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School support in
Union County

What the district owes you, and how it fits alongside clinical ABA.

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Free for families NJ FamilyCare and commercial plans Union County only

An adult reading a picture book aloud to a child in an armchair
A parent on the phone at the kitchen table with insurance paperwork

Two systems, not one

School support and clinical ABA answer different questions. The district's duty is educational access. A clinical ABA program is medical, funded by insurance or NJ FamilyCare. Having one does not remove your right to the other, and being told otherwise is worth pushing back on, politely and in writing.

Union County is unusual in how many separate districts it contains. Special education is administered locally, so the child study team you deal with belongs to your own municipality (Berkeley Heights School District, Clark Township Public School District, Cranford Public School District, Elizabeth Public Schools and others), not to the county. Two families a mile apart can have quite different experiences.

Asking for an evaluation

  • Put the request in writing to the child study team. The written date starts the statutory timeline.
  • Keep a copy. Email is fine and gives you a timestamp.
  • An independent evaluation you have already paid for can be submitted for consideration.

At the IEP meeting

  • Ask for measurable goals. "Will improve behavior" is not one. "Will follow a two-step instruction in 8 of 10 trials" is.
  • Ask how progress is reported, and how often.
  • You can bring your BCBA, or their written input, if a clinical program is running.
  • You do not have to sign at the meeting. You can take it home and read it.

The state's Office of Special Education publishes the parental rights documents and the dispute resolution routes.

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Tell us what you need. We will point you to providers covering Union County, and what to expect on cost and waiting.

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Common questions

Can my child have ABA and an IEP?

Yes. They are separate systems with separate funding, and many Union County families run both.

The district says ABA is not their responsibility. Is that right?

Districts fund what a child needs for educational access, which is not always a clinical ABA program. That does not affect your insurance or NJ FamilyCare route, which is medical and runs independently.