What to Bring to an ABA Assessment or First Appointment

Confirm what the appointment is for

Ask whether the event is intake, clinical assessment, reassessment, caregiver interview, observation, skills testing, or a payer-required visit. Confirm who will attend, how long it may take, whether the child participates for the whole time, and which documents are required.

The CDC service-access page offers general information about accessing autism services. Providers and payers use different prerequisites.

Bring purpose-needed records

The provider may request a diagnostic report, referral or order, prior evaluations, school plan, medication list, insurance information, prior treatment summary, custody or authority documentation, and recent contact information. Ask which pages matter for the current decision.

Use the approved upload, portal, fax, or in-person process. Keep a copy of what you sent and the date. Avoid emailing sensitive records to an unverified address.

Protect communication access

Bring the child's AAC device, charger, paper or low-tech backup, glasses, hearing supports, mobility equipment, and other everyday access tools. The ASHA AAC portal says AAC users should always have access to their communication tools or devices.

Write down reliable messages for yes, no, stop, break, pain, help, bathroom, and choices. Tell the assessor how much wait time and partner support the child uses.

Prepare a short health and safety summary

Include allergies, medications, significant diagnoses, seizures, pain or illness signs, mobility needs, feeding or swallowing concerns, toileting support, elopement or wandering concerns, and the current emergency contact route when relevant.

Bring medication only through the provider's approved process. An assessment appointment is not a substitute for medical evaluation or emergency care.

Pack for comfort

Depending on the site and provider rules, useful items can include a preferred object, water, permitted snack or meal, clothing, toileting supplies, sensory supports, and a familiar activity. Ask about food allergies and facility restrictions first.

The CASP ABA Practice Guidelines Version 3.0 public summary places assessment and treatment planning within individualized ABA behavioral health treatment. It does not create a universal packing list.

Bring examples and questions

Write two or three strengths and priorities. Use recent examples with a time and setting. List what the child communicates, what helps, what has been tried, and which family routines matter.

Questions can include:

• Who is clinically responsible for the assessment?
• How will my child participate and communicate?
• How do you handle assent, breaks, and withdrawal?
• Which records will you create and share?
• When and how will we discuss findings?
• What happens if the team recommends another evaluation?

The current BACB Ethics Code addresses competence, understandable communication, consent and assent when applicable, assessment, referral, documentation, and evaluation for covered certificants and applicants.

A fictional checklist

Theo's family is fictional. The provider requests eight items. Six are ready before the appointment. Document readiness is 6 of 8, or 75%. The school plan and one prior report are still pending.

The provider confirms that the appointment can proceed without them and records a follow-up owner. Theo brings his AAC device, paper backup, headphones, water, and a preferred book. The family keeps missing records visible without treating them as the child's responsibility.

Leave with a next step

Before leaving, ask who will contact you, which information remains due, how corrections work, and when findings may be discussed. Record the expected next event without treating an estimate as a guarantee.

Store your packing list for future visits and update health, communication, access, contacts, insurance, or authority information when it changes.

Use a two-part checklist

Separate items the provider needs to review from items the child may use during the visit. The review list might include the requested referral, school plan, medication list, prior report, insurance card, or authority document. The child-access list might include AAC, a backup communication method, glasses, hearing devices, mobility support, sensory items, water, and a preferred activity.

When deciding what to bring to an ABA assessment, ask whether a copy is enough and how the provider will protect, return, or destroy it. Avoid bringing original legal or medical records unless the provider specifically requires them and explains how they will be handled. Label pending items with an owner and date instead of presenting the child as unprepared.

Take a photo or secure copy of your final checklist. After the appointment, remove obsolete versions and note what the team actually used. This makes the next visit easier without creating an unnecessary archive of sensitive information.