What does Small Steps offer?

ABA therapy (including home-based sessions), developmental delay therapy, an inclusive education plan with partner schools, and speech and language therapy and VB-MAPP assessments on request.

How do I enrol my child?

Fill in the contact form on the website or call +971 55 610 6471. The process then runs through a consultation, a play-based screening with a BCBA or supervisor, contract signing and first month's fee, a meeting with the school's Head of Inclusion and school enrolment.

What ages does the centre work with?

Ask the provider, as specific ages aren't published. The centre says early intervention gives the best results, even for toddlers, and that it's never too early or too late to ask.

How much does therapy cost?

Ask the provider, as fees aren't published. The first month's fee is paid at contract signing, and school fees are paid separately at school enrolment.

Small Steps Learning Difficulties Center

Q: Where do sessions take place?

Small Steps works as an inclusion centre within partner schools, including GEMS Founders School in Al Barsha, GEMS Al Barsha National School, GEMS Founders School in Al Mizhar and Dubai South, and GEMS World Academy. It also offers one-to-one home-based ABA. The Control Tower office in Motor City is its head office, not a therapy venue. Pick a branch on this page for the school address.

Special NeedsCreative & Play Therapy

New to Waha

Checked Oct 2026Details checked October 2026

Al Barsha South

Where5 branchesAl Barsha South, Al Barsha +3See on the map
Not publishedAskAges, prices and times

Book online

Small Steps Big Dreams, also known as Small Steps Learning Difficulties Center, is an autism and child development centre in Dubai, established in 2016. It offers one-to-one ABA therapy, a home-based ABA option, developmental delay therapy, an inclusive education plan for children in mainstream classrooms, and VB-MAPP assessments, with speech and language therapy available on request. Rather than one standalone venue, the team works as an inclusion centre inside GEMS partner schools, including GEMS Founders School in Al Barsha, GEMS Al Barsha National School, GEMS Founders School in Al Mizhar and Dubai South, and GEMS World Academy. Its head office is in Control Tower, Motor City, and is not a therapy venue. The team includes behaviour analysts certified by BACB, IBAO and QABA. It was co-founded by a mother whose young son has autism, and its stated mission is to see every child supported and successfully integrated into mainstream education. For families whose child needs support at school or at home, it's a service to contact directly to talk through an assessment. Pick a branch on this page to see its school address.

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The activity

Creative & Play Therapy, explained

Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is a structured, evidence-based therapy for children with autism, developmental delays or learning difficulties. It usually starts with an assessment - tools such as the VB-MAPP map a child's language and learning milestones - and a behaviour analyst then writes an individual plan. Sessions are often one-to-one, breaking skills like communication, following instructions, play, self-care and social interaction into small steps and rewarding progress. Some centres pair it with speech and language therapy or support children inside mainstream classrooms. Early intervention is common, and many children start when concerns first appear in the toddler or early school years.

Who it's for

Children with autism, developmental delays or learning difficulties, including children attending mainstream school. Specific age ranges aren't published - ask the provider. On early intervention, the centre says it gives the best results, even for toddlers, and that it's never too early or too late to ask.

What to expect

Enrolment runs through five steps: a consultation (enquiry, parents' questionnaire and sharing any reports), a play-based screening with a Small Steps BCBA or supervisor, contract signing with the first month's fee, a meeting with the school's Head of Inclusion, then enrolment in the school with the school fee paid. Therapy plans are built from the assessment, and progress is reviewed with families. Home-based ABA sessions are one-to-one and can be arranged around family routines. Ask the provider about trial sessions, session length, what to bring and which school suits your child.

Highlights

One-to-one ABA therapy, plus a home-based ABA option (smallstepsbd.ae)
Inclusive education plan supporting children in mainstream classrooms at GEMS partner schools (smallstepsbd.ae)
Speech and language therapy and VB-MAPP assessments available on request (smallstepsbd.ae)
Team includes behaviour analysts certified by BACB, IBAO and QABA (smallstepsbd.ae)
Centres serving Al Barsha South, Al Mizhar, Al Warqa and Dubai South (smallstepsbd.ae)

The facts

Not published yet: Ask about ages, prices and trials
Where: GEMS Founders School - Al Barsha, 2 Umm Suqeim St, Al Barsha South Second, Dubai
How to book: smallstepsbd.ae/contact-us · +971 55 610 6471 · [email protected]

Questions parents ask

Good to know

Inclusion centre inside GEMS Founders School Al Barsha (smallstepsbd.ae)
The Motor City address in Control Tower is the head office; therapy takes place within partner schools or at home (smallstepsbd.ae)
School-based support is linked to school enrolment: the last enrolment step is enrolling in the partner school and paying the school fee (smallstepsbd.ae)
Enrolment enquiries for every school: +971 55 610 6471 or [email protected] (smallstepsbd.ae)
Speech therapy is tailored for children growing up with more than one language (smallstepsbd.ae)