Your questions.
Clear answers.

The Fall 2026 Family Progress Cohort is designed for families in Virginia and North Carolina with children ages 2–8 who are autistic or are being evaluated for autism. It may be a good fit for parents who already have professional recommendations and want practical help using them in everyday family life—or who want professional guidance on what to focus on and how to put it into practice.

ASPIRE Next is designed to work alongside, not replace, your child's existing therapy, medical care, school services, or other professional support. The focus is helping you use recommendations and strategies during the everyday routines and situations where family life actually happens.

Think of it less as “another therapy” and more as help answering, “What do I actually try when this happens at home?”

No. A recent diagnosis is not required. The cohort may also be relevant if your child already receives services but you want more help applying recommendations consistently during daily life.

Families may choose priorities involving communication, routines, transitions, everyday skills, participation, and difficult moments at home. The emphasis is on a small number of goals that matter to your family rather than trying to change everything at once.

The Fall Cohort is a BCBA-led parent/caregiver guidance program focused on helping families with recommendations and putting them into practice during everyday life. It is designed to complement—not replace—your child's existing therapy, medical, or school services.

The emphasis is not on adding another block of child therapy. It is on helping you decide what to focus on, try a practical strategy within routines you already have, notice what happens, and adjust with guidance.

ASPIRE Next includes parent learning, but the emphasis is on implementation, not generic education. You bring situations happening in your family; together you decide what to try; you use the strategy in real routines; then you review what happened and adjust.

The goal is not to replace your knowledge of your child. You bring the lived knowledge of your child and family; the BCBA brings clinical experience and a structured problem-solving process. The plan is built around your priorities and routines.

You meet virtually one-on-one with a BCBA. Together, you review what happened during the week, discuss what worked or felt difficult, problem-solve one or two priorities, and decide what to try next.

Understand → Focus → Try → Measure → Adjust

Understand: What is happening?

Focus: What matters most right now?

Try: What is one practical thing we can try?

Measure: What did we notice?

Adjust: What should we keep, change, or stop?

No complicated data collection is intended. The program focuses on simple, meaningful signs that help you and your BCBA understand whether something appears to be helping and whether the plan should be adjusted.

Not every week. Sessions primarily focus on parents/caregivers. If having your child participate for part of a session would be helpful, that can be discussed ahead of time.

Most of the challenges parents want help with happen during everyday life at home. Virtual sessions make it easier to talk about those real situations and focus on what you can try in your own routines. Most of the session is for coaching and supporting the parent, so your child does not need to sit in front of a screen the whole time.

Plan for about two scheduled hours each week—one 1-hour group session and one 1-hour one-on-one session.

Most of the practice happens during the time you already spend with your child—mealtimes, play, transitions, routines, and everyday activities—rather than adding another “therapy block” to your schedule. If you choose to practice more beyond those everyday moments, you certainly can, but it is not the expectation.

Every child and family is different, so specific results cannot be guaranteed. The program focuses on a few meaningful goals and helps families notice what is changing, what appears helpful, and what may need adjustment.

You do not have to work on everything at once. You and the BCBA identify a small number of priorities based on what is happening in your family and what matters most right now.

Then that is useful information. The process is designed to review what happened, consider what may be affecting the situation, and adjust rather than assuming the family simply needs to “try harder.”

The goal is for the family to finish with clearer priorities, practical experience using strategies, a better sense of what appears helpful, and a plan for what to continue or focus on next.

Every application is reviewed individually. Families who may be a fit are invited to a Family Fit Conversation. Selection considers the family's goals, readiness to participate, and whether ASPIRE Next believes the program can support the family's needs well.

No. The application takes about 3–5 minutes and does not commit you to enroll. If there appears to be a potential fit, you'll first have a conversation and can decide afterward whether the cohort feels right.

ASPIRE Next reviews the application personally. If the cohort may be appropriate for your family's needs, you'll be invited to a Family Fit Conversation to discuss your goals and questions before either side makes a decision.

It is a short conversation to understand what has been difficult, what you have already tried, what you hope could be different, and whether the 12-week cohort appears appropriate for your family. It is not a commitment to enroll.

The full 12-week program is $2,995. A private sponsorship covers $2,245 for each selected Fall Cohort family, leaving a family contribution of $750.

We are intentionally keeping the Fall Cohort small so each family can receive focused, individualized guidance. For this cohort, private sponsorship is available for five families, allowing us to provide that level of support while making the program more affordable.

No. The Fall Cohort is a private-pay program and is not covered by insurance. For selected families, private sponsorship covers a significant portion of the program cost, leaving a reduced family contribution.

No. You do not have to pay the full amount at once. Payment plans are available to make the family contribution easier to manage.