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10 Best ABA Therapy Providers in San Leandro, CA (2026)

Compare 2 ABA providers serving San Leandro. Explore the full ranked list and find a provider that feels right for your child.

Birch Behavior ABA Therapy promotional banner showing a smiling child and adult playing with blue sensory sand. Includes the Birch Behavior logo, QR code, website, email, BCBA-led services, and East Bay and South Bay service areas.
1

Birch Behavior - Newark

Premium
Serving San Leandro, CAAges 0-17Accepting new clients

🌿Birch Behavior | Play-Based, BCBA-Led ABA Therapy: Birch Behavior is an independently owned ABA therapy practice providing high-quality, individualized, play-based, trauma-informed ABA therapy for children across select East Bay and South Bay communities in California. 💚 Our Specialty:Direct 1:1 BCBA-Led, Play-Based ABA Therapy Every ABA therapy session is directly provided by a BCBA. 🌱 Our Teaching Methods: Combination of Early Start Denver Model (ESDM)-informed strategies, Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), Natural Environment Teaching (NET). We adapt our approach to fit the child, not the child to fit the approach. 🧩 Skills We Support: Functional Communication • Emotional Regulation • Social Interaction • Daily Living Skills • Safety • Self-Advocacy • Independence. Our approach is child-centered, neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, and family-centered, focusing on meaningful skills children can use in everyday life. 🏡 We Provide In-Home, school/daycare, Community-Based ABA Therapy 📍 Our Service Areas: East Bay & South Bay including Fremont, Newark, Union City, Dublin, Pleasanton, Sunol, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Milpitas, San Jose and surrounding communities. 💳 Private-Pay & Out-of-Network ABA Therapy: Superbills are available for potential insurance reimbursement, depending on your plan's out-of-network benefits. ✨ Currently Accepting New Clients! Free Initial Video Consultation Available. Learn more: birchbehavior.com

  • In-home
  • School-based
  • Telehealth
  • Positive Behavior Plan
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Ala Costa Centers participant cutting vegetables during a cooking activity.
2

Ala Costa Centers

Listed
San Leandro, CAAges 18-22

Ala Costa Centers is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults with developmental disabilities in Berkeley and Oakland. The center's core mission is to empower neurodivergent individuals by providing them with the skills and opportunities necessary to become successful and productive members of society. Ala Costa Centers focuses on creating a supportive environment where youths and young adults can self-determine, self-advocate, and receive guidance for their families. Key offerings at Ala Costa Centers include a variety of specialized programs tailored to meet the unique needs of neurodivergent individuals. The After School Program provides care and enrichment for school-aged youths, ensuring a safe and engaging environment after school hours. The Adult Transition Program (ACAT) serves students aged 18-22 from the Berkeley Unified School District, focusing on life skills and community integration. Additionally, the Adult Community Training (ACT) Program offers community-based services for adults aged 22 and older, emphasizing vocational training and personal development. Therapeutic methodologies employed may include social skills groups, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy, all designed to foster growth and independence. What sets Ala Costa Centers apart is its commitment to self-determination and individualized support. The center maintains a low student-to-staff ratio, ensuring personalized attention and care. The campus environment is designed to be inclusive and nurturing, allowing participants to explore their unique strengths and engage with the community. With a focus on empowering individuals through specialized technology and summer programs, Ala Costa Centers stands out as a vital resource for families seeking comprehensive support for their loved ones with developmental disabilities.

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ABA therapy providers in San Francisco Compare 7 programs about 16 miles away. ABA therapy providers in Brentwood Compare 3 programs about 29 miles away. ABA therapy providers in San Jose Compare 5 programs about 30 miles away. ABA therapy providers in Newark Compare 2 programs about 13 miles away. ABA therapy providers in Diablo Compare 1 program about 13 miles away. ABA therapy providers in San Mateo Compare 2 programs about 14 miles away.
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Planning guides

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Use these guides before you ask about intake, insurance, school coordination, parent training, or waitlists.

How to choose an autism therapy center

Questions to ask about BCBA supervision, intake, setting, parent training, and waitlists.

ABA therapy cost by state

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IEP process guide

Use this when therapy decisions overlap with school evaluations, supports, or placement.

