist, no mountain of paperwork.
Places Worth Knowing About for Your Kid
Richmond's museums have quietly become some of the most sensory-aware in Virginia, and the parks hold their own.
Sensory-friendly museum nights
The Children's Museum of Richmond hosts free Sensory Friendly Nights on the third Friday of each month, and the Science Museum of Virginia runs free quarterly Minds of All Kinds evenings with dimmed lights and quiet rooms; both sit on West Broad Street in the city.
History, the calm way
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture on Arthur Ashe Boulevard is a Certified Autism Center and runs free Sensory Friendly Mornings with modified sound and lighting.
Parks with room to breathe
Maymont is a free 100-acre estate with a children's farm; Byrd Park adds three lakes and pedal boats in season; Forest Hill Park covers the Southside with trails and a playground; and Belle Isle puts the James River a footbridge away.
Inclusive play nearby
PARK365, SOAR365's fully accessible playground on the Northside edge, is built so kids of every ability play side by side, and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden just over the line lends free sensory backpacks.
Richmond FAQs
Most families get moving fast. We verify your insurance benefits right after you reach out, so you know what is covered before you commit to anything. If your child already has a diagnosis, we can usually begin without a long waitlist. If you are still waiting on one, the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU and our telehealth partner As You Are are both good routes, and we can point you either way.
Yes. Your BCBA can attend IEP and behavior plan meetings with you, share session data with the school team, and keep home and classroom goals pulling in the same direction. RPS's Exceptional Education Department is the starting point, and we are happy to help you prepare for meetings.
Yes. We are in-network with Anthem HealthKeepers Plus, a Virginia Medicaid managed care plan, along with Aetna and commercial Anthem plans. We are also TRICARE-certified and work with almost every other plan out of network. For many Richmond families, covered ABA therapy comes at no out-of-pocket cost, and we check your exact benefits before therapy starts.
All of it. Our clinicians work in homes across the Fan, the Museum District, Church Hill, Northside, Bellevue, Southside, Manchester, Carytown, and Westover Hills. Most ABA clinics serving the area sit out in Henrico and Chesterfield; because we come to you, where the clinics are doesn't matter. You can reach our Richmond line directly at (804) 409-0601.
Yes. A parent or caregiver needs to be home during in-home sessions. Many parents use the time to catch up on their own things in another room. When a specific goal calls for it, a session can also practice skills out in the community, always with you in the loop.
Then we'll use yours. Through our interpreter service we can communicate with parents in 334 languages. Every conversation about your child, from the first call to progress updates and insurance questions, can happen in the language you're most comfortable in.
Serving Families Across Richmond, VA
In-home ABA therapy throughout the city of Richmond, including the Fan, Museum District, Church Hill, Northside, Bellevue, Southside, Manchester, Carytown, and Westover Hills. Big Heart ABA, 11 S 12th Street, Richmond, VA 23219. (804) 409-0601.
Nearby Service Areas
Somewhere else in Virginia? See everywhere we go. We reach parts of the state most providers don't.