Play-Based ABA Therapy for Children & Families in Mission, KS
Finding the right ABA therapy provider is about more than choosing a program. You want a team that takes the time to understand your child, recognizes their individual strengths, and creates an environment where learning feels positive, engaging, and meaningful.
At The Behavior Project, we provide individualized, play-based ABA therapy for young children and families in Mission, KS. Through evidence-based care, meaningful relationships, and real-world learning opportunities, we help children strengthen communication, social interaction, emotional regulation, independence, and other skills they can carry into everyday life.
Most importantly, we want children to feel comfortable being themselves while discovering just how much they're capable of.
Where Being a Kid and Building New Skills Go Together
Children learn through the world around them. They learn while playing, moving, asking questions, exploring new things, interacting with other children, and participating in everyday routines.
At The Behavior Project, we build therapy around those natural opportunities.
Our approach incorporates Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs), combining evidence-based ABA principles with developmental learning and meaningful play. Rather than separating learning from the activities children enjoy, therapists intentionally create opportunities to practice new skills within engaging experiences.
A game can become an opportunity to practice turn-taking. Pretend play can encourage communication and imagination. Moving from one activity to another can help build flexibility. Even choosing what to play with next can create opportunities for decision-making and self-advocacy.
Learning is happening, but childhood is still at the center of the experience.
ABA Therapy Services For Mission 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.
Everyday Skills for Everyday Childhood
Progress in ABA therapy isn't limited to what happens inside the clinic. The skills children develop become most meaningful when they can use them during the everyday moments that make up their lives.
That might mean asking a parent for help, playing with another child, getting dressed more independently, participating in a classroom routine, sitting down for a family meal, or handling an unexpected change with greater flexibility.
What progress looks like depends entirely on the child.
Communication and Language
- Requesting a preferred toy
- Labeling what they see
- Expanding from single words to short phrases
- Learning to communicate when something feels wrong
Social Connection and Peer Interaction
- Shared attention
- Turn-taking
- Initiating play
- Responding to a friend's cues
Flexibility, Emotional Regulation, and Daily Routines
- Tolerating a transition
- Trying something unfamiliar
- Managing the frustration of losing a game
At the heart of it all, ABA therapy is about helping your child build the skills they need to communicate, connect, and navigate the world with greater confidence. Your child's journey and potential is specific to who they are. That is what ABA therapy should be.
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.
Short description no more than 4 lines desktop. Donec tempus laoreet nulla in dignissim. Curabitur nec varius nulla. Praesent euismod sed dui id aliquet. Duis a convallis nisl. Pellentesque facilisis, purus ac pharetra.
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit
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.
Autism Support Close to Home for Mission Families
Mission gives families the best of both worlds: a close-knit Johnson County community with convenient access to the greater Kansas City area. From neighborhood routines and trips along Johnson Drive to preschool, parks, family outings, and time spent with friends, children have opportunities to learn everywhere they go.
Those real-life experiences are important to the way we think about ABA therapy.
Our goal is to help children develop skills that can travel with them beyond the clinic. When a child learns to communicate a need, participate with peers, navigate a transition, or complete a routine more independently, we want those skills to become useful wherever everyday life happens.
The Behavior Project is proud to provide nearby ABA therapy and autism support for families throughout Mission and surrounding northeast Johnson County communities.
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 Mission 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.
