To start, this review has NOTHING to do with our BCBA and BT's. They were thoughtful, wonderful and caring and i wish nothing but the best for them in their careers. I was super sad to change providers as my son was very attached to his BT. My issue, like the other reviews, have to do with management. To a certain extent, I am understanding that this is a business and money is what keeps a business afloat and operating properly. But ALP runs their business without any care or concern for the clients, who btw are CHILDREN with ASD. The children ultimately get the short end of the stick.
My first red flag was when they started penny pinching by asking us to pay for the all therapists' clearances and background checks so the sessions can be held concurrently at my son's school. (All third party providers are subject to clearances to ensure the safety of the staff and children). It was only $50 per therapist but I still thought it was wrong for me to bear the burden. It was very off-putting and I even questioned them why I had to pay for it but at that point, I didn't want to back out and look for another provider because that would mean another round of interviews and intake process and we all know that takes MONTHS. Had they mentioned this to me from the very beginning, I would've had the option to continue or look elsewhere but the fact that they waited to tell me to pay AFTER 6 weeks or so of interviews, applications and observations told me they were banking on the fact that the parents will reluctantly pay rather than go through the hassle of starting over again. Ultimately I agreed to pay and I paid again when the BCBA quit and another one was brought in to take her place. I later found out from my son's school director that no one charges the parents for these clearances and it was the first they've heard of such practices. My son's current provider also never asked us to pay.
The 2nd and final red flag (thus prompting this review) was when we needed to change our schedule because my son started kindergarten and therapy need to be switched over to afternoon sessions. But due to high demand for afternoon sessions and shortage of therapists and us being uncertain what the new school schedule would be like for my son, we missed the deadline to ask for the schedule change. When I asked the director for help with scheduling, she very curtly told me she is unable to help us and that all the therapists' schedules have been filled and basically told us to look elsewhere. Again to a certain degree, I was the one at fault for missing the deadline for the schedule change. But the way in which she worded her email and the way she so easily threw us to the curb without any concern for my son's well being was unprofessional, inconsiderate and unsympathetic. The whole point of ABA therapy is try to teach children with ASD appropriate social responses, awareness of social cues and improving interactions with others. As the saying goes, "You can't save someone from drowning if you don't know how to swim." Do better, ALP read more
