I need help with a behaviour
Meltdowns, hitting, self-injury, sleep, toileting or transitions are making daily life difficult, and you want to understand why.
Behaviour support: I need help with a behaviourUKBA(cert)BCBA Pooja Shah, Behaviour Analyst in London
ABA and behaviour support for children in London
Understand what is behind the behaviour. Build the skills that matter to your child. See clearly whether support is helping. Direct, practical help from an experienced Behaviour Analyst.
- Approximately 19 years in ABA
- With or without a diagnosis
- Works with schools and EHCPs
UKBA(cert) · BCBACertified Behaviour Analyst
Home, school & onlineAcross London
- Parents & carers
- Schools & SENCOs
- EHCP & SEND
- Case managers
- Professional teams
Start where you are
What brings you here?
Some families already know they want ABA. Others only know that something in daily life has become very hard. Both are good places to start.
I am looking for ABA
An individual ABA programme, a consultant to supervise home tutors, or a review of a programme you already have.
ABA therapy in London: I am looking for ABAWe need a PBS plan
A school, social worker or local authority has mentioned Positive Behaviour Support, or several people need one consistent plan.
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS): We need a PBS planMy child is struggling at school
Distress before school, refusal, or home and school seeing very different pictures of your child.
School support: My child is struggling at schoolI need to know why it is happening
A Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) brings observation and information together before anyone decides on strategies.
Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA): I need to know why it is happeningI need evidence for an EHCP
Clear behavioural evidence and recommendations for a needs assessment, an annual review or SEND planning.
EHCP reports: I need evidence for an EHCPI am a professional referring
SENCOs, case managers, SEND teams and solicitors needing assessment, PBS input or a plan review.
Professional referrals: I am a professional referringCommon reasons families get in touch
You do not need the right words, or a diagnosis, to ask for help
Describe what is happening in your own words. Pooja will help work out what is behind it and what is most likely to help.
- Meltdowns and distress
- Hitting, biting or kicking
- Self-injury
- Difficulty with change and transitions
- School refusal or school distress
- Communication and asking for help
- Sleep
- Eating and mealtimes
- Toileting
- Rigid routines
- Independence and daily living skills
- Waiting for an autism assessment
Meet Pooja
Experienced, hands-on and direct. You work with Pooja herself.
Pooja has approximately 19 years of experience in ABA and behaviour analysis. She started hands-on with children and families and progressed through each level of delivery to her current consultant-level work.
That path matters. She designs plans knowing what it is like to carry them out, day to day, at home and in a classroom. Her current work also includes hands-on Positive Behaviour Support cases, so families and professionals get both perspectives.
~19 yearsin ABA and behaviour analysis, tutor to consultant
PBScurrent hands-on casework
UKBA(cert)UK Society for Behaviour Analysis
BCBABoard Certified Behavior Analyst
How support works
Assess. Support. Build. Measure. Adapt.
Every child is different, so the detail varies, but the reasoning stays visible to you. Nothing continues just because it is part of a method.
- Assess
A full ABA assessment for a longer programme, or a Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA) for a focused need. What might your child be communicating?
- Support
A written plan, such as a Behaviour Support Plan (BSP), with practical changes that fit your family’s routines and, where agreed, your child’s school.
- Build
Teach useful skills: communication, coping, independence and taking part in family and school life.
- Measure
Agree what progress looks like at the start, and keep simple, relevant records.
- Adapt
Review together. If something is not working, change it rather than carrying on.
Clear goals · Visible progress
You shouldn’t have to wonder whether support is working.
Goals are agreed with you at the start, written in plain language, and tied to things that matter in your child’s day.
- Measures follow the goal. Fewer distressed mornings, more words to ask for help, more time taking part at school.
- Regular reviews. You see what is changing, what is not, and what may explain it.
- Plans change when progress stalls. The information decides the next step, not habit.
Your own progress record
Ongoing programmes normally include access to a private progress record in HapMetrix, a UK data platform built for behaviour analysis practices. Goals, session notes, progress charts and key documents sit in one place, so you can see how things are going between reviews.
Progress review · exampleReviewed monthly
Agreed goals
Asks for a break using a card or words8 of 10 steps
Moves from play to tea time calmly5 of 8 steps
Gets dressed with one reminder3 of 9 steps
Distressed episodes a week
12 → 4
Recorded by family and school over eight weeks
Third goal not moving yet: plan adjusted at review.
An illustrative example, not real client data. It shows the kind of information families review with Pooja.
Services
Help that fits the question you have
From a single focused consultation to an ongoing programme. The scope is agreed with you after the first conversation, and fees are clear before any work begins.
