Play-Based ABA Therapy for Children & Families in Mills Farm, KS
Personalized autism support that turns everyday moments into opportunities to learn, connect, and grow.
When your child has been diagnosed with autism, finding the right support can come with a long list of questions. What will therapy actually look like? How will goals be chosen? Will my child enjoy being there? Will the skills they're learning help them outside of therapy?
At The Behavior Project, we provide individualized, play-based ABA therapy for children and families in Mills Farm and surrounding southern Overland Park communities. Our approach combines evidence-based strategies with meaningful play, strong relationships, and natural learning opportunities to help young children strengthen communication, social interaction, flexibility, independence, and everyday life skills.
We aren't interested in changing what makes your child unique. We want to understand who they are, discover what motivates them, and help them build skills that create more opportunities to participate in the world around them.
Learning Happens Everywhere When You're a Kid
For young children, learning isn't limited to sitting at a table or completing a structured activity. It's happening while they're building a tower, pretending to cook dinner, chasing bubbles, playing beside another child, choosing a toy, or figuring out what to do when something doesn't go as expected.
We believe therapy can work the same way.
Our approach incorporates Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs), bringing evidence-based ABA principles into play and everyday interactions. Therapists follow your child's interests while intentionally creating opportunities to practice individualized skills.
A favorite toy might encourage a child to communicate. A game can provide practice with taking turns. Pretend play may open the door to new social interactions. Cleaning up before moving to another activity can become an opportunity to practice transitions and flexibility.
To your child, it can feel like an engaging day filled with play and exploration. Behind each activity is a team thoughtfully working toward meaningful goals.
ABA Therapy Services For Mills Farm Families
Play-Based ABA Therapy
Using evidence-based NDBI strategies, therapy sessions are designed around your child's interests so learning feels natural, engaging, and enjoyable.
Early Intervention Therapy
Children can benefit from ABA at many ages, but starting earlier provides more opportunities to build these skills during a period of significant development.
Skills & Behavior Assessments
Through play, interaction, and observation, our team gains valuable insight into how your child learns, communicates, and engages with the world around them.
Helping New Skills Become Part of Everyday Life
Progress can show up in surprisingly ordinary moments.
It's a child asking for help instead of becoming frustrated. It's joining another child during play. It's getting through the morning routine with a little more independence. It's trying something unfamiliar or moving away from a favorite activity with greater flexibility.
These moments may seem small, but for children and families, they can make a meaningful difference.
That's why we focus on skills your child can use beyond our clinic.
Communication That Opens New Doors
Being able to communicate gives children more opportunities to participate in their world.
Depending on your child's current abilities, goals might involve requesting something they want, communicating when they need help, answering questions, expanding language, expressing discomfort, or participating in back-and-forth interactions.
Communication doesn't have to look the same for every child. We focus on helping each child develop effective ways to express themselves and connect with the people around them.
Learning How to Participate with Others
Social development involves much more than simply making friends.
Young children may need opportunities to practice shared attention, playing near peers, taking turns, joining an activity, responding to another child, initiating interaction, or participating in cooperative play.
Our play-based environment allows children to practice social skills through genuine interactions, with therapists providing individualized support along the way.
Small Steps. Meaningful Progress.
Getting started should feel supportive, not overwhelming. From your first conversation with our team to personalized recommendations and ongoing care, we’re here to help make every step feel clear, comfortable, and designed around your child’s needs.
Fill out our New Patient Inquiry Form to get started.
Connect with our clinical team and schedule a tour.
We verify your insurance and request an assessment.
Your child completes a comprehensive clinical assessment.
Our team develops your child’s personalized treatment plan.
Begin your child’s first day of therapy with our team.
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Why Families Choose The Behavior Project
Locally-Owned
The Behavior Project is a locally owned ABA practice serving families throughout the Kansas City metro. Founded and led by Dr. Kate Lamb, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level (BCBA-D), our practice is committed to providing individualized, evidence-based care for every child. Her leadership and clinical expertise help ensure the highest quality of care across all locations.
