ABA therapist · Dubai
Hiring an ABA therapist? Know what you are taking on.
An honest comparison of hiring a freelance ABA therapist yourself and working with a BCBA-supervised RBT we have vetted and briefed.
Hiring an ABA therapist, at a glance
Updated
- Our therapists
- RBTs (Registered Behavior Technicians) working to a programme a BCBA writes and reviews, at your home or your child's school.
- Before you hear a name
- We call the RBT's references and brief them on your child, then introduce one matched therapist, not a list.
- If the fit is wrong
- We replace the RBT and the programme carries on; you do not start the search again.
- Hourly rate
- From AED 325 an hour, billed per session held; AED 499 opens the search and pays for the BCBA's first review.
Before you hire
One therapist, or a team behind them?
Look for an ABA therapist in Dubai and you will find individuals offering home sessions directly — through recommendations, parent groups and listings — as well as teams. Many freelance therapists are skilled and committed, and a good one can make a real difference to a family's week. The question is less about the person and more about what sits around them.
When you hire an individual, you usually take on the parts of a programme that a team would otherwise carry: checking credentials and references, making sure someone qualified writes and reviews the goals, keeping track of progress, and starting again if it does not work out. Some families are comfortable doing that, and some freelancers bring their own BCBA supervision. It is worth knowing which you are getting.
With us, the RBT who comes to your home is the visible part of a team. A BCBA writes and reviews the programme, we call references and brief the therapist before you hear a name, data is taken every session, and if the fit is wrong we replace the therapist rather than leaving you to begin again. That may cost more per hour than some individual rates, and we would rather you knew why.
An honest comparison
Freelance therapist or supervised team.
Price per hour
An individual may quote a lower hourly rate. Compare what the figure includes: programme writing, supervision, data, reviews and what happens if it does not work.
Who writes the programme
With a freelancer, ask who writes the goals and how often they are reviewed. With us, a BCBA writes and reviews every programme.
Checks before day one
Hiring directly, you check credentials and call references yourself. With us, references are called and the RBT is briefed before you hear a name.
When the fit is wrong
With an individual, a poor fit usually means starting your search again. With us, we replace the RBT, and your child's goals and data carry on.
Progress you can see
Ask any therapist what they record each session and how you will see it. With us, data is taken every session and reviewed with you monthly.
Continuity with one person
A freelancer you know well can give real continuity. We aim for the same: one matched RBT, working the same way every session.
If you do hire an individual
Five questions worth asking first.
Are you certified, and can I check?
Ask for the full name on the credential and look it up on the BACB's public registry, whether they say they are an RBT or a BCBA.
Who supervises your work?
An RBT's credential assumes supervision by a qualified behaviour analyst. Ask who that is and how often they look at your child's programme.
What will you record?
Ask what data is taken each session and how often you will sit down to go through it together.
What happens when you are away?
Ask what happens to sessions during illness, travel or a move, and how much notice you will get.
Can I speak to a family you work with?
A family the therapist has worked with recently is the most useful reference you can call.
How it starts
From a first message to the first session.
- Step 1
Tell us what you need
Your child's age, what you are seeing, the hours you can sustain and the languages used at home.
- Step 2
The BCBA reviews the brief
AED 499 opens the search: the BCBA sets first goals and recommends the hours. It is non-refundable once paid, because that clinical time is spent either way.
- Step 3
We vet and brief the RBT
We call the therapist's references and brief them on your child before you hear their name.
- Step 4
Meet one therapist
We introduce one matched RBT, not a list, and the hourly rate is confirmed in writing before the first session.
Pricing
Two figures, both up front.
Open the search
AED 499
- A BCBA reviews your child's brief
- Goals and weekly hours recommended
- One matched RBT introduced
Sessions
From AED 325/hr
Confirmed in writing before the first session, and lower as the weekly hours go up. Billed for the sessions each month holds.
- Programme written and reviewed by a BCBA
- Data every session, review every month
- RBT replaced if the fit is wrong
More on ABA therapy
Related pages.
