Serving Toronto, Ontario
In-Home ABA Therapy in Toronto
Advance Therapy provides ABA therapy in Toronto for children on the autism spectrum, delivered one-to-one in your home, at your child's daycare or online. Every program is designed and supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who is registered with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO). A trained ABA therapist comes to you to run each session.
We work on the skills that make everyday life easier for your child and your family: communication, play, social skills, self-care and behaviour that gets in the way of learning. Parents take part in every program, and families can use Ontario Autism Program (OAP) funding toward therapy.
- Supervised by a CPBAO-registered Behaviour Analyst
- Sessions at home, at daycare or online
- Evening and weekend times available
- 500+ families supported across the GTA and beyond over more than 10 years
About ABA
What Is ABA Therapy?
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is an evidence-based approach that teaches skills by breaking them into small steps and reinforcing progress. For children with autism, ABA therapy is used to build communication, social, play and daily living skills, and to reduce behaviour that causes harm or makes learning harder.
If you're comparing autism therapy options in Toronto, it helps to know what good ABA looks like. It starts from your child's strengths and interests, and sessions feel engaging and connected to real life. Our therapists teach through play and everyday routines. They use positive reinforcement, natural environment teaching (practising skills during real activities) and task analysis (breaking a skill like handwashing into small, learnable steps). You can read more about common ABA techniques and how they work.
Home-Based, City-Wide
Where We Provide ABA Therapy in Toronto
Our in-home ABA services reach families in Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, East York, York and downtown Toronto. If you're not sure we cover your street, ask on your first call and we'll tell you straight away.
City living shapes how therapy works, and our Toronto ABA therapists plan for it:
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Condos and apartments
You don't need a spare room. Therapists set up in a corner of the living room or a bedroom, and use nearby parks for outdoor goals.
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Community routines
Sessions can practise skills where your child needs them, such as waiting for the elevator, riding the TTC or shopping at the grocery store.
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Busy schedules
Evening and weekend sessions are available for families working around commutes, school and work.
Families in North York and Scarborough can find area-specific details on our pages for ABA therapy in North York and in-home ABA therapy in Scarborough.
ABA Programs
Comprehensive vs Focused ABA Therapy
Every program begins with an assessment. Based on what it shows, your supervising Behaviour Analyst recommends a program type and a number of weekly hours. Most children fit one of two types.
| Comprehensive ABA | Focused ABA | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Children who need support in many areas at once | Children working on a few specific goals |
| Typical weekly hours | 20 or more | A few hours |
| Example goals | Language, play, social skills, self-care and behaviour, worked on together | Toilet training, sleep routines, one challenging behaviour, or asking for things with words or pictures |
Hours are reviewed as your child progresses, so the schedule you start with isn't fixed. Here's more on how long children usually need ABA therapy.
Early Intervention ABA Therapy for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Many families start in the toddler and preschool years, while foundational skills are developing. Our early intervention program focuses on communication, imitation, play and following simple routines.
If your child is between 12 and 48 months old and registered in the OAP, you may also be eligible for the province's caregiver-mediated early years programs. Starting kindergarten or Grade 1 soon? Our guide to the Entry to School Program in Toronto explains how that OAP program works.
Home, Daycare or Online: Where Sessions Happen
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At home
Most families choose in-home ABA therapy, built around mealtimes, play, getting dressed and moving between activities.
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At daycare
With your consent, we coordinate with your child's daycare or preschool. A therapist then works one-to-one with your child there on group routines and play with other children. Learn how ABA therapy at daycare works.
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Online
Virtual ABA therapy offers live, one-to-one sessions by secure video, along with live parent coaching. It's useful between home visits or while you wait for in-person sessions to start.
Many families combine formats under one plan and one supervising Behaviour Analyst.
Your Care Team
Who Will Work With Your Child
Two people lead your child's program, and you'll know who both of them are from the start.
Your Supervising Behaviour Analyst
Toronto programs are supervised by Jennifer Pretorius, BCBA, a Behaviour Analyst registered with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario. She leads your child's assessment, writes the treatment plan, reviews session data and updates goals with you as your child progresses.
Depending on your child's needs, the children's assessment may use tools such as the VB-MAPP, ABLLS-R or AFLS. A functional behaviour assessment (FBA) can show why a challenging behaviour happens. You can confirm any Behaviour Analyst's registration on the CPBAO public register, and meet the rest of our team on the About Advance Therapy page.
Your Child's ABA Therapist
Day-to-day sessions are run by a trained ABA therapist working under Jennifer's supervision. ABA therapists are not registered with the College. They follow the plan your Behaviour Analyst writes, record data every session and flag anything that needs to change. We keep the same therapist with your child wherever possible, because consistency matters.
BCBA vs Registered Behaviour Analyst: What's the Difference?
- BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst)
- is a professional certification issued by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB).
- Behaviour Analyst
- is the regulated title in Ontario, often written as Registered Behaviour Analyst or RBA. Only people registered with CPBAO may use it. Applied behaviour analysis has been regulated in Ontario since July 1, 2024, under the Psychology and Applied Behaviour Analysis Act, 2021.
