Expanding Access: Bringing Our Applied Behavioral Analysis Day Program to the Tri-Cities
At Catholic Charities, we have seen firsthand the impact Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Day Programs can have on children ages 2-5 and families. Building on the success of this established program, we expanded services to a new location in Kennewick, allowing us to reach more children and extend our impact into another community.
Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is an intensive, 12-week behavioral health intervention designed for children with an autism diagnosis. Our ABA Day Program provides individualized, one-on-one support delivered by certified behavior technicians under the supervision of a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst. Each child’s treatment plan is tailored to their unique strengths and needs and incorporates proven teaching methods such as naturalistic teaching, discrete trial training, reciprocal imitation teaching, speech therapy, and other therapeutic approaches.
Through participation in the program, children work toward meaningful developmental goals, including:
- Learning social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and participating in group activities
- Increasing academic and cognitive skills
- Developing expressive and receptive language
- Building routines and transitioning successfully between activities
- Reducing inappropriate behaviors
- Strengthening adaptive skills such as feeding and toileting
- Improving readiness for kindergarten and other early learning environments
Parent training is a core component of the program, ensuring caregivers gain practical skills to support their child’s behavioral and language development at home and as they transition into school settings.
To expand this program into the Tri-Cities, Catholic Charities secured a dedicated space in Kennewick and began the necessary steps to replicate and implement the model locally. This included licensing, hiring experienced staff, onboarding and training, and purchasing essential equipment to support daily operations. The program prioritizes serving low-income children, particularly those with Medicaid, who often lack access to therapeutic ABA services.
We are proud to share that the Tri-Cities ABA Day Program began serving children in the summer of 2025. Currently, the program supports six children with autism each day, with plans to expand to eight daily clients when a fourth behavior technician joins the team in 2026. This expansion reflects both growing community need and our commitment to meeting families where they are.
This work is made possible through strong community partnerships. We extend our sincere thanks to 3 Rivers Community Foundation for being an important part of this expansion. Their grant support helped fund computers and essential IT equipment for our ABA team in Kennewick; critical tools that allow staff to deliver coordinated, high-quality services and maintain strong communication and documentation practices.
By expanding an established, successful ABA Day Program into the Tri-Cities, Catholic Charities is helping ensure more children with autism have the opportunity to build essential skills, enter school ready to learn, and thrive in their communities.
