Essential Speech and ABA Therapy Sandy Springs, Georgia

Comprehensive early intervention designed to support children ages 18 months to 6 years during their most important developmental years.

Helping Children Build Strong Foundations Early

Welcome to Our Sandy Springs Clinic

By bringing ABA Therapy, Speech Therapy, and Occupational Therapy together under one roof, we streamline treatment to help children reach their full potential! This collaborative model ensures a team approach to meeting your child’s needs, as our Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), and Occupational Therapist (OT) work together to craft a treatment plan personally tailored to your child.

At Essential Speech & ABA Therapy Sandy Springs, your child’s care is our top priority. Our locations are independently owned and operated, which means that each facility is uniquely equipped to meet your child’s needs while helping them achieve independence!

We focus on early intervention services, providing expert care for children between the ages of 18 months and 6 years old.

Gallery

Address:8735 Dunwoody Place, Suite 240, GA 30350

Phone:(877) 272-8501

Email:sandysprings@speechandaba.com

Working Hours:Open Monday through Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM

Service Areas: Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Roswell

Our Services

Our Sandy Springs team offers comprehensive therapy services that work together to support your child’s growth. By coordinating care across disciplines, we help families move forward with confidence.

ABA Therapy

Help your child build daily living and social skills through personalized, evidence-based ABA programs.

Speech Therapy

Support your child’s speech, language, and communication skills with therapy designed to boost confidence and interaction.

Occupational Therapy

Strengthen your child’s self-care, motor, and everyday skills with individualized occupational therapy plans.

Insurance & Coverage Options

Currently, we are accepting, or will soon take, the insurance plans:

  • Aetna
  • Anthem / Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
  • Cigna/Evernorth
  • United Healthcare/Optum
  • Magellan
  • Tricare
  • Medicaid

​​Please note: if you do not see your plan listed, we may still have options to serve you!

Why Families Choose Us

From Our Learning Environments to Family Involvement, We Put Children First

Bright, Child-Friendly Environments That Mirror Natural Settings

Clinics are thoughtfully designed to be open, bright, and reflective of real learning environments rather than isolated therapy rooms, which helps with generalization and comfort.

Collaborative, Multidisciplinary Care Under One Roof

Your child receives evidence-based therapies all in one clinic, ensuring coordinated, personalized care rather than fragmented services across separate providers.

Family-Focused Early Intervention Model

Designed specifically for ages 18 months to 6 years with full-time early intervention that helps give children a meaningful head start toward independence.

Parent Education and Involvement Built In

Our approach includes parent training with a BCBA so you’re empowered with strategies that extend learning beyond the clinic.

Transparent, Compassionate Communication

Parents consistently report clear, patient, and professional communication in a supportive environment that treats families like partners, not just clients.

Connect With Your Nearest Clinic

What Happens Next

Our Enrollment Process

We will take you and your family through a few key steps in order to get you the care that you need:

Step 1: Initial Contact & Paperwork

Contact the location closest to you and discuss your situation. The center will review some initial information, schedule your tour, and send over some information on next steps.

Step 2: Tour and Reports

Visit your closest location and meet with the team, and provide any diagnostic or insurance information that the center will need for an assessment.

Step 3: Initial Assessment

During this time, a certified BCBA will conduct an assessment with both you and your child. You’ll be asked to fill out the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (an assessment tool that uses a semi-structured interview to measure adaptive behaviors and support diagnoses) along with other approved assessments.

The BCBA will also ask additional questions as well as trial skills with your child. If you’re seeking Speech or OT, our SLPs and OTRs may attend the session.

  • If they are not present, your child’s SLP and OTR will perform an assessment once services start.

When all three providers are present at the initial assessment, the process may take three hours to complete. Otherwise, the session will take one or two hours to complete.

Step 4: Evaluation & Treatment

Following the assessment, our providers will spend the next few days evaluating your child’s assessment and creating a treatment plan. Once completed, the provider will share a copy with you for review.

Here, you’ll be able to ask questions, comment on goals, and send the plan to your insurance.

Step 5: Insurance Approval

Once the treatment plan is approved by your insurance, our staff will meet with you to discuss services. If your insurance denies hours or services, our providers will appeal on your behalf to ensure coverage for your child. Once the hours are approved, services will start.

Step 6: Service Initiation

Officially begin services!

Trusted by Families

Treazure Thomas profile picture
Treazure Thomas
18:10 05 Aug 25
Amazing facility !
Latrice Billionaire profile picture
Latrice Billionaire
18:08 05 Aug 25
Amanda and Daniel were Awesome! We’re Excited for them to take care of Our kid! This is an Amazing Facility!
Queen Afrodite profile picture
Queen Afrodite
21:55 03 Jun 25
Shelby Nelson profile picture
Shelby Nelson
17:09 31 Dec 24

Proud Members of Several Organizations

Connect with Our Sandy Springs Team

Choosing therapy can feel overwhelming but you don’t have to do it alone. The Essential Speech & ABA Therapy Sandy Springs team is here to answer questions and help you take the next step.

