First Leap

The staff at first leap are motivated and excited about what they do. It is wonderful to have these young high energy therapists working with my son. Patricio, Lexi, and Rachel are great. My son has only been able to receive around 10 hours a week of ABA due to our budget, but has still made a lot of progress in past 6 months. He is making eye contact, pointing to request, matching objects, and able to communicate generally without screaming & throwing tantrums which he was doing before we started, although he is still non verbal. I am so thankful to have found First Leap and looking forward to seeing what more my son will learn under their direction.

Our daughter, who is nonverbal and has severe autism, has received ABA & Speech from First Leap for over 2 years now. We LOVE First Leap and have been so happy! They taught her to communicate with PECS which has helped greatly! More than just providing services for our daughter, they really care for her and it shows in their effort! They have attended ARD meetings and provided parent trainings. The owner & director, Laura Kruse, also just facilitated training for those working with autistic children at our church! We would HIGHLY recommend them for ABA, Speech, and childcare training! It is so great to have the therapists at one location, co-​treating sessions, and providing in-​home therapy that allows us to hear exact wording & procedures used. Thank you Laura & all the wonderful therapists at First Leap!

This review is LONG overdue. Our daughter has been receiving ABA and speech therapy from First Leap for over a year. The dedicated staff has become like family and our little girl has made tremendous progress. Receiving an autism diagnosis at age 2 is hard for any parent but having a support system like the one at First Leap is so important. So thankful for the help they’ve provided (and continue to provide) in getting our little girl on the right track.

We just started coming here so I can’t say I have a long history but what I can say is that first impression is everything and these wonderful people have nailed it. I’m a mom of a special needs boy and a speech delayed little toddler and have sought out First Leap to help my children.
The ladies at the front desk are so friendly and attentive, its nice when you go to a place that you know from the start that they like their job. The facility is well kept, open with a lot of space and fun for children.
I am a active duty military wife and what I have come across is a lot of ABA companies not taking our insurance because there aren’t as many military families in Austin compared to towns with large bases, plus the payout to providers is not as much because its the government. I have been searching for a professional company who has experienced staff, the availability we need and of course works with our insurance. With that, it has been nearly impossible to locate, which to me seems depressing because it delays my children from progressing and on a deeper note, makes me feel like companies don’t truly care for those who serve their country (or their dependents).
First Leap heard my concerns and they pushed everything they had at my insurance, got in with them with just as much urgency as I was pushing at my insurance as well. Normally it takes at least 6 to 8 weeks to get that underway and they had it done in 3 weeks.
First impression, has gone so well just from that experience. Then we have had a few intake appointments for my children and the two ladies who have taken to my children have been so knowledgable, firm, positive, energetic, fun and have the structure that is needed.
I really feel that with all we have been through in the months it has taken to get help, my prayers will be answered, my kids will get the help they need, thanks to First Leap!

Laura came highly recommended when we were searching for someone to help us find answers to our concerns about the possibility of my daughter’s 2 ½ yr old son having Autism.
She spent 2 hours of her Sunday with him and let me tell you, he does not do well with strangers at all. Laura was with him and in less than 10 mins, he got up and reached out to her, let her pick him up and show him around the playroom.
I’ve never ever seen him take to a complete stranger like that before. He has a speech therapist that he has been seeing twice a week for 2 months, and they spend the first 20 to 30 mins of each session just trying to get him to calm down. This was not the case at First Leap.
We learned more in those two hours than I’ve learned in the 100 of hours I’ve spent researching on the Internet. We actually have a greater understanding of his world and how to interact with him and for this, I will be forever grateful to Laura. This is the first step in our journey and Laura helped make it a profound first step in the right direction. She truly has a passion for Autism education and for the children she works with.