Why the best ABA therapy includes caregiver training

We sat down with Melissa Kozak — BCBA, consultant, and longtime advocate for caregiver-led ABA models — ahead of our upcoming webinar series on caregiver support. She made one thing clear: the outcomes gap between families who are deeply involved in treatment and those who aren't is massive. That's not an accident. Therapists can deliver impeccable care during sessions, but if caregivers aren't briefed on how to reinforce those skills in other settings, patients lose momentum. Therapy without caregiver training, Melissa says, simply falls flat.

In order to improve care outcomes, ABA practices need to stop treating caregiver training like an add on. This summer, she's partnering with Brellium to offer free virtual trainings to show you how to do exactly that. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and concision.

BRELLIUM: What sparked your focus on caregiver training?

MELISSA: I've worked across every setting — clinics, homes, schools, social skills groups. And consistently, the single biggest lever I've seen move outcomes for children is caregiver involvement. When parents know the behavior intervention plan, understand the goals, and are actively engaged, the difference is massive.

That led me down the path of researching parent-mediated interventions and caregiver-led models — and then looking at which payers and companies are actually backing them. It became clear this isn't just the ethical thing to do. Payers are starting to notice outcomes data too.

Are BCBAs asking for this training?

Absolutely. The challenge is that caregiver systems are typically treated as an add-on — the focus is the child, which I understand, but caregivers are the ones there on weekends and after school. Beyond the systemic gap, there's also a skills gap. Many clinicians I've supervised are nervous to work with parents. They were trained to work with children, not adults. Those skills don't automatically transfer. Knowing how to pivot from a play-based session with a child to a meaningful, supportive conversation with a stressed-out parent is a completely different skill set — and most training programs don't address it.

Why should BCBAs prioritize caregiver training now, and not a year from now?

Because generalization and maintenance of skills — two of the most foundational goals in ABA — cannot happen without caregivers. If our practice is aligned with research and with what we were actually taught, caregiver involvement has to be a central part of our programs. It's not optional. And with reimbursement increasingly tied to outcomes, the urgency is only going to grow.

Who should attend our webinar series?

BCBAs and clinical directors, definitely. But also anyone in quality assurance, and practice owners or founders who want to not just support their clinicians — but change the systems themselves. Because this really is a two-track conversation: frontline clinicians need the soft skills to support caregivers in the room, and practice leaders need a mindset shift about how caregiver support is built into the model — not bolted on after the fact.

What will attendees walk away learning?

I love this question. They'll gain two things. Stronger clinical skills — specifically the soft skills involved in supporting caregivers directly. And a framework for changing systems from the inside out, so that caregiver support becomes a core part of how a practice operates, not an afterthought. Depending on your role, one of those will feel more immediately relevant. But both matter.

One last thing — should we call it "parent training"?

It's a genuinely debated question in the field. Technically, the CPT codes say "parent training." But there's a real push to move away from that language — especially in front of families. No one wants to feel like they're being trained. "Caregiver support" is broader (grandparents, aunts, uncles all care for children too) and it's more respectful of the relationship. That's the language we'll be using throughout this series, and we'll address it directly at the top of the first session.

On that note... stay tuned for the first webinar!

Register to reserve your seat here.