Kennedy Krieger Institute is Baltimore’s most renowned autism research and diagnostic center — but long waitlists mean many families can’t access services right away. Private home-based ABA therapy providers like Move Up ABA offer a no-waitlist alternative that complements or bridges the gap while your child waits. Both serve important roles. Understanding the difference helps Baltimore families make faster, smarter decisions for their child.

 

Baltimore Has World-Class Autism Care — and a Real Access Problem

Baltimore is home to one of the most respected autism care institutions in the country. Kennedy Krieger Institute has been at the forefront of autism research, evaluation, and treatment for decades. For many families in Maryland, getting a referral to Kennedy Krieger feels like reaching the finish line.

But here’s what no one tells you at the pediatrician’s office: getting into Kennedy Krieger is often just the beginning of a long wait.

Maryland’s autism care demand has surged alongside national trends. According to the CDC’s 2024 report, 1 in 36 children in the United States is now diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) — making it the fastest-growing developmental disability in the country. That demand has put enormous pressure on specialized providers across the state, and Baltimore is no exception.

So what do you do while you wait? And how does private ABA therapy in Baltimore actually compare to what Kennedy Krieger offers?

Let’s break it down — clearly, honestly, and without the fluff.

 

What Is Kennedy Krieger Institute?

Kennedy Krieger Institute is a nonprofit, Johns Hopkins–affiliated organization located in Baltimore, Maryland. It has served the community since 1937. Today, it serves more than 25,000 individuals each year through inpatient and outpatient clinics, home and community services, and school-based programs. 

Its autism services are housed within the Center for Autism Services, Science and Innovation (CASSI™), which provides:

  • Interdisciplinary diagnostic evaluations
  • Neuropsychological testing and cognitive assessments
  • Individual and group therapy (including behavioral and cognitive behavioral therapy)
  • Speech and language evaluations
  • Occupational therapy
  • Social skills group therapy
  • Parent training and psychoeducation
  • Research-driven care and clinical trials

Kennedy Krieger’s Neurobehavioral Unit (NBU) is particularly well-known. It’s a 16-bed inpatient unit recognized as one of the nation’s leading programs for treating children with severe and treatment-resistant behavioral disorders. The NBU maintains a staff-to-patient ratio of 1:1 or higher during all waking hours. 

In short: Kennedy Krieger is a full-spectrum, research-backed institution built for complex cases and comprehensive diagnostics.

 

What Is Private ABA Therapy in Baltimore?

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is the evidence-based, gold-standard treatment for autism spectrum disorder. It focuses on improving communication, social skills, daily living skills, and adaptive behaviors through positive reinforcement and structured, individualized programs.

More than 20 studies have established that intensive, long-term ABA therapy improves outcomes for many children with autism — with gains in intellectual functioning, language development, and social functioning documented when children receive 25–40 hours of therapy per week over 1–3 years.

Private ABA providers in Baltimore — like Move Up ABA — are specialized agencies that employ Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) to deliver this therapy directly. Private providers typically offer:

  • In-home ABA therapy — therapy delivered inside your child’s home, in their natural environment
  • School-based ABA therapy — support directly in the classroom
  • Community-based ABA — therapy in parks, libraries, and everyday settings
  • Parent training — coaching caregivers to reinforce skills between sessions
  • Individualized treatment plans — built around your child’s specific goals, strengths, and routines

The key difference from Kennedy Krieger? Private ABA providers are not diagnostic centers. They work with families who already have an autism diagnosis and are ready to begin therapeutic intervention.

 

Kennedy Krieger Institute vs. Private ABA Therapy in Baltimore: Side-by-Side

Kennedy Krieger Institute Private ABA Therapy (e.g., Move Up ABA)
Primary Role Diagnosis, research, interdisciplinary care Ongoing ABA therapy and behavioral intervention
Setting Clinic/outpatient/inpatient Home, school, and community
Waitlist Often months-long due to high demand Move Up ABA has a no-waitlist policy
Age Range Children through young adults Ages 1–21 (Move Up ABA)
Insurance Medicaid and major insurers accepted Medicaid and most major insurance accepted
Parent Involvement Psychoeducation and training offered Active family coaching built into every session
Intensity of Therapy Short-term and specialized programs Ongoing, consistent weekly therapy
Best For Complex diagnostics, inpatient behavioral needs Ongoing skill-building and behavioral support

 

The Waitlist Reality in Baltimore

Maryland’s autism services system has been under strain for years. The Maryland Autism Waiver, a Medicaid-funded program that funds home and community-based services for children with autism ages 1–21, has maintained a registry that has grown to nearly 7,000 children.

