ABA Therapy for Developmental Delay in Dubai
ABA therapy for developmental delay at ABLE UK is play-led, step-by-step support that helps children build the everyday skills they have not yet developed, such as playing with toys, following simple instructions, feeding themselves or copying actions. Each programme starts from what your child can already do and adds one achievable step at a time. Sessions run at our Dubai Healthcare City and JLT clinics, in English or Arabic.
This page is part of our Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) service. It explains what developmental delay means, how ABA therapy can help, and what a programme at ABLE UK involves.
What is developmental delay?
A developmental delay means a child is reaching milestones later than most children of the same age. A delay can affect one area, such as speech or movement, or several areas at once. When a young child has significant delays across two or more areas, doctors sometimes use the term global developmental delay.
Developmental delay describes where a child is now, not where they will end up. Some children catch up with the right support; others have an underlying condition that becomes clearer over time. Either way, building skills early gives children more ways to take part in daily life. You can compare your child’s development with the CDC milestone checklists.
Why early support matters
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes early intervention as services and supports for babies and young children with developmental delays and their families, and notes that it can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to learn new skills. Read more on the CDC early intervention page.
You do not need to wait for a diagnosis to start building skills. If you have noticed your child is behind in more than one area, an assessment helps you understand where to begin. Our blog explains more about the benefits of early ABA therapy.
Areas an ABA programme for developmental delay can support
Play and learning readiness
Play is how young children learn. We help children explore toys, share attention with an adult, take turns and try new activities. Alongside play, we build learning readiness skills such as sitting for a short activity, looking at what an adult is showing, and following simple one-step instructions, which make nursery and school easier later on.
Daily living and independence
Everyday routines are full of teaching opportunities. We break skills such as eating with a spoon, drinking from a cup, handwashing, dressing and toileting into small steps, teach each step with gentle prompts, and fade support as your child becomes more independent. Our feeding therapists and occupational therapists work alongside the ABA team when mealtimes or fine motor skills need extra support.
Motor and imitation skills
Imitation is one of the foundations of learning. Children who can copy actions, sounds and simple movements can learn many new skills by watching others. We teach imitation through songs, action games and play, and coordinate with our physiotherapy team when gross motor skills such as balance, climbing or walking need specialist input.
Early communication
Many children with developmental delays also have delayed communication. ABA programmes teach children to request what they want, using words, signs, gestures or pictures, so they have a reliable way to be understood. Our speech and language therapists share goals with the ABA team.
How we build your child’s ABA programme
- Parent consultation. We listen to your concerns, your child’s history and what you would most like to see change in daily life.
- Assessment. A behaviour analyst observes your child during play and routines and assesses skills across play, learning readiness, communication, daily living and imitation. If your child has not had a developmental assessment, we can discuss our psychological evaluation service.
- Individual programme. We agree a small number of achievable goals with you and break each one into clear, measurable steps.
- Sessions and parent coaching. One-to-one sessions teach new skills through play, while coaching shows you how to practise them at home.
- Review and adapt. Progress is reviewed regularly and shared with you, and new steps are added as your child masters each skill.
ABLE UK · Applied Behaviour Analysis
ABA therapy for developmental delay: small steps, real progress
- PlayExploring toys, sharing attention, pretend play
- Learning readinessSitting for an activity, following simple instructions
- CommunicationRequesting, gesturing, first words
- Daily livingEating, dressing, toileting, handwashing
- Motor and imitationCopying actions, using hands, moving with confidence
How we build your child’s programme
- Parent consultationYour priorities and your child’s history
- AssessmentSkills across play, communication and daily living
- Individual planSmall, achievable goals with clear measures
- Sessions and coachingPlay-led teaching plus parent coaching
- Review and adaptProgress shared, next steps added
What a typical ABA session looks like
For young children, most of a session looks like play. A therapist might use bubbles, a favourite toy or a song to encourage your child to look, point, copy an action or ask for more. Short, structured practice of a new skill, such as putting on a sock or stacking blocks, is mixed with free play and movement breaks, so sessions stay positive. Our article on building essential skills through ABA therapy gives more examples.
Parents and carers as partners
Children practise skills far more often at home than in the clinic. Every programme includes parent coaching, so you know how to set up everyday moments, such as snack time or getting dressed, as chances to practise. You are welcome to observe sessions, and your therapist will share simple strategies you can use straight away.
