ABA FAQ About Hour Recommendations
Why bitKIDS Requires a Minimum of 6 Hours of ABA Therapy Each Week
(And What to Do If Fewer Hours Are the Right Fit)
When families reach out to bitKIDS Behaviour Consulting, one of the most common questions we hear is:
“Why is there a minimum of 6 hours of ABA therapy per week?”
It’s a fair question—especially for busy families juggling work, school, appointments, and home life. Our goal is always to provide services that are meaningful, effective, and respectful of your time and resources. This is why we want to be transparent about the research-based reasoning behind our minimum service hours, and the alternative supports we offer when fewer hours are a better fit.
Why Consistency Matters in ABA Therapy
Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is most effective when children have regular, consistent opportunities to practice new skills. Learning doesn’t happen all at once—it happens through repeated teaching, reinforcement, and generalization over time.
A minimum of 6 hours per week allows us to:
- Teach new skills at an appropriate pace
- Provide enough repetition for skills to stick
- Respond to your child’s progress in real time
- Collect meaningful data to guide next steps
- Support behaviour change that lasts beyond sessions
With fewer hours, progress can become slower and less predictable, and children may not have enough opportunities to practice skills before long breaks between sessions.
Why Fewer Hours Can Be Challenging for One to One ABA
When weekly hours drop too low, we often see:
- Skills being re-taught rather than built upon
- Difficulty maintaining momentum and motivation
- Limited opportunities to generalize skills across settings
- Frustration for both the child and the family
Because our ethical responsibility is to provide services that are clinically meaningful, we set a minimum threshold that allows therapy to be effective.
A Flexible Alternative: Caregiver Coaching
We recognize that 6 or more hours of direct ABA therapy isn’t always feasible—and that doesn’t mean your child can’t make progress.
For families seeking fewer weekly hours, caregiver coaching is often a better and more impactful option.
What Is Caregiver Coaching?
Caregiver coaching focuses on teaching parents and caregivers how to embed ABA strategies into everyday routines—mealtime, play, dressing, transitions, and community outings.
Rather than skills being practiced only during therapy sessions, they are practiced multiple times a day, in real-life situations.
Why Coaching Works Well with Fewer Hours
Caregiver coaching allows us to:
- Multiply learning opportunities throughout the week
- Build confidence and independence for families
- Support skill generalization across environments
- Create long-term change that continues outside of therapy
- Make the most of limited funded or available hours
With our bitKIDS caregiver coaching approach, families are active partners in the learning process.
Choosing the Right Model for Your Family
There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach. At bitKIDS, we work collaboratively with families to determine the most appropriate service model based on:
- Your child’s learning needs and goals
- Available weekly hours and funding
- Family capacity and routines
- Long-term priorities for independence and skill development
Whether that means 6+ hours of direct ABA, caregiver coaching, or a combination of both, our focus remains the same: meaningful progress that fits into real family life.
We’re Here to Help You Decide
If you’re unsure which option is right for your family, we’re happy to talk it through. Our team can help you understand what level of support will be most effective—and sustainable—based on your unique situation.
Progress happens best when learning is consistent, supported, and practiced often.
Our minimum hours and flexible alternatives are designed to make that possible.
