The need for high-quality Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy has never been greater among young children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder—especially those between the ages of 1 and 6. Simply put, there just aren’t enough ABA therapy providers focusing on autism therapy and behavior therapy. Little Leaves is on a mission to change that.

If you’re unfamiliar with Little Leaves Behavioral Services, we are a leading provider of center-based behavioral health services for children with an autism diagnosis. Our centers operate in  a preschool-like setting to help improve each child’s communication, play, social, and school-readiness skills while building their independence. Each center’s team of highly trained professionals provides evidence-based ABA therapy to help children develop and learn by offering individualized therapeutic plans to meet the priorities of every family we serve.

Because excellent and effective center-based ABA therapy is so important, especially in underserved areas, Little Leaves has been growing quite a bit lately on the East Coast, with recent additions in Columbia, Maryland, and Ashburn, Virginia, soon-to-be-opened centers in Millersville, Maryland, and Miami Lakes, Florida…and coming in February 2022, our 10^th center will open in Midlothian, Virginia!

This newest center in Midlothian, Little Leaves’ first venture into this region, will serve the greater Richmond area and support the community by providing early intervention services to children with social, communication, and behavioral challenges.

“Our goal is to improve the lives of children with autism through early intervention, helping them build the skills to find success academically,” said Marina Major, president of Little Leaves. “We see many families struggling to obtain access to services for their young children. More centers like ours are necessary to meet the growing needs of families, and we are proud to bring Little Leaves to the Richmond community.”

With a new Richmond ABA therapy center comes the need for a new leader to guide Little Leaves’ expansion to southern Virginia—that leader is Jennifer Wade, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA, our newest Regional Director! Jennifer is a board-certified and licensed behavior analyst who has more than 20 years of experience working with individuals ages 18 months to 21 years with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Prior to joining Little Leaves, she was the assistant director of clinical services for Next Steps Behavioral Centers, providing clinic-based, home-based, and community-based services. Over the years, she has worked in private ABA-based school environments and the Virginia Commonwealth University – Autism Center for Excellence.

“We are very excited that Jennifer Wade will be leading our expansion into Richmond,” says Marina. “Her clinical leadership and expertise will be critical.”

These are exciting times—not only for Little Leaves, but for families who desperately need ABA therapy for their children with autism spectrum disorders. In growing our presence throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and in Florida, we’re anxious to be able to provide families with the services they need for their young children.

For information about Little Leaves, or to enroll, please contact us at [email protected].