Care built around your child's goals.
Every plan starts with an initial assessment. Your child's Behavior Analyst then makes a clinical recommendation and reviews it with you, so you always know what to expect.
Two levels of care
Focused ABA
For children with a strong foundation in some areas who need extra support in a few, like social skills, independent living skills, or decreasing challenging behaviors. Fewer hours, focused goals, meaningful progress!
Comprehensive ABA
A broad range of skills at once: communication, social skills, play, school readiness, self-help, and behavior. More hours means more learning opportunities.
Assessment
Getting to know your child comes first! Caregiver interviews, observations, and assessment tools help us understand their unique strengths, needs, and goals so we can create a personalized path forward.
Skill building
Communication, social interaction, play, self-regulation, safety, school readiness, and independence, practiced where they matter most.
Challenging behavior
We find the reason behind a behavior, then teach safer, more effective ways to communicate, cope, and self-regulate.
Caregiver guidance
One hour a week with your child's Behavior Analyst, plus help practicing in real life: the grocery store, a busy playground, a family outing.
At home, at our Cedar Springs center, or both.
We recommend the setting that fits your child, and can combine them as goals change.
In your home
Home-based ABA throughout Greater Grand Rapids and Rockford. Therapy in your child's natural environment, with familiar routines, where it's easy for caregivers to join in.
At our Cedar Springs center
600 West St, Cedar Springs. A structured space with fewer distractions, peers to practice social skills with, and a full clinical team on site. Open Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm.
Hybrid
A mix of home, center, and community, including school when appropriate, so skills carry across every setting.
How quickly can my child start? We move as fast as you do.
Information gathering
You provide the details, we take it from there. The sooner we have what we need, the sooner things move.
Insurance authorization
We submit to your insurance company. This usually takes 1 to 2 weeks, depending on your plan.
Initial assessment
A caregiver interview, observations, and assessment sessions, about four appointments, ideally within 2 to 4 weeks.
Treatment planning
Your child's Behavior Analyst builds an individualized plan and reviews it with you, so you can ask questions along the way.
The green light
We submit the plan for authorization. Once it's approved and scheduling is set, therapy begins.
What families say.
“Watching our child grow into himself and watching his personality shine through is the greatest gift we could receive.”
“North Arrow has made a huge impact on how our child is able to communicate and interact.”
“I never have a worry when he is in their care because they treat him like family.”
“Their services have exceeded our expectations in every way.”
“The right people have finally been placed into our sons life.”
Questions families ask.
Straight answers before you reach out.
Does my child need a diagnosis first?
Yes. ABA requires a medical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder that meets your insurance plan's criteria. A school diagnosis is different and does not qualify on its own. If you are not there yet, reach out anyway: Admissions can point you to evaluation providers in the Grand Rapids area.
Who do you work with?
Children and young adults with autism, ages 1 to 21, in Cedar Springs and across Greater Grand Rapids. Early intervention services are for ages 1 to 5, a critical period when foundational skills take shape. We also work with school-age children and teens, including after-school hours.
Is ABA covered by my insurance?
We work with Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Care Network, HAP, McLaren, Priority Health, UMR, and UnitedHealthcare. Coverage varies by plan and some plans have age limits, so Admissions verifies your benefits before anything else.
How quickly can my child start?
Every family's timeline looks a little different. Information gathering, insurance authorization (usually 1 to 2 weeks), an initial assessment (about four appointments over 2 to 4 weeks), a treatment plan, then final authorization. We keep you informed at every step, and the faster we have your information, the faster it moves.
How is ABA different from other therapies?
ABA is a more intensive, longer-term approach to building skills. Rather than one skill in a brief weekly session, it usually means multiple hours of direct therapy each week, with regular caregiver guidance so learning carries beyond sessions. If your child also has speech or occupational therapy, we collaborate with those providers and align goals where it makes sense.
What does ABA therapy actually look like?
No two learners are alike, so no two sessions look the same. A Registered Behavior Technician works one-on-one with your child, at home, at our center, or in the community. We use positive reinforcement to keep learning engaging: play, outdoor time when appropriate, social opportunities, choices, and plenty of encouragement.
What skills can you work on?
Communication, social interaction, play and leisure, self-regulation, safety, school readiness, independence, and more. We also build individualized behavior plans for challenging behaviors, focusing on the reason behind the behavior and teaching meaningful alternatives. Grocery store trips feeling overwhelming? We can plan outings and practice strategies in real situations.
Focused or comprehensive: What's the best fit for my child?
Every child is unique, and their therapy should be, too! After getting to know your child through the initial assessment, their Behavior Analyst will recommend an approach that best supports their individual strengths, needs, and goals. We'll walk you through the recommendation, answer your questions, and work together to determine the best path forward.
Do parents and caregivers take part?
Yes. One hour of caregiver guidance each week is part of every treatment package, so what your child learns in therapy shows up at home, at school, and on outings.
Cedar Springs and Greater Grand Rapids.
Center-based therapy in Cedar Springs. Home-based therapy across the communities below, and hybrid plans that combine the two.
Cedar Springs clinical center
600 West St, Cedar Springs, MI 49319
Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm
1-800-645-4737
Not listed? Ask Admissions. Home-based services reach most of the area around Cedar Springs.