Why your child's ABA team should talk to their speech therapist

Author : Perfect Pair | Published On : 03 Nov 2026

Picture two adults teaching your child to ask for a snack. One wants a spoken word. The other is happy with a picture card. Both are reasonable goals, and your child is stuck in the middle trying to work out which one gets the cracker.

That's what happens when ABA and speech therapy run side by side without anyone comparing notes. Neither therapist is doing anything wrong. They just aren't working from the same page.

Communication sits at the center of both

A lot of ABA goals are communication goals, even when they aren't labeled that way. Asking for help, saying "all done," requesting a break instead of throwing a toy: those are language skills, and they're also behavior skills.

Speech-language pathologists bring deep training in how language develops, how sounds are formed, and how to use devices or sign. BCBAs bring a structured way to teach, practice, and reinforce a skill until it sticks. When the two share information, your child gets one consistent message instead of two competing ones.

What coordination looks like in practice

Coordination doesn't have to mean long meetings.

Often it's smaller than that.

Your BCBA reads the most recent speech evaluation before writing goals. The speech therapist knows which words or signs the ABA team is reinforcing at home. If your child uses an AAC device, everyone agrees on where key words live on the screen and how prompting should fade. When one therapist notices a new word, they mention it to the other.

You'll need to sign a release so providers can talk to each other. Ask for it early. Without that form, most therapists can't share much, even if they want to.

When your child is under three

If your child hasn't turned three yet, you may already be working with Virginia's early intervention system, or you may be wondering whether you should be. The Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia is the state's Part C early intervention system for children from birth to age three. Speech support can be part of what it provides.

Early intervention and ABA can overlap during these years. If your toddler is receiving both, the same rule applies: the people involved should know what the others are working on. Ask your early intervention service coordinator whether they're willing to share plans with your ABA provider, and ask your BCBA the same question in reverse.

Questions to ask your providers

When you're choosing or reviewing an ABA provider, how they handle outside therapists says a lot. These questions can help:

• Will you read my child's speech evaluation and current goals before writing a plan?

• How do you prefer to share updates with other therapists: phone, email, or a shared document?

• If my child uses a communication device, who decides how it's set up and taught?

• What happens if your recommendation conflicts with the speech therapist's?

That last question matters. Disagreements happen. You want a provider who'll pick up the phone and sort it out with the other professional rather than leaving you to referee.

Bringing it into your home

For families in the Hampton Roads area, sessions at home have a real advantage here. The ABA therapist can see exactly how your child communicates at the kitchen table, in the bath, and during the moments that tend to fall apart. Perfect Pair ABA has a page with more about in home aba therapy newport news va, including how sessions are set up.

Bring your speech therapist's home practice ideas to your ABA sessions, too. A therapist in your living room can help you work those into routines you already have.

A practical first move

Before your next appointment with either provider, ask the front desk for a release of information form for the other. Fill it out, name the specific therapist, and then ask each one when they plan to make first contact.