Northwest Indiana has no shortage of ABA clinics. Lighthouse Autism Center opened a center on Willowcreek Road, Innovations in Learning has been running clinic programs out of Merrillville since 2009, and new providers keep setting up shop across Lake and Porter counties. What the region still lacks is ABA that meets families where they actually are.
B Above Services delivers evidence-based ABA therapy and autism diagnostic evaluations in your child’s natural environment: at home, at school, and in the community. No driving to a clinic on U.S. 6 or I-94 during shift changes at the steel mills. No pulling your child out of Portage Township Schools for a therapy appointment across town. We bring therapy into the real settings where skills need to work.
NW Indiana is a working-class region with working-class schedules. Many families here have parents in manufacturing, healthcare, or logistics jobs with rigid hours. Getting a child to a clinic three or four times a week at set appointment times often doesn’t work, especially when you’re commuting from Chesterton to Portage or from Valparaiso to a Lake County clinic.
Our Natural Environment approach brings therapy into your child’s real life. Instead of practicing skills in a therapy room they visit a few times a week, your child builds communication, social, and daily living skills at home during morning routines, at school during transitions, or out in the community during everyday errands. Research consistently shows that skills learned in natural settings generalize better, meaning your child uses what they learn beyond the therapy session.
And because we work alongside parents and caregivers during real routines, the strategies keep working long after we leave. You’re not a spectator watching therapy happen through a one-way mirror. You’re part of it.
We support the whole family through every stage of the journey:
Comprehensive evaluations for children and teens, guiding families from assessment to clear next steps without unnecessary delays.
Personalized ABA therapy delivered where your child lives and learns; at home, school, and in the community.
Supportive group sessions that build confidence and connection for children, with guidance and community for parents.
A free partnership with schools & families, offering developmental screenings, training, and trusted support when concerns arise.
If you’re noticing signs, or if your child’s pediatrician has raised concerns, getting a formal evaluation in NW Indiana can be a frustrating process. Hospital-system waitlists through Franciscan Health and Community Health Network are often months long. Porter-Starke Services provides behavioral health support across Porter County, but wait times vary and a medical autism diagnosis is a specific process that not every provider handles.
Porter County families should know that Porter County Education Services (PCES) coordinates special education services across all seven public school districts in the county, including Portage Township Schools, Valparaiso Community Schools, Duneland (Chesterton), and Porter Township. PCES can evaluate your child through their school-based process and provide classroom support through an IEP, but a school evaluation is not a medical diagnosis and won’t unlock insurance or Medicaid coverage for ABA therapy. Portage Township Schools has an active Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC) that can be a helpful resource for navigating school-based services.
In Lake County, the Northwest Indiana Special Education Cooperative (NISEC) provides similar services for Highland, Hobart, Lake Station, and surrounding school districts. Gary Community School Corporation runs its own programs.
Our evaluations are conducted by a licensed psychologist and provide the formal documentation your family needs to access insurance-covered ABA, often faster than hospital-system or agency waitlists.
We bring in-home ABA therapy to families throughout Porter County: from Portage and Valparaiso to Chesterton, Hebron, Burns Harbor, and Kouts. We also serve families across the Lake County line in Highland, Hobart, Crown Point, Griffith, and the broader NW Indiana region. For families in Merrillville, Gary, Hammond, and surrounding communities, visit our Merrillville ABA Services page for more on how we support Lake County families.
If you’re anywhere in Northwest Indiana, reach out. We’ll let you know how we can support your family.
Indiana’s autism insurance mandate requires most state-regulated health plans to cover ABA therapy for individuals with an autism diagnosis. For families on Medicaid, ABA is covered for children under 21 through the EPSDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment) benefit.
Porter County has a lower child poverty rate (9.8%) than the state average (15.8%), but that still means nearly 1 in 10 children could qualify for Medicaid-covered ABA services. In Lake County, the rates are higher. Regardless of your coverage, we help every family navigate their benefits, prior authorization, and the full process from day one.
We start with a warm, welcoming conversation to understand your family’s needs, concerns, and hopes.
Our clinicians take the time to get to know your child’s strengths, needs, and full developmental profile.
We build a care plan tailored to your child’s needs and your family’s goals.
We provide continuous support and monitoring as your child grows toward their milestones.
Most ABA providers in NW Indiana, including Lighthouse Autism Center in Portage and Innovations in Learning in Merrillville, operate out of clinics. We deliver all therapy in your child’s natural environment: at home, at school, or in the community. No commute, no waiting room, and your child builds skills in the settings where they actually need them.
Yes. We work with families across all of NW Indiana. This page focuses on Portage, Valparaiso, Chesterton, and Porter County. For Merrillville, Highland, Gary, Hammond, and the Lake County side, visit our Merrillville page.
ABA is covered for children under 21 through the EPSDT benefit on Indiana Medicaid. We help families with the prior authorization process so you can focus on your child, not paperwork.
Yes. A school-based evaluation through PCES (Porter County Education Services) can provide classroom accommodations through an IEP, but insurance-covered ABA therapy requires a formal medical diagnosis from a qualified professional. We can help you understand where you are in that process and what’s still needed.
Often, yes. NW Indiana hospital and agency waitlists can be long. Our evaluations are conducted by a licensed psychologist and can typically be scheduled faster. Contact us and we’ll walk you through timing and next steps.
We provide ABA therapy and diagnostic evaluations for children and teens. Early intervention is ideal, but we support families at any stage of the journey.
We’re here to help—click “Get Started” and a member of our team will follow up to learn how we can best support you.
