When parents ask us, “What does my child actually do all day?” — we love that question. Because the honest answer is: a lot. And every minute of it is designed with your child in mind.
At Excel, ABA therapy isn’t a single block of time tucked into a busy day. It’s woven through the entire schedule, from morning arrival to afternoon pickup. Here’s what a day looks like, and why it’s built this way.
1:1 Instruction — Where the Foundation Gets Built
Every learner starts with one-to-one instruction. This is the part of the day where your child works directly with their RBT on the specific skills outlined in their program — communication, academics, daily living, behavior goals. It’s focused, it’s individualized, and it moves at exactly the pace your child needs.
Two evidence-based methodologies drive this work:
Direct Instruction (DI) is a research-validated teaching approach that breaks skills down into clear, sequenced steps and teaches them with carefully designed lessons. It’s not guesswork and it’s not improvisation — it’s a method with decades of data behind it, designed to make sure every learner gets the same high-quality instruction in a way their brain can actually take in. When you hear your child’s team talk about “the program” they’re following, this is a big part of it.
Precision Teaching (PT) is how we know it’s working. Instead of just asking “Did my child get it right?” we ask “Can my child do this skill quickly, accurately, and without hesitation?” That’s called fluency, and it’s the difference between a learner who kind of knows something and a learner who actually owns the skill for life. We chart progress daily — sometimes minute by minute — so we can see exactly when something is clicking and exactly when it’s time to adjust.
Together, DI and PT mean your child isn’t just being kept busy. They’re being taught, measured, and moved forward on purpose.
Small Group — Practicing With Peers
After 1:1 time, learners move into small group instruction. This is where the skills built one-on-one start getting generalized — used with other kids, in shared activities, with a little more noise and a little more flexibility. Small groups are intentionally small so that every learner still gets the support they need while learning how to wait, take turns, share materials, and respond to peers.
The same DI and PT principles carry into small group — we don’t lower the bar just because the setting changes. We just give more support.
Group — Because Everyone Gets Group
This is one of the things we’re proudest of: every learner at Excel gets group time. Not just the kids who “look ready.” Every single one.
Group is where the magic of community happens — songs, stories, movement, shared instruction. We believe being part of a group is a skill, and like any skill, it’s something we teach. Some learners participate with full support, others with less. But everyone belongs in the room, and everyone gets the chance to grow there.
Lunch — A Daily Skills Powerhouse
Lunch isn’t a break from learning. Lunch is the learning.
Opening containers. Using utensils. Asking for help. Waiting your turn. Cleaning up. Trying a new food. Sitting with peers and managing a conversation — or just managing the sensory experience of a cafeteria. These are some of the most important skills your child will ever learn, and they show up at lunch every single day.
For many of our learners, this is where independence really takes root.
Speech and Occupational Therapy — Sometimes Together, Sometimes Not
Excel partners closely with speech and occupational therapists, and we build their services into the day in the way that makes the most sense for your child.
Sometimes that looks like a co-treat — where the SLP or OT works alongside the RBT during a session, so your child gets two clinical perspectives in one activity. This is powerful for learners who benefit from blended support: communication goals practiced during a fine-motor activity, or feeding goals worked on during lunch.
Other times, speech and OT happen separately. Some learners need that focused, one-discipline time, or the schedule simply works better that way. There’s no single right answer — we look at each learner, each goal, and each week, and we adjust.
Why It All Fits Together
The Excel day isn’t a list of activities. It’s a system. Direct Instruction teaches the skill. Precision Teaching proves it’s mastered. 1:1 builds the foundation. Small group rehearses it. Group generalizes it. Lunch lives it. Speech and OT layer on the supports that make it all click.
By the time your child gets in the car at the end of the day, they haven’t just “been at ABA.” They’ve practiced being a learner, a peer, a friend, a problem-solver, and a kid — over and over, with people who see them.
That’s the day we build. And that’s how we all excel.