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ABA Therapy in Winter Haven, FL


Hopeful Therapies provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and pediatric therapy for children with autism and developmental delays in Winter Haven, Florida. Our clinic at 1134 1st St S, Winter Haven, FL 33880 welcomes families from Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Dundee, Eagle Lake, Bartow and Davenport.

If you are a parent or caregiver searching for autism therapy near Winter Haven, we will walk you through every step — from the first phone call to your child’s individualized treatment plan. Call (813) 655-8159 or send us a message to get started.

Therapies available at our Winter Haven clinic

  • Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) – one-to-one behavior therapy designed around your child’s goals.
  • Speech & Language Therapy – for children who are non-speaking, late talkers, or hard to understand.
  • Occupational Therapy – sensory processing, fine motor skills, feeding and daily-living routines.
  • Physical Therapy – gross motor skills, balance, strength and mobility.

What is ABA therapy, and how does it help children with autism?

ABA is based on the science of learning and behavior. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst studies how your child learns, what triggers a behavior, and what keeps it going. From there we build a plan that increases the skills your child needs — communication, play, attention, independence — and reduces behaviors that get in the way of learning or safety. Progress is measured session by session, so you can see what is working instead of guessing.

ABA is the most widely studied intervention for autism spectrum disorder, and it works best when it starts early and when caregivers are part of the team. That is why parent training is built into every program we run in Winter Haven.

Signs it may be time to ask about an evaluation

  • Little or no speech by age two, or speech that has stopped progressing
  • Difficulty with eye contact, pointing, or sharing attention
  • Repeating words, sounds, or movements over and over
  • Strong distress when a routine changes
  • Trouble playing or interacting with children the same age
  • Very limited diet, or strong reactions to sounds, textures and lights
  • Frequent meltdowns, aggression or self-injury
  • Loss of words or skills your child used to have

Only a qualified professional can diagnose autism. If several of these sound familiar, talk to your pediatrician and call us — we can explain what an evaluation involves and what happens next.

What to expect when you start with us

  1. Free phone consultation. Tell us what you are seeing at home and at school.
  2. Benefits check. We review your coverage with you before anything begins.
  3. Assessment. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst evaluates your child’s strengths and needs.
  4. Individualized plan. Clear, measurable goals written for your child, not a template.
  5. Therapy sessions. Consistent one-to-one work at our Winter Haven clinic.
  6. Caregiver training. You learn the same strategies so progress continues at home.
  7. Progress reviews. Data-driven updates, and the plan changes as your child grows.

Where therapy can take place

ABA does not have to happen in one single place. Depending on your child’s therapeutic needs and your family’s particular situation, we can work in different settings:

  • Our Winter Haven center. A little over 2,000 square feet of therapy areas on average, with room for one-to-one work, peer play, daily-living routines and gross motor activities.
  • School. Private and public schools, so the skills your child is learning are practiced in the classroom where they are needed.
  • Daycare. Sessions that use the peers, routines and transitions your child already has during the day.
  • Home. Whenever the conditions for safe and effective sessions are in place.

Many families combine two of these settings. Your BCBA recommends the best fit during the assessment and reviews it at every progress review.

Insurance and payment

Families in Polk County ask us about insurance every day, and it is usually the first thing standing between a child and therapy. Tell us which plan you have — commercial insurance, a Florida Medicaid plan, or private pay — and our team will verify your benefits and explain exactly what your options are before you commit to anything.

Visit our Winter Haven clinic

Hopeful Therapies – Winter Haven
1134 1st St S, Winter Haven, FL 33880
Phone: (813) 655-8159
Email: contact@hopefultherapies.com

We also serve families at our Brandon and Lakeland clinics.

Frequently asked questions

Do you have a waitlist in Winter Haven?

No. Getting started quickly matters, and we work hard to keep it that way. Call (813) 655-8159 and we will tell you the soonest available start date.

Which areas do you serve?

Our Winter Haven location serves Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, Lake Alfred, Dundee, Eagle Lake, Bartow and Davenport. Between our three Florida clinics we cover much of Polk County and the surrounding communities.

Do I need a diagnosis before I contact you?

Not to talk to us. Call first — we will explain what your insurance requires and help you understand the steps toward an evaluation.

