Parents of children with autism across New York are facing a terrifying reality—one that could strip their children of the vital care they desperately need. Governor Hochul’s proposed budget cuts a staggering $9.6 million from Medicaid Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services in 2025-26 and a devastating $19 million in 2026-27. For thousands of families who have fought for years to secure access to ABA therapy, this feels like a cruel betrayal.
ABA therapy is not a luxury—it’s a lifeline. It helps children with autsim learn to communicate, develop life skills, and reduce dangerous behaviors like self-harm. Without it, many of these children could face increased hospitalizations, institutionalization, and lifelong dependency on state services. Parents who have fought for their child’s progress now fear watching it unravel before their eyes.
New York was already one of the last states to provide Medicaid coverage for ABA therapy, only implementing it in 2021—almost a decade after private insurers were required to cover it. Due to years of red tape, Medicaid families only started accessing these services in 2023. Now, just as they are finally receiving the care they were promised, the government is yanking it away.
How can we justify funding mental health initiatives while simultaneously ripping away life-changing therapies for children with autism? How can lawmakers claim to support children’s futures while condemning them to a life of struggle?
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This is a fight for our children’s future. If these cuts are not stopped, countless children with autism will lose the support they need to speak, learn, and thrive. The consequences will be catastrophic.
If these cuts go through, it will ultimately mean the complete end of the entire ABA program for Medicaid members. The proposed cuts would make New York’s reimbursement rates the lowest in the entire nation—among all 50 states. This decision could force providers to stop offering ABA therapy altogether, leaving families with nowhere to turn. Even more alarming, private insurance carriers could follow suit, using the state’s decision as a precedent to reduce their own coverage rates, potentially ending ABA therapy access across the entire state.
How can we justify funding mental health initiatives while simultaneously ripping away life-changing therapies for children with autism? How can lawmakers claim to support children’s futures while condemning them to a life of struggle?
We spoke to few parents regarding how they feel about these cuts:
Sarah Thompson, Brooklyn, NY
“My 5-year-old son, Ethan, has made incredible progress with ABA therapy. He went from being completely nonverbal to using simple words to express his needs. Now, with these budget cuts, I’m terrified he will regress. How can the government take away something so essential for his future?”
Ayesha Akter, Queens, NY
“My daughter, Rafia, struggles with severe meltdowns and self-harming behaviors. ABA has been life-changing for her and our family. Cutting these services is not just a financial decision—it’s a direct attack on children who need support the most. Governor Hochul, please don’t abandon our kids.”
Emily Carter, Suffolk, NY
“We fought for years just to get Medicaid to cover ABA therapy, and now they want to rip it away? My son finally started making eye contact, playing with his siblings, and saying ‘I love you’—things I never thought I’d hear. Losing ABA will set him back years. We need lawmakers to stand up for our children!”
📢 Parents, advocates, and allies—this is the time to act.
Contact the Health Committee Chairs:
518-455-3395 | grivera@nysenate.gov
518-455-5585 | PaulinA@nyassembly.gov
518-455-5426 | simonj@nyassembly.gov
Demand that they reject these cuts. Your voice could mean the difference between a child’s chance at independence—or a future filled with suffering.
New York’s children with autism deserve better. Don’t let them be forgotten.
