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Get startedA parent's guide
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a way of teaching that looks at what happens before and after the things a child does, then shapes support so useful skills, like asking for help or joining a game, become easier to learn and use.
This guide walks through how goals are chosen, what teaching looks like and how families stay involved.
Start readingLong activities get overwhelming, and the child has no easy way to say so.
Practice a simple way to ask: a word, sign, picture card or AAC button.
Each time they ask, the break happens. Their message works.
Family and teachers learn to respond too, at home and at school.
In plain English
An approach to learning that looks closely at how skills develop in everyday life, then adjusts support so success is more likely.
What happens before and after
"Behavior" simply means the things a child does: asking for juice, putting on a shoe, letting someone know they need space. We look at what tends to come before and after, so support fits real moments.
A useful skill, in small steps
New skills are taught in small, achievable pieces, inside play and routines your child already knows, with encouraging outcomes built on what they enjoy.
Across people and places
Skills are practiced with family, at school and in the community, so they work in everyday life and not only with a therapist.
Change the plan, not the child
Your BCBA reviews session data alongside what you see at home. When something is not working, the teaching, environment or goal changes.
Then the cycle repeats as your child grows.
The purpose: more ways for your child to communicate, connect and take part in the life they want. It is not about making a child appear less autistic or teaching compliance for its own sake.
Where it shows up
Common areas of focus. Your child's plan is built around their own needs.
Asking for help, a snack or a break
In whatever way works for your child: spoken words, signs, gestures, pictures or an AAC device. Every form of communication counts and is honored.
Taking turns, joining a game
Sharing a favorite toy with a sibling or inviting a friend in. Play is both a goal and the way much of the learning happens.
Knowing what comes next
Moving from the park to the car, or getting through the morning with fewer hard moments for everyone.
Dressing, handwashing, mealtimes
The small steps of daily care, practiced until your child can do more on their own and feel proud of it.
Staying close in busy places
Staying with a grown-up in a parking lot, responding to their name in a crowd, or knowing how to ask for help when lost.
Ways to cope with big feelings
Recognizing big feelings and having ways to cope, such as asking for space, a calm-down routine or a sensory break.
Individual, not a template
Every plan starts with an assessment led by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), and with you. You know your child best.
A family that wants smoother mornings and a family hoping their child can tell them when something hurts may end up with very different plans, and that is the point.
Your BCBA writes the plan. You review it together, help decide what comes first, and goals are revisited as your child grows.
How teaching works
Something good follows when a new skill works, chosen from what your child enjoys.
When a new skill works, something good follows: praise, a turn with the train set, a favorite song, a bubble break. We learn what your child genuinely enjoys and use it so learning feels rewarding. Positive reinforcement adds an encouraging outcome after a skill; it should not mean withholding basic needs, comfort or a way to communicate.
Teaching happens inside real play and routines.
Much of the teaching happens inside real activities. A child who loves cars might practice requesting by asking for the next car, or practice turn-taking by racing them with a parent. Skills learned in meaningful moments tend to feel more natural to use.
Big skills are broken into pieces, and help fades gradually.
Big skills are broken into pieces. Putting on shoes might start with just pulling the strap closed. Help is offered at first and faded gradually, so your child experiences success along the way instead of frustration.
Pictures, timers and practice with different people and places.
Picture schedules, first-then boards and timers can make the day more predictable. Once a skill is emerging, we practice it with different people, places and materials so it works at home, at school and out in the community, not only with a therapist.
A simple example
Imagine a child who becomes upset when an activity goes on too long. Instead of waiting for things to fall apart, the team might teach a clear, easy way to say "I need a break."
The same idea applies to putting on shoes: start with the final step, add one more as each becomes easy, and celebrate along the way.
Inside a session
Every child is different, but a session with our team is built on trust, choice and respect for how your child communicates.
Sessions begin with warming up: following your child's lead, playing with what interests them and building trust. A child who feels safe is ready to learn.
Your child helps shape the session by choosing activities, materials or the order of tasks. Choice builds engagement and gives children real control in their day.
Teaching is woven into play, snack, and routines, with plenty of success and encouragement. Harder skills are mixed with easier, enjoyable ones.
Children can ask for a break and get one. Many sessions actually teach how to ask, because it is such a useful, lifelong skill.
We watch for assent: signs your child is comfortable and willing. If they show distress, turn away or say no in their own way, we pause, adjust or change the activity. Stimming that is not harmful is respected, and we do not require eye contact.
At the end, the team can share what went well and what you might try during the week. Updates our team chooses to share also appear in your family portal.
Your care team
Designs and guides the plan
Works one-to-one with your child
Know your child best
Measuring what matters
Progress is rarely a straight line, and it looks different for every child. Here is how practicing a skill can grow.
Your team collects data during sessions, but numbers are only part of the picture. Your BCBA looks at them alongside context from you and, where relevant, school.
A skill is learned with help, in a familiar moment.
Prompts fade as your child tries more on their own.
Your child starts using the skill when it matters to them.
With grandma, at school, at the park, not only in sessions.
There is no single number that fits every child. Recommended hours come from your child's assessment, their goals and what is realistic for your family's schedule, school and other therapies. Your BCBA will talk through the recommendation with you, and plans can change as your child's needs change. Insurance authorization also plays a role, and our team helps you through that process.
We work with families to find times that fit, including in-home sessions around your routines and in-school support when the school gives permission. Availability depends on your location and team scheduling, so talk with us about what would work for your household.
No. A diagnosis is a clinical evaluation that describes your child's development and needs. ABA is a type of therapy that may be recommended afterward. Many insurance plans ask for a diagnosis before covering ABA. If you are still looking for an evaluation, our diagnosis support team can help you connect with partner evaluation providers.
No. Our goal is to help your child build skills that matter to them and your family, like communicating needs, joining play and doing more independently, while respecting who they are. We do not target harmless differences such as stimming or eye contact.
That is welcome. Gestures, signs, pictures and AAC devices are real communication, and we support whatever helps your child be understood. Expanding communication often starts with the methods your child already uses.
As involved as you would like and are able to be. Families share priorities, join sessions when it suits them, and learn strategies to use in everyday moments. Your portal shows the updates and notes your team shares with you, and you can bring questions to your BCBA at any time.
Your BCBA reviews data from sessions along with what you are seeing at home or school. Together you look at whether skills are growing and being used in real life, and adjust goals or strategies when something is not working. Progress looks different for every child.
Next steps
We serve children and teens ages 2 to 18 across Florida. Not sure where to start? Reach out and our team will talk through the options with you.
Tell us what is on your mind. We are here to listen and help you find the next step for your family.