Maryland even passed the “End the Wait Act” — legislation aimed at reducing autism service waitlists by 50% — because the problem had become so significant.

Kennedy Krieger, as the most prominent name in Baltimore autism care, naturally attracts enormous demand. While the Institute does offer triage specialists to help families identify the most appropriate services, the sheer volume of families seeking evaluation and support means many are navigating a gap between referral and actual service delivery.

This is exactly where private ABA providers step in.

 

How Home-Based ABA Therapy Fills (and Complements) the Gap

Research published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis found that parent involvement in ABA therapy significantly enhances treatment outcomes — with children showing 23% greater improvement when parents are actively trained in ABA techniques. 

Home-based ABA therapy offers specific advantages that institutional settings can’t always replicate:

  1. Therapy in the real world
    Skills learned at home — like toilet training, mealtime routines, getting dressed, or managing transitions — don’t have to be transferred from a clinic. They’re practiced where they actually happen. There’s no simulated environment. The bathroom your child uses, the clothes they wear, the kitchen where breakfast gets complicated — that’s the classroom.
  2. Faster access when it matters most
    Early intervention is critical. Research consistently shows that the earlier ABA therapy begins, the better the outcomes. Waiting months for a clinic spot can mean months of missed developmental windows. Private providers like Move Up ABA operate with no waitlists, meaning therapy can begin promptly after an autism diagnosis is confirmed.
  3. Family is part of the team
    In home-based ABA, parents and caregivers aren’t in the waiting room. They’re in the room. Therapists coach families in real time, showing them how to reinforce skills during daily routines — so progress doesn’t stop when the session ends.
  4. Behaviors get addressed in context
    Many challenging behaviors — meltdowns, refusal, aggression — occur primarily at home. When a therapist is present in that environment, they can observe the behavior in context, identify triggers, and introduce strategies that work in that specific setting, not a simulated version of it.

 

When Kennedy Krieger Is the Right First Call

Kennedy Krieger is the right starting point in several situations:

  • Your child needs a formal autism diagnosis or comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation
  • Your child has complex, co-occurring conditions (intellectual disability, severe behavioral disorders, genetic conditions)
  • Your child requires inpatient behavioral intervention for highly treatment-resistant behaviors
  • You’re seeking access to clinical research programs or cutting-edge intervention studies
  • Your pediatrician has recommended an interdisciplinary evaluation

Kennedy Krieger’s CASSI program is built for this. Its team of specialists — psychologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and behavior analysts — work together under one roof with a data-driven, individualized model. That kind of interdisciplinary coordination is genuinely difficult to replicate in a private ABA setting.

 

When Private ABA Therapy Is the Right Next Step

Private home-based ABA therapy is the right move when:

  • Your child already has an autism diagnosis and needs to begin therapeutic intervention
  • You’re on a waitlist for Kennedy Krieger or another specialized provider and don’t want to lose developmental time
  • Your child’s primary needs relate to daily living skills, communication, social skills, or behavioral management at home
  • You want ongoing, consistent therapy (not short-term episodes of care)
  • Your family needs flexibility around schedules, transportation, and routine
  • You want parent training integrated directly into therapy sessions

Private ABA therapy and Kennedy Krieger care are not mutually exclusive. Many Baltimore families work with both — using Kennedy Krieger for diagnostics and specialized oversight while a private ABA provider like Move Up ABA delivers consistent, ongoing weekly therapy at home.

Move Up ABA’s team is designed for exactly this kind of coordination. Their BCBAs collaborate with speech therapists, occupational therapists, and school-based teams to ensure care is comprehensive — not fragmented.

 

What the Research Says About Home-Based ABA

A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (PMC) compared home-based and center-based ABA therapy for the same participants. It found that, on average, individuals achieved 100% more learning per hour during center-based services compared to home-based services — largely attributed to the structured environment and reduced distractions.

However, the same research and broader literature consistently points out that home-based therapy produces superior results for daily living skills and family-integrated generalization — meaning skills actually carry over into real life more effectively.

