Early support that helps your family move forward
Avela Early Childhood is a communication and connection-focused program for ages 6 and under, with a licensed pediatric expert who helps you turn everyday moments into opportunities for growth.
If your child would benefit from in-person services like ABA, OT, or speech therapy, we help families navigate those options too.
THE AVELA DIFFERENCE
Built around who your child is becoming
We meet your child where they are and build from what they can do
— not from a deficit checklist.
One dedicated provider
Your family works with one MA- or PhD-level provider from the very first session. No rotating staff. No re-explaining.
You learn with
your child
Every session builds your skills, so everyday moments become where the real communication and connection happen.
From the comfort
of home
Therapy happens where your child is most comfortable. In their space, with their routines, with the people they trust.
What we help with
The early moments
that matter most
The skills that shape everything that comes next. We build them in your child’s everyday life, at their pace.
Helping your child communicate what they need — with words, gestures, or whatever works right now.
Child-led play that builds social skills by following your child's interests.
Reading the signals behind big reactions, sensory seeking, and sensory avoidance — and responding in ways that help.
Mealtimes, bath time, leaving the house. The everyday moments that fall apart without the right strategies.
Our Team
Meet your family’s Clinical Director
“Most early intervention programs focus on what your child can’t do yet. We start with what your child is already showing us — and build from there.”
— Dr. Michelle Ficcaglia, Clinical Director, Early Childhood
Our team of licensed pediatric experts
are on call for your family.
Ruth Williams, LPC
Kelly Sisco, LCSW
Adriane Maier, BCBA, LPC
Ali Schroeder, MS, BCBA
Leah Golombek, LCSW
Tiffany Bellamy, BCBA
Marissa Kuntz, BCBA
Our Outcomes
Proven results across hundreds of families
of families meet their care goals — with an average program length of just 6 months
Based on Avela Health clinical outcomes data
of families see measurable progress toward their goals within 6 months — and 0% deterioration across all months
Based on Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale outcomes
parents would recommend Avela to another family
Based on Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey
REAL FAMILIES, REAL TALK
Traditional and in home ABA therapy wasn’t working for us—it made my son extremely anxious and upset. Our provider actually listens to us. She helps us solve issues rather than blaming us for having them in the first place. He is way more engaged and so are we.
— Mom of 5-year-old ★★★★★
Frequently asked questions
Are you in-network with my health insurance?
Avela Health is in-network with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Independence Blue Cross in Pennsylvania, and BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. We also accept many other Blue Cross Blue Shield plans. If you’re not sure whether your plan covers our services, call or text us at 855-328-5931 — we’ll check your benefits before your first appointment so there are no surprises.
Where is Avela Health located?
We primarily serve families in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. Rather than requiring your family to travel to a clinic, Avela’s Early Childhood model is designed to work within the everyday environments where your child already lives and learns. Sessions are delivered via telehealth, allowing providers to coach you directly inside real family moments — mealtimes, play, morning routines, community outings — rather than in an artificial clinical setting.
How is this different than ABA therapy?
Traditional ABA typically means 25 to 40 hours a week of technician-delivered intervention that is supervised by a master’s level provider. That’s a significant commitment for your child, your schedule, and your whole family. Avela Early Childhood takes a different approach. Our model only requires a commitment of 1-2 hours per week. You will work with an MA- or PhD-level provider and your provider is yours the whole time you are with Avela Health — no technicians, no changing providers. In ABA, most services are directed toward the child, to change their behavior. At Avela Health, we focus on helping caregivers learn ways to help their child, by teaching skills and modifying contexts so their child can be successful. Providers coach parents to embed strategies into the hundreds of small moments that already make up their child’s day. Mealtimes, play, transitions, bedtime — that’s where the real learning happens.
This approach is backed by a lot of research: when you apply strategies consistently across daily life, the developmental impact compounds far beyond what sessions with a technician outside of daily life can deliver. Some families choose this instead of comprehensive ABA. Some use it alongside ABA to extend what’s working into home and community life. Either way, we help you understand your options and make the decision that fits your child and your family.
Learn more → NDBI and ABA: Choosing autism therapy that fits your child and family
Does my child need a diagnosis to start?
If your child doesn’t yet have a diagnosis, we recommend starting with a diagnostic evaluation. Avela Health offers comprehensive, neurodiversity-affirming evaluations completed by doctoral-level psychologists. Many families move directly from their evaluation into the program, so you’re not starting over from scratch with a new company.
Learn more → Online autism evaluations for children and teens
How does virtual therapy work for a young child?
Many services are focused on working directly with a child to change the child—how they behave, what they do. At Avela Health, we take a different approach. We work with you and your family to help you learn ways to help your child. That means that results will stick—be there across routines and contexts. In this model, a provider meets with you once or twice a week. During these sessions, your provider will model strategies, coach in real time, and help you see what your child is communicating and how to build new skills from there. The rest of the week, you’re able to use these strategies throughout simple interactions with your child — during breakfast, at the playground, in the bath. That’s the design. Progress doesn’t wait for the next appointment. It happens in the everyday moments you’re already sharing together.
Learn more → Online therapy for young autistic children: One family’s story
What if my child isn’t talking yet?
Our program was built to work for children who are not talking. Many children in Avela Early Childhood are still developing functional communication skills — they may communicate in ways the people around them don’t fully understand yet. Some might use their eye gaze or how they direct their body to indicate a want or need, some might guide caregivers using their hand or arm. Some children are trying to communicate by using sounds such as crying or other noises that are hard to interpret or understand. We start by working with you to understand what your child is trying to communicate and we build from there—whether that looks like gestures, sounds, AAC, or words. The goal isn’t to make your child talk on a timeline. It’s to help them communicate what they need, and to help you read and respond to what they’re already saying.
Learn more → My autistic child isn’t talking: An SLP and parent perspective on nonspeaking autism and communication