ABA therapy in Dubai
What ABA is, who it helps, and how our BCBA/RBT team runs it at home and at school.
Read moreBCBA-supervised ABA
What a BCBA does, how to check one, and how supervision works in our programmes.
Read moreABA therapy at home
One-to-one sessions in your own home, with the price and the register form on the page.
Read moreFind a therapist
How we match a supervised therapist to your child, at home or at school.
Read moreSEN governess
A trained specialist for your child at home, to a written plan.
Read moreBehaviour therapy for children
Help with tantrums, aggression, toileting, sleep and feeding, from a BCBA/RBT team.
Read moreFrequently asked
Questions families ask.
- Should I hire a freelance ABA therapist or go through a provider?
- It depends on how much you are prepared to manage. A freelance therapist can be skilled and may cost less per hour, but you usually take on vetting, arranging programme supervision, tracking progress and starting again if it does not work. A supervised team carries those parts for you, and that is reflected in the price.
- How much does a private ABA therapist cost in Dubai?
- Individual rates vary, so ask exactly what an hourly figure includes. With Special Minds, sessions start from AED 325 an hour for an RBT working to a programme a BCBA writes and reviews, and AED 499 opens the search. The rate eases as weekly hours rise and is confirmed in writing before the first session.
- How do I know if a freelance ABA therapist is qualified?
- The title alone will not tell you. Ask whether they hold an RBT or BCBA credential, check the name on the BACB's public registry, and ask who supervises their work. An RBT is expected to work under a qualified behaviour analyst's supervision.
- Can I hire a home ABA therapist for just a few hours a week?
- Yes. Home programmes commonly run two to three sessions a week of one to two hours, and the BCBA recommends a number after reviewing your child's brief. You decide what your family can sustain, and the hourly rate eases as the weekly hours rise.
- How do you check a therapist before they come to our home?
- We call the RBT's references and brief them on your child before you hear a name. A responsible adult is present in the home for the whole of every session, and the BCBA's programme sets out what each session works on.
- What if we don't get on with the therapist?
- Tell us. We change the programme if that is the problem and replace the RBT if the fit is wrong, so your child's goals and data carry on without you starting a new search.
- What is the difference between a home ABA therapist and a SEN governess?
- A home ABA therapist delivers a BCBA-written ABA programme in set sessions, with data taken each time. A SEN governess is a trained specialist who supports your child at home for longer parts of the day, to a written plan. Some families need one, some the other, and some both.
- How quickly can you introduce an ABA therapist?
- We reply on WhatsApp the same day. Matching takes from a few days to a couple of weeks depending on your area, the hours you need and your child's languages, and you meet one matched RBT rather than a list of names.
- Do we have to commit for a long time?
- No. Sessions are billed per session actually held, and one month's written notice ends the arrangement at any time.
Further reading
Guides for this decision.
Therapy
Freelance ABA therapist or a supervised team in Dubai?
Fair trade-offs for parents choosing between an individual ABA therapist in Dubai and a supervised BCBA/RBT team, and the questions to ask either one.
Therapy
Choosing an ABA provider in Dubai: 12 questions to ask first
Twelve practical questions to ask any ABA provider in Dubai about supervision, data, parent coaching, notice periods, insurance and your child's comfort.
Therapy
BCBA vs RBT: who does what in your child's ABA programme
What a BCBA and an RBT each do, how supervision works between them, how to check a credential, and the questions to ask before your child starts ABA.
Guides
What clinical supervision actually means (and why it matters)
A clear explanation of what clinical supervision looks like in practice, and why it's the core trust promise behind our placements.
Therapy
What does ABA therapy actually cost in Dubai?
What genuinely drives ABA therapy pricing in Dubai, a general market range, and why Special Minds assesses first before quoting.
Tell us about your child.
A conversation first, on WhatsApp or by phone. No obligation, and a straight answer if we are not the right fit.