When parents face a developmental delay, an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or behavioral difficulties, they find themselves facing an enormous choice. Dozens of approaches, hundreds of tips on forums, and the main question: who do we see first?
Most often the choice is between three specialists: an ABA therapist, a psychologist and a speech therapist. Each plays a unique role. How well you understand their functions affects not only how fast your child progresses but also your family budget.
In this article we look at how each specialist works, common parent mistakes and how to build an effective team where everyone works toward the same result.
Who is who: understanding the specialists’ roles
To know who to choose, you need to clearly separate each expert’s area of responsibility.
1. ABA therapist (applied behavior analysis specialist)
ABA therapy is a scientifically proven method that works with behavior. The ABA therapist’s main task is to teach the child skills they need for life (from self-care to academics) and reduce unwanted behavior (tantrums, aggression, self-injury). Works with: lack of motivation, communication problems, unwillingness to cooperate with adults, building new useful habits.
2. Speech therapist (or speech and special education therapist)
This specialist is responsible for the speech apparatus, pronunciation, understanding of language and grammar. Works with: producing sounds, phonemic awareness, articulation, expanding vocabulary (once the child already has basic cooperation skills).
3. Psychologist (child psychologist)
A psychologist works with the emotional and volitional sphere, anxiety, fears and coping with crises. A psychologist is also invaluable for parents, helping them cope with stress. Works with: emotional blocks, socialization (making friends, understanding others’ emotions), trauma, supporting the family’s resources.
How it works in practice (safe examples)
To see the difference, let’s look at how these specialists approach the same problem. Imagine: a child doesn’t talk and screams when they need something.
- What does the speech therapist do? Assesses the articulation apparatus, checks whether the child is physically able to produce sounds, works on breathing and muscle tone. But if the child runs away from the table and throws the cards, the speech therapist is often powerless - because this is a behavior issue, not a speech issue.
- What does the psychologist do? Looks at family dynamics and the child’s anxiety level. Uses play therapy to help the child express emotions safely.
- What does the ABA therapist do? Analyzes why the child screams. If screaming is a way to get something they want (for example, a candy), the ABA therapist creates conditions in which screaming stops working. Instead, they teach the child an alternative way to communicate (pointing, handing over a PECS card or saying a word) to get the candy without a tantrum.
Common mistakes when choosing a specialist
- Going to a speech therapist for behavior. The most common mistake is taking a very young child, or a child with ASD who doesn’t yet have cooperation skills, to a traditional speech therapist. If the child can’t sit at a table, hold attention and has no motivation to learn, sessions become stressful. First ABA therapy (learning how to learn), then a speech therapist (quality of speech).
- Looking for a “jack of all trades”. One specialist cannot be perfect at sound correction, in-depth psychology and applied behavior analysis all at once.
- No connection between team members. If the speech therapist teaches the child to say “give”, but at home the parents hand over everything at the first scream, there will be no result. The team must work as one.
When you need a specialist and how to build a team
You need a specialist when you see that your child’s development doesn’t match age norms, or when unwanted behavior (tantrums, aggression) is damaging your family’s quality of life.
How do you build a team? The main manager of your child’s team is not a hired specialist but the parents. You choose the specialists, oversee how they work together and carry skills from the therapy room into real life. Specialists should share a group chat or exchange reports regularly. For example, the ABA therapist can tell the speech therapist which reward system works best for the child right now, so speech sessions go more smoothly.
Why articles aren’t enough
Understanding basic principles and specialists’ roles is only the first step. In free articles we can discuss general problems, give safe tips and help you avoid common mistakes.
But every child is unique. If you want not just to understand the theory but to actively support your child’s development, you need a systematic toolkit. Parents often take their child to sessions for months but see no results at home, because they don’t know how to reinforce skills in daily life.
That is why I created a complete ABA therapy course for parents and specialists.
What you get in the course that isn’t available for free:
- A complete step-by-step system: from the initial behavior assessment to building lasting useful skills;
- A clear sequence of actions: what to do on Monday and what to do on Friday;
- Practical tasks: to start applying the method while you learn;
- Templates, tables and checklists: ready-made tools for collecting data, analyzing behavior and writing programs (no need to reinvent the wheel);
- In-depth analysis of specific situations: we don’t stop at “safe examples” but work through complex cases from practice;
- Support and feedback: the chance to ask questions and adjust your work under an expert’s guidance.
Choosing the right specialist is the foundation. But parents’ ability to support the process and use ABA therapy methods correctly every day is what produces real, lasting results. Don’t wait for problems to solve themselves - take charge of your child’s development. Find out more about the course on alinavradiy.com and take a step toward systematic change today!