Meet The Sandy Springs Support Team

Meet the dedicated professionals supporting families at our Sandy Springs clinic—here to guide your child’s progress with care and expertise.

Danielle Jones, M.S.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

  • Experience: 6+ years
  • Background: Former RBT, Case Manager, Behavior Specialist
  • Age Groups: Early learners + adults
  • Special Interests: Verbal behavior, social skills training
  • Education:
    • B.A. Psychology — Spelman College
    • M.S. Applied Behavior Analysis — Georgia State University
  • Danielle’s favorite part of being a BCBA is observing client growth over time and seeing families celebrate both small and large milestones through consistent, ethical treatment.
  • She is passionate about making a positive and lasting impact on the families she serves.

Amanda R. Simmons, M.S.

Office Manager
  • Experience: 8+ years in Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Education: M.S. in Special Education (Ball State University, 2023)
  • Additional Training: Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Background: RBT, Finance Manager, Clinic Manager, Operations Manager
  • Focus / Motivation: Creating positive impact for both children and their families
  • She’s passionate about ABA because it is essential in helping people with autism make changes and learn new skills that improve their day-to-day lives.
  • She decided to pursue BCBA licensure to have the opportunity to work closely with individuals to make a substantial, positive impact not only in their lives but their families’ lives, and ultimately improve their overall quality of life.

Our Services in Detail

At our Sandy Springs clinic, our therapy services work together to support your child’s development in a coordinated, personalized way.

ABA Therapy

Applied Behavior Analysis (also referred to as ABA) is a therapy based on the science of learning and behavior. ABA therapy utilizes several evidence-based practices to increase communication skills and deter interfering behaviors.

Skills ABA Therapy Can Support

  • Daily living skills
  • Self-care skills
  • Attention
  • Social skills
  • Stress management
  • Emotional development
  • Language skills
  • Play and leisure skills

ABA therapy uses several strategies (such as Positive Reinforcement) to teach the above skills.

Positive Reinforcement

At Essential Speech and ABA Therapy, we use a strategy called Positive Reinforcement. In Positive Reinforcement, a therapist identifies a goal behavior. When a child successfully repeats the goal behavior, they are rewarded. Positive rewards encourage the child to continue using their newly acquired skills. Over time, this leads to meaningful behavioral change.

Speech Therapy

Speech therapy can be used to treat language disorders, speech disorders, and swallowing problems. For children on the spectrum, speech therapy can address many communication-related challenges and provide benefits that improve their quality of life as they age.

There are five key benefits to speech therapy:

Expressing wants and needs:

Your speech therapist will work closely with your child to help them advocate for themselves. Nonverbal children will learn sign language, gestures, picture boards, or AAC devices.

Recognize verbal and nonverbal cues:

An SLP will help your child interpret body language, facial expressions, gestures, and initiate communication without prompting.

Develop friendships and interact with peers:

Speech therapy helps children socialize, understand casual conversation, and build friendships.

Articulate words and sentences well:

SLPs help children produce correct sounds, use proper words, and understand abstracts

Understanding and processing language:

SLPs help children follow directions, understand concepts like colors, sizes, and prepositions, and comprehend stories or conversations.

Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy helps children with ASD promote, maintain, and develop the skills needed for school and beyond. These may include:

  • Self-care skills (such as dressing, eating a meal, and managing personal hygiene)
  • Productivity skills (i.e. emotional regulation, participation, handwriting, and organization)
  • Leisure skills (participating in hobbies, developing motor skills for PE/sports, and maintaining friendships)

After your child’s initial assessment, our OTs will identify several key areas for improvement. These may include, but are not limited to: independent dressing, eating, grooming, and fine motor skills. Together with our BCBAs and SLPs, our OTs craft individualized care plans that help children with ASD thrive in any environment. Our OTs meet regularly with family members and program staff to review progress or adjust goals if needed.

Nearby Locations

Bilingual SupportWheelchair Accessible

Essential Speech and ABA Therapy Sugar Hill, GA

4300 Westbrook Rd, Unit E, GA 30024

(770) 790-7413

Service Areas: Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Buford

Learn More

Getting Started Is Simple

The Path to Getting Started is To Take the First Step!

First, simply contact the location nearest you. Have all the important information for your child ready, including name, date of birth, diagnosis, physician information, insurance information, and therapy history.

Then, come in to meet our treatment team to complete an evaluation. A full treatment program will be developed, designed entirely around your child’s needs.

Once the plan is approved by insurance and you pick a start date, we can begin getting your child in-facility and get to work!