Your first ABA session: what to expect, how to prepare.
Clinically reviewed by Ruth Gluck, MSEd, BCBA
The first session is mostly about one thing: your child deciding this new person is safe and fun. There's no test to pass and almost nothing to prepare. Here's what day one really looks like, so nobody in your house has to be nervous about it.
What day one is for
Therapists call it pairing: the therapist spends the first sessions becoming someone your child likes. That means following your child's lead — playing with the toys they love, joining the games they invent, keeping demands low and fun high.
It can look like 'just playing.' It's supposed to. A child who trusts their therapist will try hard things for them later. Rushing this step is how therapy goes wrong, so a slow, warm start is a good sign, not a slow one.
What to have ready
Honestly, very little. It helps to have:
- A few favorite toys or snacks nearby — the fastest map to what motivates your child
- A rough sense of your child's day — nap times, meal times, when they're at their best
- Any questions you've been saving — write them down; day one is a great time to ask
- Nothing tidied. Really. Sessions happen in real homes with real laundry. Nobody is grading your house.
How to prep your child
Keep it light and simple: "Someone new is coming to play with you." For kids who do better with pictures, some families ask for a photo of the therapist ahead of time to show their child once or twice before the visit.
If your child hides, warms up slowly, or ignores the new person entirely — that's fine and expected. Good therapists have seen every version of a first meeting and take none of it personally.
What parents do during sessions
In the early days, being nearby helps — your presence tells your child this new person is okay. Over time, you'll find the rhythm that works: sometimes joining, sometimes catching your breath in the next room while the session runs.
You'll never be shut out. Parent coaching is part of every Sunbird plan, so as therapy settles in, part of the work is teaching you the same strategies — because you're with your child far more hours than we are.
After the first few sessions
Expect a check-in about how it's going — what your child loved, what felt off, what to adjust. Speak up about all of it. The plan bends around your child, and a first week's worth of honest feedback makes month one much stronger.