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Parents and ABA providers press Hillsborough leaders for uniform policy allowing private therapy in schools
Summary
Parents and behavior analysts asked the school board to adopt a district‑wide policy ensuring access for private applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapists in schools, citing inconsistent site decisions and a district policy change they say limits approvals to students with IEPs.
Parents, therapists and advocacy groups told the board the district needs a clear, written policy to remove site-by-site variation in whether private applied behavior analysis (ABA) providers can deliver medically necessary services on campus.
Tamara Perez, who said she represents more than 3,200 members of Project ABA Rights, said district updates to the paperwork and PIP process resulted in denials. "This year, Hillsborough County Public Schools has updated their PIP policy and will now deny autistic students ABA therapy even with the medical diagnosis and even with the 504 plan," Perez said. She and other speakers asked the board to adopt the formal policy the district had previously promised.
Several parents described cases in which principals or individual schools limited or revoked access for private ABA clinicians, sometimes after an initial agreement. Stephanie Noble and another parent, who described repeatedly having to remove children from public school placements to secure therapy, urged the board to treat ABA as medically necessary intervention so families do not have to withdraw their children to obtain services.
Board members and staff did not announce a formal change at the meeting. Parents cited Florida statute 1003.572 during testimony and said the statute does not require an IEP for private instructional personnel to provide services; one parent said the district has taken a different operational stance. Providers in the audience offered to help train school staff on collaboration and to support consistent local policies.
Why it matters: Families and advocates say inconsistent access to ABA in school can result in disrupted services for students with autism and that a district policy would reduce variation across 230 school sites.
What parents requested: A written, districtwide policy that clearly defines the process for approving private therapists, removes discretionary barriers at the school level, and standardizes forms and signage so parents and clinicians know expectations and approvals.
District response at the meeting: Board members acknowledged the issue and thanked parents and providers for engagement; staff were thanked for previous meetings and collaborative work but did not present a new policy at Oct. 28.
Next steps: Parents asked the board to direct staff to draft and post a formal policy for board review that would standardize approvals and reduce site-by-site denials.
