Questions families ask us

If your question isn't here, call us at 636.400.7778 and ask. We'd rather answer it than have you guess.

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  • To use insurance, yes — nearly all plans require a formal autism or related diagnosis before authorizing ABA services. But you don't need one to call us. If you're still in the evaluation process or don't know where to start, reach out and we'll point you toward options in the St. Louis area.

  • It depends on the service. Our Florissant center serves children ages 3 to 10. In-home services run from age 3 through adulthood. Virtual services are available for ages 4 and up, subject to funding source approval.

  • No. We currently have openings across our services. This is unusual in the St. Louis market and it's deliberate — Regal was founded specifically because families here were waiting a year or more for care.

  • Most of the timeline is insurance, not us. We respond within five business days, and benefit verification and prior authorization typically take one to three weeks depending on your carrier. After that, assessment and plan development take another one to two weeks. Many families start within a month or two of reaching out.

  • Our center is in Florissant. We provide in-home services across North County and St. Louis County, including Hazelwood, Ferguson, Black Jack, Dellwood, Bridgeton, Berkeley, Normandy, Jennings, Spanish Lake, and St. Ann, plus parts of St. Charles County. Virtual services are available across Missouri.

  • Yes, and we'd encourage it. Bring your child, bring your questions, and see whether the space feels right. There's no obligation attached to a tour.

Getting Started

A man talking on a phone while sitting at a desk with a laptop, a cup of tea, a notebook, a pen, a plant, and a credit card.

  • We're credentialed with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid), Optum, UMR, UnitedHealthcare, and DMH Medicaid waivers. If your plan isn't listed, contact us anyway — coverage networks change and single-case agreements are sometimes possible.

  • Yes. MO HealthNet covers ABA services for eligible children with an autism diagnosis, and families on Medicaid typically have no out-of-pocket cost. DMH Medicaid waivers also cover behavior services for eligible individuals.

  • That depends entirely on your plan — your deductible, copay or coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximum. Rather than guess, we verify your benefits directly with your carrier and give you a written estimate before your learner starts anything.

  • It's your insurance company approving services before they begin. Most plans require it for ABA. We handle the whole process — submitting the assessment, the treatment plan, and the requested hours — so you don't have to.

  • No. Benefit verification is free and carries no obligation to enroll.

Insurance and cost

A father and son smiling and preparing sliced apples together in a kitchen, with a bowl of apples and a cutting board on the counter.

  • Applied Behavior Analysis is an evidence-based approach that looks at how the environment influences behavior, then uses that understanding to teach meaningful skills and reduce behaviors that get in the way of daily life. In practice, it means teaching communication, independence, and social skills in ways that transfer to the real world.

  • No. ABA is most commonly associated with autism and most insurance coverage is tied to an autism diagnosis, but the principles apply broadly. We serve individuals with autism and other diagnoses.

  • It varies by learner. Focused programs commonly run 10 to 15 hours a week; comprehensive programs can run 30 or more. Your BCBA recommends hours based on the assessment, and we advocate for that recommendation with your insurance.

  • Months to years, depending on goals and progress. The goal is always to fade services as skills are mastered — good ABA works itself out of a job. We'll talk with you regularly about where your learner is and whether the plan should change.

  • A Board Certified Behavior Analyst holds a master's degree and designs and supervises your learner's treatment plan. A Registered Behavior Technician delivers therapy directly, working one-on-one with your learner under that BCBA's supervision. You'll likely see the RBT more often and the BCBA regularly.

  • We collect data on every goal, every session. You'll get regular progress updates in plain language showing what's improving, what isn't, and what we're adjusting. If something isn't working, we want you to hear it from us before you have to ask.

  • Mostly it looks like play. Structured teaching mixed with natural learning opportunities, motivating activities, breaks, and — at our center — time with peers. Learners work on communication, daily living skills, social skills, and independence in a way that's designed to feel engaging rather than clinical.

About ABA therapy

A group of four adults and one child walking through a colorful indoor play area, with a woman in a purple cardigan leading the way and children playing in the background.

  • Center-based gives a learner a structured environment built for learning, with peers and fewer distractions. In-home teaches skills where they actually get used — your morning routine, your kitchen, your neighborhood. Many learners benefit from a combination

  • Often, yes. Many plans will authorize a split. Your BCBA will recommend the mix that makes clinical sense and we'll request authorization accordingly.

  • Research shows telehealth ABA can be as effective as in-person when implemented well, particularly when caregivers are actively involved. It isn't the right fit for every learner or every goal, and we'll tell you honestly if we think in-person would serve your learner better.

  • Parent training is structured coaching with a BCBA focused on your specific home routines. It's a core part of how we work, because what your learner learns with us has to hold up when we're not there. It's usually covered by insurance.

  • Yes, and we built our schedule around it. Our 4:00 to 6:00 after-school block exists specifically for learners who are in school during the day — either a social skills group at the clinic or in-home services at home. Our morning and afternoon blocks also make a partial school day workable. We build the schedule around what your family is already doing.

Choosing a service

Two adults, a woman and a man, having a discussion while reviewing documents and graphs on a table in an office or classroom setting.

  • Yes. We provide functional behavior assessment, behavior intervention plan development, classroom systems, staff coaching, and IEP team consultation for districts and buildings across the St. Louis region.

  • Yes. We provide BACB-compliant individual and group supervision, on site in Florissant and remotely, structured around the areas of the task list where you actually need development.

  • Yes. We deliver behavior-analytic training and consultation for human service agencies, healthcare organizations, community programs, and employers — scoped to your organization's real size, budget, and staffing.

For schools and clinicians