ABA Referral Letter Template for Pediatricians and Partners
A good ABA referral letter tells a busy office who you serve, where you are, which insurance you accept and how to send a family your way. The Relay Co suggests three short letters: an introduction, an openings update and a follow-up. Fill each one with facts your clinic has confirmed, and keep patient details out of email.
Who should get an ABA referral letter?
Send letters to people whose work overlaps with your ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) services. That often means pediatric offices, diagnostic providers, school staff and local family organizations. Start with contacts your clinic already knows, then add new ones with a clear reason.
Each letter should have one owner on your team. That person answers replies, keeps the facts current and logs the next step. The ABA referral partnership plan shows how to build the full contact list and meeting plan.
- Pediatric offices: who handles referrals, and what do they need from you?
- Diagnostic providers: which families do they see after a diagnosis, and where do those families go next?
- Schools and family groups: what general ABA questions do their staff hear?
What should every letter include?
Keep it short enough to read in one minute. A referral coordinator should be able to tell, from the letter alone, whether a family might be a fit. Use plain words instead of “we accept all needs.”
- The ABA service and setting: center-based, in-home or both, only if you offer it
- Ages served and your service area
- Insurance plans you accept, as confirmed by your intake team
- Current openings, with the date you checked
- One named contact and the approved way to send a referral
- A link to the matching page on your website
Template 1: the introduction letter
Use this the first time you write to an office. Replace every bracket with a fact your clinic has checked. Delete any line you cannot fill truthfully.
- Subject: ABA services in [area] from [Clinic name]
- Hello [Name], I lead [role] at [Clinic name], an ABA clinic in [city].
- We provide [center-based / in-home] ABA for children ages [age range] in [service area].
- We accept [insurance plans]. Our intake team checks benefits with each family.
- To refer a family, please use [approved referral route]. I am your contact at [phone / email].
- You can read more about our services here: [service page link].
- Would a 15-minute call to learn what your team needs from us be useful?
- [Name, role, clinic, phone]
Template 2: the openings update
Send this only when something real has changed, such as new openings or a new location. Put the date in the letter so nobody relies on old information.
- Subject: ABA openings at [Clinic name], [location], as of [date]
- Hello [Name], a quick update from [Clinic name].
- As of [date], we have [verified openings] for [service] at [location].
- Who we serve: [ages and service].
- Insurance: [accepted plans]; benefit questions go to [intake contact].
- Next step: [approved referral route]. Our team will confirm fit and timing with the family.
- Please do not send patient details by reply. Use [approved route] instead.
- [Name, role, clinic, phone]
Template 3: the follow-up after a meeting
Send this within a few days of a call or visit. Thank them, answer the question they asked and confirm the one next step you both agreed on.
- Subject: Thank you, and the [information] you asked about
- Hello [Name], thank you for your time on [date].
- You asked about [question]. Here is our answer: [verified answer].
- As agreed, [next step and date].
- If anything changes on our side, I will send a short dated update.
- [Name, role, clinic, phone]
How do you keep the letters accurate?
Review the facts in your letters each month. Check openings, insurance plans, contacts and links. When the intake contact changes, update the letter and the website page on the same day.
Keep a simple log: who you wrote to, which letter, the date, any reply and the next step. Track referrals as counts in the marketing log. Keep each family’s details in your clinic’s approved intake system.
Do not promise start dates, clinical results or insurance approval in a letter. Your clinical team decides fit, and your intake team checks benefits. Relay can write and send these updates as part of an email plan; the email marketing guide for ABA clinics covers lists and timing.
Put the plan to work.
Relay turns your service priorities into videos, social content, paid campaigns, email, and search pages. For clinic engagements, we also call leads, check practical fit and book the agreed visits. Your team handles clinical decisions, benefits and intake.