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Why Choose ABA Therapy in San Leandro?

San Leandro is home base for the Regional Center of the East Bay, whose main office sits on Davis Street. This page lists Birch Behavior, a BCBA-led ABA practice based in Newark, and Ala Costa Centers on Malcolm Avenue, which runs after-school, transition and adult day programs for people with developmental disabilities.

Comprehensive Autism Therapy Services in San Leandro

Birch Behavior builds ABA around play and daily routines, using approaches such as NDBI, PRT and ESDM, plus discrete trial teaching when a child needs it, and coaches caregivers so skills carry over at home and school. Ala Costa Centers serves children and adults with developmental disabilities through community programs. Medi-Cal rules sit on the DHCS behavioral health treatment page. When exploring special needs educational programs alongside behavioral therapy, families in San Leandro often find that coordinated services produce the best outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions About ABA Therapy in San Leandro

Where can I find ABA therapy for autism in San Leandro?
Birch Behavior is the ABA option on this page. It works out of Newark and describes BCBA-led, play-based therapy that targets communication, behavior, daily living skills, safety and independence. Ask Birch which San Leandro neighborhoods its staff reach and whether sessions happen in your home. Ala Costa Centers, also listed here, runs disability programs rather than ABA, so it works alongside therapy, not in place of it.
How do I reach the Regional Center of the East Bay from San Leandro?
The Regional Center of the East Bay serves Alameda and Contra Costa counties from its main office at 500 Davis Street in San Leandro. For a child under 3, email the Early Start intake team at earlystartreferrals@rceb.org. Early Start covers birth to 36 months, and federal Part C rules allow 45 days from referral to finish the evaluation and hold the first IFSP meeting.
Does Medi-Cal pay for autism ABA therapy in San Leandro?
Yes, for members under 21. Medi-Cal covers medically necessary behavioral health treatment, ABA included, once a physician or psychologist recommends it, regardless of diagnosis. Alameda County Medi-Cal members belong to Alameda Alliance for Health or, if they qualify, Kaiser Permanente, and the plan provides the therapy. Children with fee-for-service Medi-Cal get ABA through the regional center or, since July 1, 2025, through an enrolled Qualified Autism Service provider.
Will my employer insurance cover ABA for my child's autism?
California Health and Safety Code 1374.73 requires health care service plans to cover behavioral health treatment, including ABA, for autism, and plans must keep enough qualified autism service providers in network. If no in-network agency near San Leandro can staff your hours, ask the plan to find one. Plans can still use utilization review, and the ABA treatment plan gets reviewed at least every six months.
How long are ABA wait lists near San Leandro, and should I join more than one?
Openings shift month to month, so never rely on one list. Contact Birch Behavior and two or three agencies serving Hayward, Oakland or Castro Valley in the same week, and send each the same packet: the diagnosis or physician recommendation, your insurance card and the hours you can do sessions. Ask whether in-home openings come up faster than clinic slots.
Is in-home ABA a good fit for a young child in San Leandro?
For toddlers and preschoolers it often is. Naturalistic approaches like the ones Birch Behavior lists, including NDBI, ESDM and pivotal response training, teach during play, meals and bath time, which makes home a natural classroom. Center-based ABA adds peers and a set schedule, which helps a child getting ready for TK or kindergarten. Many families start at home and add group or school support as goals change.
What programs does Ala Costa Centers offer in San Leandro?
Ala Costa Centers runs disability programs in Berkeley and across the East Bay, and this page lists its Malcolm Avenue site in San Leandro. Its lineup includes an After School Program, the Ala Costa Adult Transition program (ACAT), Adult Community Training and a Tailored Day Service. The organization builds its work around self-determination and community inclusion, so look at it when your autistic teen starts planning for life after high school.
How does San Leandro Unified handle autism evaluations for preschoolers?
San Leandro Unified takes referrals for children ages 3 to 5 through its Preschool Intake, which decides special education eligibility and, after assessment, writes an initial IEP. For an older student, put your request in writing to the school. California law gives the district 15 days to send an assessment plan, not counting school breaks longer than five school days, and 60 days from your signed consent to hold the IEP meeting.

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