A child with glasses smiling and holding their chin and looking pensively to the right

About ABA

You might be wondering, how can FirstSteps help my child and family? You likely found us via a referral from your pediatrician, a speech therapist, developmental psychologist, health plan, or education specialist, and were simply told that your child "needs ABA" (Applied Behavior Analysis). If that is the case, you probably are not exactly sure what this ABA thing is all about.

So, what is ABA?

Behavior analysis is simply the scientific study of human behavior. It is the process of identifying and understanding the environmental factors that influence everything we do, be it saying "Hello" upon seeing a friend, asking for some "water" or even jumping on the bed.

A smiling child looking up and to their right.

A toddler and adult playing with blocks on a table

These environmental factors, once identified, can be strategically modified via Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to create new learning opportunities and promote the development of socially important behavior such as communication and language, social skills, and adaptive behaviors. In essense, with ABA treatment, new and appropriate skills are taught and function to replace challenging behavior that interferes with learning.

To learn more about ABA, read our blog article, 'What is ABA and its History?'

Two smiling children painting at a table holding up their paintings.

Determining Learning Goals