Many autistic children receive both speech-language therapy and ABA therapy, and families sometimes wonder how the two relate — are they redundant, competing, or complementary? Here's how they actually fit together.
What Speech-Language Therapy Focuses On
Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) specialize specifically in communication — including speech sound production, language comprehension and expression, social communication (pragmatics), and, when appropriate, AAC assessment and implementation. An SLP's training is centered entirely on the mechanics and development of communication itself.
What ABA Therapy Focuses On
ABA therapy takes a broader view, addressing communication as one of several skill domains alongside social skills, daily living skills, and behavior — using the principles of applied behavior analysis to teach and reinforce functional skills across all of these areas, including communication.
Where They Overlap
Communication is genuinely a shared area of focus between the two disciplines, which is exactly why coordination matters. Both an SLP and a BCBA might work on requesting skills, but from somewhat different angles: an SLP might focus more on the specific mechanics of language production or AAC device use, while a BCBA focuses on building strong reinforcement histories and generalizing the skill across the child's whole day, not just during formal sessions.
Why Coordination Matters
When an SLP and a BCBA are working with the same child without communicating, there's real risk of inconsistent approaches or strategies working against each other — different terminology, different prompting techniques, or different AAC implementation approaches can genuinely confuse a child rather than reinforcing progress. Good coordination means the two professionals share goals, terminology, and strategies, so your child experiences a consistent approach whether they're in a speech session or an ABA session.
What Good Coordination Looks Like
Ideally, your child's BCBA and SLP should: know what goals each other is working on, use consistent AAC systems and prompting strategies across settings, and communicate directly (with your consent) rather than relying on you to relay information between two providers who've never spoken to each other. As a parent, it's entirely reasonable to ask both providers directly whether and how they're willing to coordinate.
When One Might Be Prioritized Over the Other
Depending on your child's specific needs, one service might be prioritized more heavily than the other at a given time — a child working primarily on articulation and speech sound production might need more intensive SLP involvement, while a child whose primary challenge is using communication functionally in real-world situations might benefit from ABA's intensive, generalization-focused approach. This isn't a competition between the two — it's about matching support to your child's current priority needs.
Insurance Considerations
Both speech therapy and ABA therapy are generally covered separately under Michigan's insurance landscape, though specific coverage details vary by plan — it's worth verifying both separately rather than assuming coverage for one implies coverage for the other.
For Grandville-Area Families
Our BCBA, Kimberly Blazer, is glad to coordinate directly with your child's speech-language pathologist, with your consent, to keep both services aligned. If you're in the Grandville area, Our Individual ABA Therapy service is designed around exactly this kind of goal. our in-home ABA therapy in Grandville page has more information, or Get Started Today to get started.
This article is part of our complete guide, Nonverbal Autism: Communication Strategies That Work. Clinically reviewed by Kimberly Blazer, BCBA.