A comprehensive meta-analysis published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that both home-based and center-based approaches show similar overall effectiveness, with the key factor being the quality and intensity of the intervention — not the setting.

The takeaway? Setting matters less than consistency, quality, and how well therapy integrates with a child’s daily life. A hybrid approach — combining specialized clinical services with consistent in-home ABA — often produces the most comprehensive outcomes.

 

What Baltimore Families Are Actually Asking

“Do I have to choose between Kennedy Krieger and a private ABA provider?” No. Many families use both. Kennedy Krieger for evaluation and specialized care, private ABA providers for consistent ongoing therapy at home.

“Can Move Up ABA work alongside Kennedy Krieger’s recommendations?” Yes. Move Up ABA’s BCBAs coordinate with other members of your child’s care team, including any specialists or recommendations coming from an institution like Kennedy Krieger.

“Is ABA therapy covered by insurance in Maryland?” Most insurance plans — including Medicaid — cover ABA therapy following an autism diagnosis. Move Up ABA accepts Medicaid and most major insurance plans and handles the insurance paperwork on behalf of families.

“How soon can my child start ABA therapy with Move Up ABA?” Move Up ABA does not maintain a waitlist. Families can reach out, complete an intake, and have a BCBA conduct an in-home evaluation promptly.

 

The Bottom Line for Baltimore Families

Kennedy Krieger Institute vs. private ABA therapy in Baltimore isn’t really a competition. They serve different functions in a child’s autism care journey.

Kennedy Krieger is where Baltimore families go for world-class diagnostics, complex case management, and research-driven care. It is, and will remain, one of the most respected institutions in the country.

Private home-based ABA therapy — delivered by qualified BCBAs and RBTs, coordinated with your family’s schedule, and built into your child’s actual daily life — is where consistent, week-to-week behavioral progress gets made. It’s what bridges the gap when waitlists are long. It’s what keeps development moving forward.

For Baltimore families navigating both, having a trusted private ABA partner isn’t a plan B. It’s a smart, evidence-supported part of a complete care plan.

 

Ready to Start Without the Wait?

Your child’s development isn’t on pause while paperwork catches up. Move Up ABA has served hundreds of families across Baltimore and Maryland for over 14 years — with no waitlists, insurance support from start to finish, and therapy that comes to you.

Don’t let the calendar decide when your child starts growing.

Call Move Up ABA today at (410) 469-1090 or schedule a free consultation online — and let’s talk about what’s possible for your child this week, not six months from now.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the main difference between Kennedy Krieger Institute and private ABA therapy in Baltimore?
A: Kennedy Krieger Institute is a comprehensive research and diagnostic center offering interdisciplinary evaluations, inpatient care, and specialized clinical programs. Private ABA therapy providers focus on ongoing, consistent behavioral intervention — typically delivered at home, school, or in the community — following an autism diagnosis.

Q: Does Kennedy Krieger provide ABA therapy?
A: Yes. Kennedy Krieger’s Neurobehavioral Unit (NBU) uses applied behavior analysis as part of its intensive inpatient treatment for severe behavioral disorders. CASSI also incorporates behavioral strategies. However, Kennedy Krieger’s model is interdisciplinary and research-driven, distinct from standalone private ABA therapy providers focused on weekly in-home intervention.

Q: How long is the waitlist for autism services in Baltimore, Maryland?
A: Waitlists vary. Maryland’s Autism Waiver registry has grown to nearly 7,000 children, and the state passed the “End the Wait Act” to address the backlog. Private ABA providers like Move Up ABA operate without waitlists, allowing therapy to begin quickly after diagnosis.

Q: Can my child receive services from both Kennedy Krieger and a private ABA provider?
A: Yes. Many Baltimore families use Kennedy Krieger for diagnostic evaluation and specialized clinical oversight while working with a private ABA provider for consistent ongoing therapy. The two types of care are complementary, not competing.

Q: Is home-based ABA therapy as effective as clinic-based ABA therapy?
A: Research shows both settings produce meaningful outcomes. A meta-analysis in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found overall effectiveness is similar between settings, with the key factors being intervention quality and consistency. Home-based therapy shows particular strengths for daily living skills and generalization of learned behaviors into real-life routines.

 

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