Do you offer services in Spanish?

Yes. You can read this page en español, and we support Spanish-speaking families throughout the intake process.

Do you work with children who have ADHD or a developmental delay?

Yes. Most of the children at our Winter Haven clinic have an autism diagnosis, and many also show ADHD-related behaviors such as trouble with attention, impulse control and routines. We also work with speech and language delays, developmental delays and early intervention for toddlers. A BCBA reviews your child’s needs first and tells you honestly whether ABA therapy is the right fit.

Ready to start?

Call (813) 655-8159 or request a consultation online. Tell us about your child, and we will take it from there.



Hours, insurance and what to expect at our Winter Haven clinic

Our Winter Haven clinic at 1134 1st St S, Winter Haven, FL 33880 is open Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Early morning, after-school, evening and Saturday appointments are all available, which is why families across Polk County can keep therapy going without pulling a child out of school or a parent out of work.

  • No waitlist. We schedule as soon as benefits are verified and the assessment is authorized — usually days, not the six to twelve months quoted elsewhere.
  • All four therapies in one place. ABA, speech-language, occupational and physical therapy sharing one coordinated treatment plan, which is the fastest way to reach therapeutic goals.
  • A human answers the phone. Call (813) 655-8159 during business hours and a person picks up — never a machine.
  • Five years of experience. Hopeful Therapies opened in October 2021 and turns five in October 2026. We are a family working for families.
  • Bilingual team. Services in English and Spanish.

We accept Simply Healthcare, TriCare, Humana, Sunshine Health, Sunshine Health CMS, Florida KidCare, Step Up For Students, Ambetter and Molina Healthcare at the Winter Haven clinic. Children’s Medical Services coverage moves from Sunshine Health to Molina Healthcare on October 1, 2026 and we accept both, so your child’s therapy continues uninterrupted. See the full list of insurance we accept.

What are the hours of the Winter Haven clinic?

Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. We are closed on Sundays.

Is there a waitlist for ABA therapy in Winter Haven?

No. Hopeful Therapies does not keep a waitlist in Winter Haven. Most families are scheduled within days of authorization.

Which insurance plans does the Winter Haven clinic accept?

Simply Healthcare, TriCare, Humana, Sunshine Health, Sunshine Health CMS, Florida KidCare, Step Up For Students, Ambetter, Molina Healthcare and private pay.

Who supervises your child’s therapy in Winter Haven

Every ABA program at our Winter Haven clinic is assessed, written and supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Our clinical team is Ashley Filipek, BCBA; Ayendi Polite, BCBA; Gilda Perez, BCBA; Cristabel Rodriguez, BCBA; Domanik Brack, BCBA; Nadine Perez, BCaBA; and Destinee Nash, BCaBA, supported by Registered Behavior Technicians and by our speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists and physical therapists. The company is led by Julio Lorie, President and CEO, together with Niurka Naranjo, Elizabeth Lorie, Evelin Lorie, Daymarelis Betancourt and Omar Montenegro. See the full team and their credentials.

What families already say about our care

Our Winter Haven location is the newest of the three, so most of our published reviews were written by families at our Lakeland and Brandon clinics. Same owners, same clinical standards, same team supervising every program.

5 out of 5 stars

Amazing place! My granddaughter didn’t talk and since she started with my favorite RBT, Emila, she is talking, playing and showing love. I love this center and the home service too. A plus that they are opening a center in Winter Haven! God bless the staff!!

Yvette Vera — Google review, Lakeland, FL, October 2025

5 out of 5 stars

This is an amazing place, my kid love this center, the team is kind, caring and professionals. My kid Nathan has made so much improvement in this couple years in his behavior problems and his communication have changed for better. He is growing stronger and I feel secure and confident that he has been with the amazing team Julia, Ashley and Hannah, Gilda. The management team is awesome as well and guide you tremendously with all your concerns. God bless you all!!!

Loreta Hernandez — Google review, Brandon, FL, May 2025

Read all reviews.

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350 E Bloomingdale Ave,
Brandon, FL 33511

2019 E Edgewood Dr
Suite 130
Lakeland, FL 33803

1134 1st St S
Winter Haven, FL 33880

(813) 655 8159

Contact@HopefulTherapies.com

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