ABA programmesIndividual programmes designed and supervised by Pooja, with the people around your child working from one plan.Behaviour supportFocused help with one difficulty that is affecting daily life: understand it, plan for it, review it.Positive Behaviour SupportPerson-centred support focused on quality of life, the environment and useful skills.Functional Behaviour Assessment (FBA)A structured look at why behaviour is happening, written up with practical recommendations.Parent consultationSpecialist guidance for parents who want to understand the pattern and try practical changes.School behaviour supportObservation, staff guidance and a shared plan across home and school.EHCP and SEND reportsBehavioural evidence and specific recommendations for needs assessments and reviews.Professional referralsAssessment, PBS input and plan reviews for schools, case managers and SEND teams.
ABA and Positive Behaviour Support
You do not have to choose a label before you start
ABA and PBS share the same foundation: understanding behaviour in its context. Pooja’s long ABA background and current PBS practice mean the approach follows your child, not the other way round.
ABA
Applied Behaviour Analysis
A science of learning and behaviour. Used well, it sets meaningful goals, teaches useful skills step by step and checks progress with real information.
ABA therapy in LondonPBS
Positive Behaviour Support
A person-centred framework, widely used in UK services, that links functional understanding with quality of life and consistent support across settings.
Positive Behaviour SupportFrom families
What parents have said
We highly recommend Pooja for her outstanding work with our son, who is on the autism spectrum. Her empathy, skill, and personalised approach have greatly benefited his development and progress. She’s patient, accommodating, and innovative in her approach, never incorporating a one size fits all attitude…
Pooja was my son’s consultant for over a year, and she is a great person and a consultant. She made ABA simple by writing steps that are easy to follow… She asked the tutor to collect data to see the child’s progress and how he responded to the program provided.
I started with Pooja from the start of 2023, she is great consultant and most soft-spoken person I have come across. She is very keen about her profession and with her help I have seen so much of progress in my son, since we started.
These testimonials were requested from former clients, who gave permission for them to be published. They are quoted as written, with some passages shortened (marked …). No payment or incentive was offered, and current clients are never asked for testimonials, in line with the BACB Ethics Code (sections 5.10 and 5.11). Every child is different, and these experiences are not a promise of any particular outcome.
Where Pooja works
At home, at school and online, across London
Support happens where your child’s life happens. Pooja visits homes and schools across London and also works online, which suits parent consultation, programme supervision and reviews.
Pooja is based in Brent, near Harrow, and works with families across all 32 London boroughs. Home and school visits are easiest to arrange in the boroughs nearest her base; further afield they are arranged case by case, and online support is often possible.
- Brent
- Harrow
- Barnet
- Ealing
- Hillingdon
- Camden
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Westminster
At home
Assessment, programme sessions and parent guidance in the place your child is most comfortable.
At school
Observation, staff guidance and plans agreed with the SENCO and teachers, where the school agrees.
Online
Parent consultation, supervision of home programmes, and progress reviews by video call.
With your team
Speech and language therapists, OTs, case managers and EHCP teams, with your agreement.
Free resources
Guides families use
Practical, plain-English guides to help you understand the options and work through the SEND system.
Getting an EHCP for ABA provision
Each stage of the EHCP process, what strong Section F wording looks like, and your appeal rights.
Read the guide: Getting an EHCP for ABA provisionABA schools in London
Fifteen schools with ABA provision, with Ofsted ratings, ages, funding and contacts.
Browse schools: ABA schools in LondonWhat is ABA?
What Applied Behaviour Analysis is, what a good modern programme looks like, and what it should not look like.
Read the guide: What is ABA?ABA and SEND glossary
Plain-English meanings of the terms in reports, programmes and EHCPs.
Look up a term: ABA and SEND glossaryQuestions
Before you get in touch
The questions parents ask most. There are more answers on the FAQ page.
Does my child need an autism diagnosis first?
No. Pooja works with children and young people based on their current needs, whether or not they have a diagnosis of autism, ADHD or a learning disability. Many families get in touch while waiting for an assessment. Pooja does not diagnose, and she will say if another professional should be involved.
What happens on the free initial call?
You describe what is happening, what you have tried and what you would like to change. Pooja asks a few questions, explains what she could offer, and says honestly if something else would suit you better. There is no obligation to go further.
Is the aim to stop my child’s behaviour?
The aim is a better day for your child and your family: safer, calmer, more able to communicate and take part. Behaviour usually tells us something. When the cause is understood and your child has better ways to get what they need, distressing behaviour often reduces as a result.
How will we know if it is working?
You agree goals together at the start and decide how progress will be recorded. Pooja reviews the information with you regularly, and ongoing programmes normally include a private HapMetrix progress record you can check between reviews. If a strategy is not helping, the plan changes.
Can you work with my child’s school?
Yes, where the school agrees. Pooja can observe, advise staff, contribute to a behaviour support plan and help home and school work from the same understanding.
Next step
Not sure where to start? Start with a conversation.
Tell Pooja what is happening in ordinary words. You do not need to know whether you need ABA, PBS or an assessment. The first call is free, and you can decide on any next step afterwards.