ABA therapy in Applewood, Colorado
Applewood is a town of about 8,120 people in Jefferson County, about 4 miles from our Lakewood team. One-on-one, BCBA-led ABA therapy comes to your home or daycare — for the 1,310 kids who live here, not a far-off clinic.
Applewood at a glance — for families
The numbers that shape how ABA therapy works here, from public data.
- Residents
- 8,120
- Children under 18
- 1,310
- Children under 5
- 416
- Kids likely on the spectrum (CDC 1-in-31 estimate)
- ≈ 40
- Kids under 6 with every parent working
- 78%
- Homes with broadband (telehealth-ready)
- 95%
- Kids covered only by a public plan
- 14%
- Kids with no health coverage
- 0%
- Median household income
- $128,988
- Nearest Sunbird team
- Lakewood · 4 mi
- ZIP codes
- 1
Sources: Census ACS 2023 5-year estimates; Census ZIP-code relationship files; NCES school-district data. The autism figure applies the CDC’s 1-in-31 estimate — a planning number, not a count. Miles are straight-line.
What ABA therapy looks like in Applewood
Applewood in Jefferson County is a town of about 8,120 people. It is an unincorporated community — there is no city hall, but neighbors know it by name, and so do we. Families here often drive a long way for pediatric specialists. In-home ABA flips that: the therapist does the driving, and sessions happen where your child is most comfortable.
Applewood is about 4 miles from the heart of Lakewood, so families here are served by our Lakewood team — close enough that in-home sessions are routine, not a special trip.
A typical plan starts with a BCBA assessment at home, then regular one-on-one sessions with an ABA therapist — a trained behavior technician — working from goals your BCBA wrote for your child. You are part of it, too: parent training is built in, because the skills have to work at dinner time, not just during a session. Curious who does what? See who is on your child's team.
Autism and young children in Applewood
Census estimates count about 1,300 children under 18 in Applewood, including about 420 under age 5. The CDC estimates that about 1 in 31 children is autistic. Applied here, that is roughly 42 children in Applewood who may be on the spectrum — many of them not yet diagnosed.
Most parents notice something before anyone else does. If you're wondering about your little one, start with the M-CHAT screening explained, or read the signs at age 2. And if you already have a gut feeling, here's what to do next.
ABA isn't only for toddlers. For school-age kids in Applewood, goals often center on communication, managing big feelings, daily routines and getting along with friends. Wondering how ABA fits with other therapies? See ABA vs. speech therapy.
Home, daycare or telehealth: what fits Applewood families
About 78% of children under 6 in Applewood live in homes where every parent works. For a lot of families here, the hours that matter are daycare hours — so we offer daycare-based ABA support, where your child's ABA therapist works alongside the daycare routine, plus in-home sessions for evenings and the skills that belong at home.
Connectivity is strong — about 95% of homes have broadband. Most families here use telehealth for quick BCBA check-ins and coaching between in-person sessions.
Schools and IEPs in Applewood
Applewood is served by Jefferson County school districts, including Jefferson County School District No. R-1 (about 75,000 students across 162 schools). District lines don't always follow town lines, so check your address with the district if you're not sure.
If your child has an IEP (or an IFSP for little ones), share it with your BCBA. When home goals and school goals line up, kids make progress faster and get less mixed messaging. Bring the latest evaluation reports to your first meeting, too — they save time and repeat testing.
Applewood and its neighbors
Applewood is the tenth-largest of the 22 communities we list in Jefferson County, home to about 1.2% of the county's children.
Nearby, we also serve West Pleasant View (1 mi), East Pleasant View (2 mi), Golden (2 mi), Fairmount (3 mi), and Wheat Ridge (4 mi) — distances are straight-line from Applewood. Living out of town or between two of them? Same team, same plan.
Paying for ABA therapy in Applewood
Families in Applewood pay for care in different ways. Census figures show that in Applewood, about 14% of children are covered only by Medicaid or another public plan, and about 0% have no coverage at all — the rest mostly have insurance through a parent's job or a plan they bought.
Coverage depends on your plan, not your ZIP code, so we don't guess. Snap a photo of your insurance card, and we'll verify your ABA benefits with the plan for free and call you back with a straight answer — usually within a business day.
More detail: paying for ABA therapy, our insurance page, and will insurance pay for ABA?
Getting started from Applewood, step by step
What happens after you call? Five steps, no surprises — and the getting-started page has the long version.
- Call or send the short form — include your ZIP code (80401 is in Applewood). A real person — not a phone tree — calls back, usually the same business day.
- Free benefit check. Send a photo of your insurance card; we verify ABA coverage with your plan and explain it in plain English.
- No diagnosis yet? We help you book an evaluation first. Already have one? See what to do after a diagnosis.
- A BCBA visit at your home in Applewood. Our Lakewood team sends a BCBA to observe, ask questions, and write a plan with you — not for you.
- Sessions begin. An ABA therapist starts regular one-on-one sessions at home or daycare, with parent training built in. Here's how to prepare for the first one.
ZIP codes we serve in Applewood
In-home ABA therapy, daycare-based support and telehealth are available to families in every one of these ZIP codes:
- 80401
No diagnosis yet? Start there — we’ll help.
Calling before any evaluation is completely normal — from Applewood or anywhere else. We’ll help you understand what you’re seeing, book a diagnostic evaluation in Colorado, and line up coverage so therapy can start as soon as the diagnosis is in hand.
Applewood questions, answered plainly
Does insurance cover ABA therapy in Applewood?
How far is Applewood from the nearest Sunbird team?
My child doesn't have a diagnosis yet. Can we still start from Applewood?
How many children in Applewood might be autistic?
Which school district serves Applewood?
What ZIP codes do you serve in Applewood?
Is telehealth ABA realistic in Applewood?
Do you also serve towns near Applewood?
How fast can we start in Applewood?
Start in Applewood with one short call
Tell us where you are and what you’re seeing. An intake advocate calls back — usually the same business day — with your coverage answer and an honest start timeline for Applewood.
Communities near Applewood
The closest towns we also serve, by straight-line distance from Applewood.
More of Jefferson County
Applewood is part of our Jefferson County guide. Other Jefferson County communities:
Ready to talk about your child?
Families in Applewood, across Jefferson County and the rest of Colorado start with one short call. Yours can too.