Jennifer Harris, Ph.D., LMFT, BCBA-D, began her career in behavior analysis in 1990 as an undergraduate working at UCLA’s Clinic for the Behavioral Treatment of Children. After completing her degree, she worked for ten years at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), where she held numerous roles—including providing direct ABA services to children, providing programs and supervision for global clients, and ultimately serving as the organization’s first Director. Inspired by the transformative power of ABA and her meaningful work with both autistic children and their caregivers, she pursued and earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University in 1998 and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from USC in 2003.

In 2005, Dr. Harris established FirstSteps for Kids, Inc., an ABA practice founded on the belief that every autistic child deserves the opportunity to learn in a safe, supportive, and enriched environment that prioritizes joy and meaningful progress over compliance. Since then, she and her team have thoughtfully expanded their services across California, ensuring the clinical excellence for which they are known is always maintained. Today, FirstSteps operates six state-of-the-art learning centers, each led by a team of exceptional behavior analysts dedicated to helping autistic children thrive.

Beyond her work at FirstSteps, Dr. Harris is passionate about contributing to the larger behavior analytic community. She has served three terms on the Board of Directors for the California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA), including as President-Elect. In addition, in 2016, she co-founded the USC Master of Science in ABA program with her colleague and friend, Dr. Jonathan Tarbox. In both her board service and faculty roles, Dr. Harris and her colleagues focused on promoting and disseminating modern ABA practices, increasing access to care, and educating and mentoring the next generation of inspired, well-trained behavior analysts. Today, with a career spanning over three decades, Dr. Harris remains deeply committed to leading FirstSteps and continuing to provide modern ABA intervention that is individualized, always compassionate, and results in significant learning. Ultimately, she and her clinical team strive to ensure that every child in their care develops a love of learning that they may take with them into adulthood and will lead to more independence, choices, and access to what makes them happy throughout their lifetimes.