BHCOE Accreditation
The Behavior Project is accredited by the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE), an independent organization that recognizes ABA providers for meeting high standards in clinical quality, staff training, and family satisfaction. This accreditation reflects our ongoing commitment to providing exceptional care and is held by only a small number of ABA providers in the entire Kansas City area.
Experienced & Dedicated
Since opening our doors in 2018, The Behavior Project has had the privilege of serving more than 500 children and their families. We believe our growth has been built on trust, strong relationships, and a commitment to providing individualized care. Every child who walks through our doors is known by name, supported by a dedicated clinical team, and treated with the compassion and attention they deserve.
What Mills Farm Families Can Expect From Our Team
A Treatment Plan That's Actually Personal
We don't start with a list of goals and try to make your child fit them.
We start with your child.
What do they enjoy? How do they communicate? What comes easily? What situations are difficult? What skills would make the biggest difference during everyday family life?
Those questions help us create goals and learning opportunities that have a meaningful purpose for your child.
Evidence-Based Therapy That Still Feels Like Childhood
Clinical quality doesn't require taking the fun out of learning.
Our NDBI-based approach allows therapists to incorporate evidence-based strategies into play, movement, exploration, social interaction, and activities children genuinely enjoy.
There is intention behind the learning, but there is still plenty of room for curiosity, silliness, imagination, and fun.
Support That Includes Your Family
Your child's life extends far beyond the hours they spend in therapy.
Parents and caregivers are an important part of helping new skills become useful during daily routines and experiences. We prioritize family communication, collaboration, and support so you can understand what your child is working toward and how progress can carry into life outside our clinic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does play-based ABA therapy actually look like during a session?
At The Behavior Project, learning happens through play that is meaningful and motivating to the child. For example, while playing in our grocery store, a child might practice requesting items, identifying foods, colors, and shapes, taking turns, engaging in functional play, following directions, and transitioning between activities, all within a single play experience.
To a parent, it may look like simple play, but every interaction is purposeful. Each activity is thoughtfully designed to build communication, social, play, and daily living skills based on the child's individualized treatment plan. Every program is supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), with progress continuously monitored through ongoing data collection.
Is play-based ABA therapy as effective as more structured ABA approaches?
Yes. The Behavior Project uses a play-based approach grounded in Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs), an evidence-based framework that integrates ABA and developmental science. Research supports NDBIs as an effective approach for helping young children develop communication, language, social, and play skills by embedding teaching into natural interactions and everyday routines. Because learning occurs in meaningful contexts, skills are more likely to generalize across people, settings, and activities.
Is play-based ABA therapy covered by insurance?
Yes. ABA therapy, including our play-based approach, is covered by most insurance plans. We will run your insurance benefits to ensure your plan covers these services before getting started.
What age should a child start play-based ABA therapy?
Children can begin ABA therapy as soon as they receive an autism diagnosis. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children receive intervention as early as possible because research shows that early support can improve communication, social engagement, play, and adaptive functioning. Early intervention provides repeated opportunities to build foundational skills that support learning across home, school, and community settings.
How is The Behavior Project different from other ABA clinics in the Overland Park area?
Families often tell us that The Behavior Project feels different the moment they walk through the door. Rather than a traditional therapy clinic, our clinics are designed as engaging, child-sized communities where learning happens through play and everyday experiences.
We specialize in early intervention and provide individualized ABA therapy using a naturalistic, evidence-based approach. Because we're locally owned and led by a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D), clinical decisions stay in the hands of experienced clinicians who know your child personally. Combined with our national BHCOE accreditation, our focus is simple: providing high-quality, compassionate care that helps children and families thrive.
Parent Support is built into every child's program because we believe the most meaningful progress happens when families feel confident using new skills beyond the clinic.
We Accept Most Major Insurance Plans
Our team works directly with your provider to verify coverage and simplify the process, so you can focus on care—not paperwork.