How we measure progress
Each goal is broken into steps that can be observed and counted, such as how many steps of handwashing your child completes independently. Therapists record progress during sessions and the supervising analyst reviews it regularly. You receive updates in plain language, and when a skill is mastered we plan the next step together. To see how goals change as children grow, read our article on what ABA progress looks like at different ages.
Honest answers: what ABA therapy can and cannot do
ABA therapy teaches specific skills and helps children use them in daily life. It does not treat the medical cause of a delay, and it is most useful as part of a wider plan that may include speech, occupational or physiotherapy and medical follow-up where needed. Progress is different for every child. What families often notice first are practical changes, such as a child who can ask for a drink, join in a game or manage part of a routine without help.
When developmental delay overlaps with other needs
Developmental delay can sometimes be an early sign of another condition, such as autism or ADHD, or it may occur alongside them. If that is the case for your child, our pages on ABA therapy for autism and ABA therapy for ADHD explain how programmes are adapted. Because ABLE UK brings several disciplines together, your child’s plan can change as their needs become clearer.
Your ABA team
ABA programmes at ABLE UK are delivered by an experienced team whose training includes:
- Sarah Amin: MSc Applied Psychology, BCaBA, QBA, IBA, ADOS-2 certified
- Ciby Koshy: IBA, QASP-S, DHA licensed, 11 years at ABLE UK
- Marife Romero Parong: BA Psychology, QABA ABAT, RBT, more than 10 years at ABLE UK
- Dennis Mangundayao: BSc Clinical Psychology, RBT, QABA ABAT, DIR/Floortime trained
- Mervin Valmonte Javier: BSc Nursing, RBT, QASP-S
You can read more about each clinician on our team page.
ABA therapy for developmental delay in Dubai Healthcare City and JLT
ABLE UK has supported children and families in Dubai since 2014, drawing on more than 25 years of clinical heritage in the UK. ABA sessions and parent coaching are available in English and Arabic at both of our clinics:
- Dubai Healthcare City: 2nd Floor, Building 33, Dubai Healthcare City
- Jumeirah Lake Towers: 1605, 16th Floor, Fortune Executive Tower, Cluster T, JLT
To book an initial ABA consultation, call 04 552 0351, message us on WhatsApp at +971 52 774 5062 or use our contact form.
Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy for developmental delay
Can ABA therapy help children with developmental delay?
Yes, ABA therapy can help children with developmental delay build everyday skills such as playing, following simple instructions, communicating needs, feeding and dressing. At ABLE UK, each skill is broken into small steps and taught through play, with parent coaching so practice continues at home.
What is the difference between developmental delay and global developmental delay?
A developmental delay means a child is reaching milestones later than expected in one or more areas. Global developmental delay is a term doctors use when a young child has significant delays across two or more areas, such as movement, communication, thinking and social skills.
Does my child need a diagnosis to start ABA therapy?
No, your child does not need a formal diagnosis to book an initial ABA consultation. If your child has not had a developmental assessment, we can explain the options, including our psychological evaluation service, and discuss where support should begin.
What age can a child start ABA therapy for developmental delay?
ABA therapy can start as soon as a developmental delay is noticed, including in toddlers. For very young children, programmes are almost entirely play-based and include a strong focus on parent coaching.
Will my child catch up with ABA therapy?
Every child progresses differently, so no therapy can promise that a child will catch up. ABA therapy focuses on teaching practical skills step by step, and progress is measured and shared with you regularly so you can see how your child is developing.
How is ABA therapy different from occupational therapy or physiotherapy?
ABA therapy focuses on how children learn new skills and use them in daily routines, while occupational therapy focuses on fine motor, sensory and daily living skills and physiotherapy on movement and gross motor development. At ABLE UK, these therapists work together on shared goals.
How often are ABA sessions for developmental delay?
The number and length of ABA sessions are set after assessment, based on your child’s age, goals and energy levels, as well as your family’s routine. The plan is reviewed regularly and adjusted as your child progresses.
Do you offer ABA therapy for developmental delay in Arabic?
Yes, ABLE UK offers ABA sessions and parent coaching in Arabic and English at our Dubai Healthcare City and JLT clinics, so your child can learn in the language used at home.
Book an ABA consultation for developmental delay
Talk to our ABA team about your child’s development, what you would like to see next, and whether ABA is the right place to start.
More from our ABA service: Applied Behaviour Analysis overview · Autism Spectrum Disorder · ADHD and Attention Difficulties · Communication and Social Skills · Behaviour Support and Regulation · School Readiness and Adaptive Skills