Step-In’s Story
Step-In Autism Services was founded in 2010 to provide quality Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to children and adults. At that time, ABA was not available and the remote location of Fairbanks, Alaska had minimal supports for individuals with Autism or other behavioral needs. Since then Step-In Autism Services has partnered with families, community members, and other service providers “stepping in” to maximize independence. The Step-In team of therapists offer the highest level of services to bring meaningful and positive change to children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder or who have other behavioral needs.
One of the founding BCBAs relocated to Colorado and Step-In is now offering services in the Colorado Springs/Monument areas as well.

Step-In’s Approach
Providers at Step-In Autism Services understand the importance of intensive intervention for individuals diagnosed with Autism or other developmental delays. We have seen firsthand the impact that Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) creates in the lives of the individual, siblings, and family members. This is why we pride ourselves on quality ABA services.
Center-based Services
Step-In utilizes a relatively novel approach to ABA. Our Center is set up, not like a clinic, but like a natural setting. One of our founders, Linda Robertson, coined the term ‘family style ABA’ to describe the services provided at the Step-In Center. With an open layout, all of the clients engage with each other and all of the staff. Siblings and peers are often on site to provide more social opportunities for clients.
Center-based services offers the opportunity to teach skills in a novel environment with direct oversight from BCBAs and support of a team of highly-skilled staff. Often, individuals have a history with a behavior in their home environment. This means that in order to teach new skills, the individual’s learning is competing with a previous history of reinforcement for an, often competing, behavior.

Benefits of a center-based autism therapy program include:
No two children are exactly the same, and center-based services supply variables that may increase opportunities to jumpstart new skills and interactions, many of which are afforded by having your loved one in a shared space with other individuals.
Home and Community-Based Services
As clients progress in skills, it is important to generalize those skills to other environments and with other care providers. Introducing home and/or community-based sessions is often a technique used to ensure that the individual is generalizing the skills learned.
Meet Our Founders
The founding members, Linda Robertson, MEd, BCBA and Emily Ice, MEd, BCBA, have over 50 years of combined experience in special education and autism spectrum services. Their paths crossed through services to one child and after seeing the impact of their teamwork’s successful outcome to the child, they founded Step-In Autism Services.
Step-In offers virtual supports. Do you have a parenting question or concern? We can help: for children with or without disabilities, we are here to support your child’s behavioral needs.