When your child receives an autism diagnosis, the days that follow can feel like a flood of information, questions, and decisions — often arriving all at once. One of the most common things parents tell us when they first reach out to Autism Centers of Utah is that they simply didn’t know where to begin. That’s exactly why we want to walk you through the process, step by step, before you even pick up the phone.
Autism Centers of Utah is a family-founded, center-based program located in Sandy, Utah. Our 15,000-square-foot facility was purpose-built for children with autism, and our team has spent years helping families in Sandy, Draper, South Jordan, and the surrounding communities move from uncertainty to a clear, personalized plan for their child. Here’s what getting started actually looks like.
Step One: The Welcome Call
Everything begins with a welcome call. This isn’t a sales call — it’s a genuine conversation. A member of our team will take the time to hear about your child: their age, their current challenges, what you’ve noticed at home, and what your goals are for therapy. You’ll also have the chance to ask any questions you have about our program, our staff, or how ABA therapy works in a center-based setting.
This call helps us understand whether Autism Centers of Utah is the right fit for your family, and it gives you a real sense of who we are before you ever visit the building. There’s no pressure and no commitment involved — just an honest conversation.
Step Two: Insurance Verification
Before scheduling a center visit, our team will verify your insurance coverage. Autism Centers of Utah is in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield and Utah Medicaid. If you carry either of those plans, we’ll confirm your benefits and walk you through what to expect in terms of coverage. We want to take this piece of the puzzle off your plate so you can focus on your child.
If you have questions about whether your specific plan applies, our team can help you sort through it. Please note that Autism Centers of Utah is not able to work with Tricare.
Step Three: A Tour of the Center
Once insurance is confirmed, we invite families to visit our Sandy location. Walking through the facility before therapy begins makes a real difference — for both parents and children. Our center includes a full indoor playground, a turf room, an art room, dedicated sensory spaces, and a lunch area. These aren’t extras; they’re part of how therapy happens here.
Children with autism often do best when they know what to expect. Seeing the space, meeting some of the staff, and getting a feel for the environment before the first official session removes a lot of the anxiety that comes with starting something new. We encourage families to ask questions during the tour and to bring their child along if it feels right.
Step Four: Onboarding and Assessment
After the tour, we move into onboarding. This is where we collect the intake information we need — developmental history, school records, prior evaluations, and any existing diagnoses — so that our clinical team has a complete picture of your child going in.
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) on our team will then conduct a formal behavior assessment. BCBAs are master’s-level clinicians who specialize in behavior analysis; they design treatment plans, conduct assessments, and supervise the therapy your child receives. The assessment looks at your child’s current skills across several areas: communication, social interaction, play, self-care, and behavior. It typically includes structured observation and may include standardized assessment tools. If your family still needs a formal autism diagnosis, Autism Centers of Utah can also conduct an ADOS assessment.
The goal of the assessment isn’t to confirm what’s already on paper — it’s to understand your child as an individual so that the treatment plan we build is genuinely specific to them.
Step Five: The Treatment Plan
Based on the assessment, your child’s BCBA will develop an individualized treatment plan. This document outlines your child’s specific goals, the strategies that will be used to address them, and the recommended hours of therapy per week. ABA therapy at Autism Centers of Utah ranges from 10 to 40 hours per week depending on each child’s needs — some children benefit most from a focused, part-time program, while others thrive in a more intensive schedule.
You’ll have the chance to review and discuss the treatment plan with your child’s BCBA before therapy begins. Parents are active partners in this process, not passive observers. If something doesn’t make sense or you have concerns about a particular goal, that’s the right moment to raise it.
If you’d like to understand more about what ABA sessions involve before your child begins, our guide to how ABA therapy works covers the structure of sessions, the roles of BCBAs and RBTs, and what the assessment process looks like.
Step Six: Starting the Program
Once the plan is in place and authorization is obtained from your insurance, your child begins their program. For a detailed walkthrough of what to expect on the first day and beyond, see our page on your child’s first visit. During sessions, your child works directly with a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) — a trained therapist who delivers ABA therapy under the ongoing supervision of their BCBA. RBTs build genuine relationships with the children they work with, and many families find that their child quickly looks forward to coming to the center.
The BCBA continues to guide the program from behind the scenes: observing sessions, analyzing data, adjusting goals, and meeting regularly with your family to share progress updates. Parent training is also built into the process, so you leave each phase with practical strategies you can use at home.
What Else Is Available at Autism Centers of Utah
ABA therapy is the foundation of our program, but many children also benefit from Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Feeding Therapy — all of which are offered at our Sandy location as supportive services for ABA clients. Having these therapists under the same roof means your child’s care team can communicate daily and coordinate their approaches in real time, rather than working in silos.
Speech Therapy at Autism Centers of Utah addresses expressive and receptive language, articulation, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for children who need a different way to communicate beyond spoken words.
Occupational Therapy focuses on sensory processing, fine motor skills, and the daily living tasks that can be challenging for children with autism — things like tolerating different textures, managing transitions, or building the hand strength needed for writing.
Feeding Therapy supports children who are highly selective eaters, using gradual food exposure, sensory desensitization, and positive reinforcement to expand food acceptance. This is specifically for picky eating and sensory-related feeding challenges — not for medical feeding disorders or swallowing conditions.
A Word About Who We Are
Autism Centers of Utah was founded by the Katari family — Jay, Kimberly, and Cody Katari — after their younger sibling was diagnosed with autism. That personal experience shaped everything about how this center was built and how it operates. As Cody Katari, Founder and Executive Director, has described it: “Those years of experience led me to create Autism Centers of Utah, a place where families like ours can find real support and success.”
That mission is visible in the day-to-day details: the way our staff communicates with families, the way the building was designed with children’s sensory needs in mind, and the way we approach the getting-started process — with patience, clarity, and genuine care.
Ready to Take the First Step?
If your child has recently been diagnosed with autism, or if you’ve been wondering whether ABA therapy could help and you’re not sure where to start, we’d love to talk. You can also read through our step-by-step guide to scheduling an appointment to know exactly what to expect before you call. Call Autism Centers of Utah at (385) 417-3869 to schedule your welcome call. Our team will answer your questions, walk you through the process, and help you figure out the right next step for your family — at whatever pace feels right for you.