Families of toddlers in Miami-Dade often hear about two different programs in the same week: Early Steps from the pediatrician, and ABA from a friend or a Facebook group. They are not competing options. They do different jobs, they can run at the same time, and knowing how they fit saves months.
What Early Steps is
Early Steps is Florida's early-intervention system for children from birth to 36 months who have a developmental delay or a condition likely to cause one. It is the state's implementation of Part C of the federal IDEA law. A few things make it distinct:
- No diagnosis required. Eligibility is based on evaluation results showing a delay, not on a specific label.
- Free to the family regardless of income or insurance.
- Family-coached model. Services are delivered in natural settings (home, daycare) by a primary provider who coaches parents, with a written Individualized Family Support Plan (IFSP).
- Broad scope. Speech, occupational and physical therapy, developmental specialists, service coordination.
- Ends at age 3, when the child transitions to the school district's preschool services if still eligible.
In Miami-Dade, Early Steps is run through a local program. Anyone can make a referral, including a parent, so you do not have to wait for the pediatrician to do it.
What ABA is
Applied Behavior Analysis is a therapy focused on teaching specific skills (communication, play, daily living, tolerating change) and reducing behaviors that get in the way, using structured teaching and measurement. For young children it is play-based and delivered at home or in preschool by a technician under a BCBA's supervision. Unlike Early Steps, ABA is typically:
- Authorized by insurance, which in Florida means Medicaid managed-care plans (Molina, Sunshine Health and others), the CMS Health Plan, or private insurance.
- Tied to a diagnosis for most plans: a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and a referral from the child's doctor.
- Higher in hours than Early Steps, often 10 to 20 hours per week for a toddler, because the goal is intensive skill-building.
- Available past age 3, through school age and beyond.
Why families use both
Early Steps can start quickly and covers speech and OT that ABA does not. ABA brings the intensity and the behavior-change tools that Early Steps, by design, does not. A common sequence for a Miami toddler looks like this:
- Concern at 16–20 months. Parent refers to Early Steps and asks the pediatrician for an autism screening and a referral for a diagnostic evaluation.
- Early Steps evaluation and services begin within a few weeks.
- Diagnostic evaluation completed (waits vary by evaluator; we can point you to the shortest ones). Report and referral sent to the insurance plan.
- ABA assessment by a BCBA, plan authorized, therapy starts, coordinated with the Early Steps provider so goals do not conflict.
The two teams should talk to each other. Ask both to share their plans, and tell each provider the other exists.
What to plan for before age 3
Early Steps ends on the third birthday. About six months before, the program starts a transition process to the school district, which evaluates whether your child qualifies for a preschool program under an Individualized Education Program (IEP). ABA continues through this change and can support the classroom placement. If you want ABA in the preschool setting, start that conversation with the BCBA and the school early.
How we help
Beaton Care Services works with toddlers already enrolled in Early Steps and with families who have not started anything yet. A bilingual BCBA can tell you in one call which evaluators to contact, what your plan requires, and whether to make the Early Steps referral yourself today. There is no cost for that conversation and no diagnosis needed to have it.