New Study: More Therapy Hours Don't Always Mean Better Results for Autistic Kids

A new study from the Catalight Research Institute suggests that getting more hours of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy may not necessarily lead to better outcomes for autistic children. This challenges the common recommendation that autistic kids should receive 30-40 hours of ABA per week.

What the Study Found

Researchers looked at data from 725 autistic children across the U.S. who received ABA therapy for one year. They found that:

• More therapy hours didn't lead to better communication, social skills, or daily living abilities
• Children who started with stronger communication skills tended to do better overall
• Problem behaviors decreased over time regardless of how many therapy hours kids received

Why This Matters for Families

Many parents feel pressure to maximize therapy hours, often at the expense of family time, play, and other activities. This study suggests outcomes depend more on a child's starting abilities and the quality of therapy rather than just the quantity.

Practical Takeaways

While ABA can be helpful for some children, parents should:

• Focus on meaningful progress rather than hours logged
• Consider their child's individual needs rather than following blanket recommendations
• Make time for non-therapy activities that support development and family wellbeing

Important Limitations

This was an observational study (not a controlled experiment) and only looked at one year of data. More research is needed to understand long-term effects.

Read the full study announcement from Catalight Foundation (January 16, 2026).