Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis

What Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis does

Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis (IABA) is a privately held, for-profit behavioral health services company founded in 1981 by Dr. Gary LaVigna and Dr. Thomas Willis and headquartered in Irvine, California. IABA provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and positive behavioral support services to individuals with autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities, operating six core service lines: Behavior Respite, Supported Living Services, Independent Living Services, Supported Employment Services, Child & Adolescent Services, and Training & Professional Development. Its service delivery is grounded in the proprietary Multi-Element Behavior Support (MEBS) framework, a non-aversive, person-centered methodology that incorporates Discrete Trial Training, Pivotal Response Training, and play-based intervention, codified across 40+ years of clinical practice and the published work of its co-founders.

The company delivers services directly to individuals in their homes, communities, schools, and center-based environments across nine California offices spanning Southern and Northern California (Irvine, Northridge, Camarillo, Sherman Oaks, El Centro, San Leandro, Brawley, Culver City, Simi Valley). IABA generates revenue through managed-services contracts with California's 21 nonprofit regional centers, which authorize and fund services for individuals with developmental disabilities. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; service intensity is set per individual plan, ranging from a few hours per week to 24-hour supported living. Referrals and intake flow through dedicated phone lines and contact forms at each location. Marketing and demand generation are sales-led and referral-driven via the regional center system and direct family inquiry.

In 2022, co-founders LaVigna and Willis retired and sold the company to Ihab and Vivian Shahawi, who now lead as CEO and Chairperson respectively, supported by a CFO, CTO, and Senior Directors across clinical, operations, and training functions. Clinical depth is anchored by four Ph.D.-level BCBA clinicians. In 2023, IABA spun off its research and education function into the IABA Research & Education Foundation, a nonprofit that offers MEBS and Positive Behavioral Supports training to practitioners and individuals online and in person, providing a non-regional-center revenue stream and global reach.

Name

Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis

Legal name

Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis

Website

https://iaba.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis is a California-based, for-profit behavioral health services company providing Applied Behavior Analysis and positive behavioral support services — including supported living, independent living, supported employment, child and adolescent services, and behavior respite — to individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, funded primarily through California's regional center system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Developmental Disability Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (6243), Educational Support Services (611710), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

ABA Supervision, Clinical Oversight & BCBA Consulting (EDAKAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Intervention ABA (Birth–3) (EDAKAHAD), Autism Executive Functioning & Academic Skills Intervention (EDAKAKAI), Autism 1:1 Paraprofessional / Aide Support Services (EDAKAKAD), Parent/Caregiver Training & Family Consultation (ABA) (EDAKAHAG), ABA Assessment & Diagnostic Support (Functional Assessments, VB-MAPP/ABLLS-R) (EDAKAHAE)

Keywords

• Applied behavior analysis
• Developmental disability services
• Autism therapy services
• Supported living services
• Behavioral intervention programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Developmental Disability Services: IABA provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities funded primarily through California's regional center system. Services include Supported Living Services, Independent Living Services, Supported Employment, Child & Adolescent Services, and Behavior Respite. Revenue is generated through service contracts with California regional centers and government-funded programs for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IABA delivers Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)-based behavioral support services to individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities across California. Service lines cover the full lifespan: Behavior Respite for caregivers, Supported Living Services (SLS) and Independent Living Services (ILS) for adults, Supported Employment Services (STEP) for vocational integration, and Child & Adolescent Services (CAS) for early intervention and school-based support. All services are unified by the proprietary Multi-Element Behavior Support (MEBS) framework emphasizing non-aversive, person-centered practices, supplemented by training programs for practitioners through the affiliated IABA Research & Education Foundation.

Product overview

IABA offers a suite of behavioral support services for individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities. The organization provides six core service lines: Behavior Respite (temporary caregiver relief), Supported Living Services (community-based residential support), Independent Living Services (skills-building for adult independence), Supported Employment Services (vocational support and job placement), Child & Adolescent Services (early intervention and behavioral programs for youth), and Training & Professional Development (practitioner education). These services are unified by the Multi-Element Behavior Support (MEBS) framework, emphasizing non-aversive, person-centered practices. The company has operated for over 40 years and recently established a non-profit foundation (IABA Research & Education Foundation) dedicated to research and education in behavioral support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IABA Research & Education Foundation: A nonprofit foundation dedicated to promoting research, education, service equity and excellence, and improving the lives of individuals, families, organizations and communities through positive behavioral support and multi-element behavior support (MEBS) training for practitioners worldwide.