Family Involvement
How Parents Are Involved
ABA works best when what your child practises in sessions shows up at breakfast, bath time and the walk to school. That happens when parents know what's being taught and how to keep it going. In every program, we:
- Show you the strategies your therapist uses, then practise them with you during sessions
- Agree on goals with you, starting with the ones that matter most at home
- Explain what the session data shows in plain language, so you can see what's changing
- Suggest one or two things to try between visits that fit your family's week
How Progress Is Tracked
Your therapist records data during every session. Your Behaviour Analyst reviews it, adjusts goals when your child masters a skill or gets stuck, and talks you through each change.
Parent coaching for autism is also available as a service of its own, in your home or online, including evenings. For ideas you can try today, see how parents can support ABA therapy goals.
Funding & Costs
Paying for ABA Therapy: OAP Funding, Costs and Insurance
What Is the Ontario Autism Program (OAP)?
The Ontario Autism Program is the provincial program that funds services for children and youth on the autism spectrum. To register, your child must be under 18, live in Ontario and have a written diagnosis of autism from a qualified professional. Registration goes through AccessOAP, the program's intake organization.
Everyone registered can use foundational family services. Depending on your child's age and needs, the OAP also offers caregiver-mediated early years programs, the Entry to School Program, core clinical services and urgent response services.
Using OAP Core Clinical Services Funding for ABA
An AccessOAP care coordinator completes a determination of needs with your family, which sets your core clinical services funding. The funding is paid to your family: in one payment for amounts under $25,000, or in instalments of up to $25,000 each for larger amounts. You use it to pay for eligible services, then submit an expense form with the required documentation, as set out in the OAP core clinical services guidelines.
Those guidelines require ABA-based services to be delivered or supervised by a Behaviour Analyst, psychologist or psychological associate registered with CPBAO. Our Toronto programs meet that requirement through Jennifer Pretorius's supervision, and we provide the receipts and session records you need for your expense form.
One caution: services bought outside your funding period can't be claimed. If you plan to start therapy before your funding begins, check with your care coordinator first.
Our Ontario Autism Program guide and our guide to OAP budgets and receipts explain the process in more detail.
How Much Does ABA Therapy Cost in Toronto?
The cost of ABA therapy depends mainly on how many hours your child receives each week. A program has three parts:
- Assessment and treatment plan by your Behaviour Analyst
- Direct therapy hours with your child's ABA therapist
- Clinical supervision, meaning your Behaviour Analyst's time reviewing data, updating goals and meeting with you
Before therapy begins, we give you a written estimate, so you know the weekly cost and can plan how OAP funding or benefits will cover it. For typical price ranges across the country, see our guide to ABA therapy costs in Canada.
Private Insurance and Jordan's Principle
Some extended health plans cover part of the cost of ABA therapy. Coverage depends on your plan and on which provider types your insurer reimburses, so check with them before you start. We issue receipts you can submit with your claim, and many families use OAP funding and private benefits together.
First Nations children under 18 may be eligible for support through Jordan's Principle funding for ABA therapy.
Getting Started
How to Start ABA Therapy in Toronto
Most families can begin therapy within a few weeks of their first call.
Free Consultation
Call or send us a message. Tell us about your child, your goals and your neighbourhood, and we'll explain your options, the likely costs and the next steps.
In-Home Assessment
Your Behaviour Analyst meets your child at home and looks at communication, play, social skills, self-care and behaviour.
Personalized Treatment Plan
You receive a written plan with measurable goals, a recommended weekly schedule and a cost estimate. We help with the OAP or insurance paperwork.
Therapy Begins
Your ABA therapist starts regular sessions at home, at daycare or online, with data recorded every session and your Behaviour Analyst checking progress throughout.
What to have ready: your child's diagnosis report if you have one, any recent speech, occupational therapy or school reports, and your AccessOAP details if you're registered.
FAQs
Questions Parents Ask Us
Yes. We serve families across the City of Toronto, from Etobicoke to Scarborough, and in neighbouring GTA cities.
Yes. You don't need a dedicated therapy room. Therapists work in the space you have, such as a corner of the living room or a bedroom, and take some goals outdoors to a nearby park when that helps.
Not for private-pay therapy, which can start without one. To register for the OAP and use its funding, your child needs a written autism diagnosis from a qualified professional.
It depends on your child's goals. Focused programs usually involve a few hours a week, while comprehensive programs can run 20 hours or more. Your Behaviour Analyst recommends a starting schedule after the assessment and adjusts it as your child progresses.
Usually within a few weeks. After your free consultation and in-home assessment, we match your child with a therapist and set a schedule.
Yes, if your child is registered in the OAP and has core clinical services funding. Our programs are supervised by a CPBAO-registered Behaviour Analyst, which the OAP requires for ABA services, and we provide the receipts and records you need for your expense form.
Yes. Evening and weekend times are available, and many families combine in-home, daycare and online sessions to fit their week.
Home sessions work on the routines your child actually has, like meals, play, getting dressed and moving between activities. Skills practised where they're used tend to carry over more easily. A centre-based program suits some children better, and if we think that's true for yours, we'll tell you.
Start With a Free Consultation
Tell us about your child and what a good week would look like for your family. We'll talk through your options, what OAP funding can cover and how soon a therapist could start in your neighbourhood.
- Email: care@adtherapy.ca
- Phone: +1 519 771 4679
- Office: 5250 Solar Dr #13, Mississauga, ON L4W 5G5. Therapy takes place in your home, at your child's daycare or online.