Products and services

• Behavior Respite Short-term respite care providing temporary relief for parents and primary caregivers of individuals with special needs, with an enhanced service level for individuals whose behaviors include physical or verbal aggression, property destruction, self-injury, self-stimulation, and elopement.
• Supported Living Services (SLS) Comprehensive services for adults with developmental disabilities who choose to live in homes they own or lease in the community, focused on adaptive skills, community participation, and enhancement of valued social roles within the family and community. Service intensity ranges from limited hours per week up to 24-hour support depending on individual need.
• Independent Living Services (ILS) Skills-based support grounded in the Multi-Element Behavior Support (MEBS) framework that helps adults with developmental disabilities develop daily living skills, home skills, community connection and relationships, and self-advocacy and decision-making within their own homes and communities.
• Supported Employment Services (STEP) Employment and community-based behavior day service for individuals with developmental disabilities, providing individualized job development, systematic job training, on-the-job coaching, and community inclusion opportunities. The program supports paid community employment for individuals regardless of disability severity or behavioral challenges.
• Child & Adolescent Services (CAS) Full continuum of behavioral services for children with developmental differences including autism, delivered in home, community, school, and/or center-based environments. Includes early intervention and infant development, intensive ABA, school-based behavior support, psychoeducational and behavior assessments, adaptive skills training, social skills training, pivotal response training, play-based intervention, and Independent Educational Evaluation (IEE).
• Training & Professional Development Online and in-person training programs for practitioners and individuals in Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS) and Multi-Element Behavior Support (MEBS), delivered through the affiliated nonprofit IABA Research & Education Foundation (iaba.foundation) and serving national and international audiences.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• IABA Research & Education FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Established in 2023, the IABA Research & Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted to the research and education of multi-element behavior support for practitioners worldwide. The foundation promotes research, education, service equity and excellence, and aims to improve the lives of individuals, families, organizations and communities. Training for practitioners in Positive Behavioral Supports and MEBS is available online or in-person.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Centria Healthcare: Large, multi-state provider of ABA services for children and adults with autism. Closest direct peer in scale, service mix (EIBI, intensive ABA, adult services), and payer relationships.
• Autism Learning Partners: Multi-state ABA provider offering in-home, center-based, and school-based ABA services. Comparable service portfolio and regional-center/payer mix in California.
• Trumpet Behavioral Health: ABA provider serving individuals with autism across multiple states, with established clinical and training infrastructure. Comparable methodology-driven ABA delivery model.
• Kadiant: California-based ABA provider serving children and adolescents with autism. Direct geographic and service-line peer to IABA's Child & Adolescent Services program.

Broad incumbents

• The Arc: National nonprofit network providing advocacy, supported living, employment, and behavioral services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Comparable mission and lifespan services across California chapters.
• Maxim Healthcare Services: Large home health and behavioral services provider with an ABA/autism services line. Comparable in delivering in-home and school-based behavior support, but as part of a much broader healthcare portfolio.
• Sevita Health (formerly The MENTOR Network): National provider of home and community-based services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including supported living and employment. Overlaps with IABA's SLS, ILS, and STEP programs at greater scale.
• Easterseals: National nonprofit disability services organization offering autism services, supported employment, and community living programs. Comparable lifespan service model at a much larger, national footprint.

Emerging players

• Behavioral Innovations: Multi-state ABA provider with a center-based service model. Comparable clinical offering but focused on a different (center-based) delivery modality than IABA's home/community-heavy model.

Regional players

• Patterns Behavioral Services: California-based ABA and behavioral services provider, listed as an affiliate of IABA on its own website. Directly comparable California service area and ABA methodology focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-applied-behavoral-analysis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Applied Behavior Analysis