At Sunshine Advantage, our preschool program curriculum is thoughtfully designed and organized by both developmental domain and age. This helps us seamlessly integrate ABA therapy into every part of the learning experience for your child with a neurodiverse condition.
In our program, we create a learning experience that feels natural, engaging, and effective for children by tailoring activities to their developmental stage.
Our Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) incorporate Discrete Trial Training (DTT) to break skills into small, manageable steps, providing clear instructions, prompts, and positive reinforcement to ensure mastery. We also use Natural Environment Teaching (NET) to embed those same skills into everyday routines, play, and social interactions, helping children learn how to apply them in real-life situations.
Our clinic environment mirrors a preschool setting, enhanced with sensory-friendly spaces and structured routines, so every moment becomes an opportunity for growth and real-world skill building.
At our preschool clinic, we focus on developing a broad range of skills that prepare children for school and life, including:
Each skill area is taught through engaging, age-appropriate activities and is carefully structured to progress through three stages: foundational, intermediate , and mastery. This approach ensures that children build on their skills in a step-by-step manner.
Cognitive and problem-solving skills refer to a child’s ability to think, reason, remember, and make decisions to overcome challenges or complete tasks. We use puzzles, sorting games, and construction toys to help your child build critical thinking skills.
During 1:1 tabletop sessions, your child’s behavior therapist uses DTT to teach targeted skills, such as naming colors and matching shapes.
Each trial follows the ABA sequence of instruction → response → feedback
If your child hesitates, the therapist provides a prompt and gradually fades it as independence increases.
During free play and circle time, we incorporate NET by modeling activities like stacking or nesting and offering praise for spontaneous problem-solving.
Throughout both structured and naturalistic teaching, the therapist records data on your child’s responses, which is then reviewed by the BCBA to adjust goals and strategies for continued progress.
As children master simple sorting, our behavior therapists add two‑step instructions and sequences. They might ask the child to “find the big red triangle and then the small blue circle,” using DTT to break complex tasks into smaller steps.
Later in the day, the same skill may be practiced naturally during movement games. For example, children might follow a sequence of steps in a dance routine, such as clap, jump, and spin.
Our BCBAs check your child’s progress and add new skills or challenges once they’ve mastered the current ones.
At this stage, children learn to solve complex puzzles and follow multi‑step directions. DTT sessions focus on planning and reasoning (e.g., “How can we build a bridge with these magnets?”).
During circle time, small-group board games provide children with an opportunity to practice waiting, using strategies, and working together. Our BTs guide them in taking turns and handling frustration as it occurs.
A skill is considered mastered when a child can complete multi-step patterns independently and consistently in different situations.
Social-emotional development is the process of learning how to understand and manage emotions, build healthy relationships, show empathy, and interact effectively with others.
Developing empathy and social readiness is at the heart of our program. We guide children in recognizing and expressing their emotions while learning to cooperate, share, and work together as part of a group.
During morning pairing-and-play, our therapists demonstrate how to act kindly and name feelings using dolls. They ask the child to “show me a happy face” and give praise when the child answers correctly.
In the sensory room, therapists create train play activities where children play side by side and are encouraged with praise for engaging alongside one another. The BCBA checks the child’s progress to know when to start games that involve more interaction.
When children play pretend with friends, our therapists teach social skills in small groups. Through NET, children practice important social skills such as taking turns, making eye contact, and using simple phrases, like saying, “My turn to be the doctor next.”
In structured DTT sessions, therapists use puppet stories to teach children how to manage their emotions. When a child demonstrates these skills successfully, therapists provide positive reinforcement through tokens or enthusiastic praise. If problem behaviors occur, the therapist quickly identifies the underlying cause and adjusts the plan to better support the child’s progress.
At this stage, children participate in group games under the guidance of our behavior therapists. The therapist uses visuals and clear rules to set expectations. DTT sessions target problem‑solving, while NET allows children to practice empathy (e.g., comforting a sad doll).
Our BCBAs help children use their skills in real life by arranging playdates and trips outside the center. They also coach parents on how to support emotional control at home.
Our language and early literacy program supports children in developing strong communication and reading skills, one step at a time.. It combines key areas, including phonemic awareness, vocabulary development, and storytelling, to support their growth.
Our therapists combine reading with rewards. During story time, the therapist asks the child to point to pictures, such as ‘Where is the dog?’ and gives praise or reinforcement when the child responds correctly.
In DTT sessions, we focus on naming things and putting two words together. Therapists also use natural moments in play to encourage the child to ask for things (e.g., “more books”) and talk about what the child is doing.
In this phase, we introduce letters and rhyming in playful ways, keeping it fun rather than formal schoolwork. Using DTT, the child practices matching letters to sounds. For example, the therapist shows a letter card and asks, “What sound does B make?”
During art or snack time, the therapist gently encourages rhyming words like “cat-hat-bat” as part of play. In small groups, children use picture cards to practice telling stories, taking turns to add to the next part.
At this stage, children tell stories with several events and answer questions about them. In DTT sessions, children practice recognizing familiar words, such as their own name, and begin developing early writing skills, without yet moving into formal reading.
During circle time, the group uses story dice to make stories together. Therapists help children take turns and use descriptive words. A child shows they’ve mastered this when they can retell the story on their own and independently recognize the letters in their name.
Our math and early numeracy program introduces children to basic math ideas using hands-on tools and fun games. We start with counting objects, helping children understand numbers and how they relate to things they can see and touch. As they grow more comfortable, children begin learning simple math operations like addition and subtraction.
Behavior therapists introduce numbers as fun topics and help children practice counting one by one using DTT. The therapist presents a few toy bears and asks the child to touch each one while counting out loud. When the child responds correctly, they receive praise or tokens.
At snack time, the therapist uses play to practice counting crackers or sorting fruit by color. They keep track of how well the child does to see when they’re ready to count larger groups of items.
Once counting to three is mastered, we introduce comparisons, patterns, and numerals as playful concepts. We help children recognize numerals up to five and make simple measurements (using rods).
In group games, therapists use dice to help children quickly recognize numbers and practice taking turns. During free play, children sort objects by two features, with therapists offering support as needed and gradually stepping back as the children gain independence.
At this stage, children practice counting to ten and perform simple addition and subtraction through fun play. In DTT sessions, therapists use ten frames to show numbers. They ask the child to add one more or take one away.
During cooking activities, therapists include measuring tasks, such as “Pour up to the number 4 line.” During group activities, children work together to build patterns and solve problems as a team.
Young scientists begin to explore important skills, including cause-and-effect, careful observation, and asking questions. We use hands-on sensory materials and simple experiments to spark their natural curiosity. These activities encourage children to notice how things work, make predictions, and discover new ideas on their own.
Behavior therapists guide early exploration in the sensory gym. Using DTT, they ask the child to name textures such as “wet” or “dry” and to guess whether an item will sink.
During free play, therapists turn discoveries into opportunities for conversation, such as saying, ‘Look, the toy floats!’ They also observe and track how the child explores and responds.
At this phase, we focus on watching closely and sorting things. Therapists set up experiments, like playing with magnets, and ask open‑ended questions like, “What happens when we put two magnets together?”
Children also plant seeds and track how they grow. Therapists help them make simple graphs using counting skills.
At this stage, children conduct simple experiments, and our DTT lessons begin to teach basic science words.
During outdoor time, therapists ask the children to guess what will happen and help them watch and record what they see. Life-cycle puzzles help children practice putting events in order.
Our BCBAs also work with families to help children use these skills at home, like observing caterpillars change into butterflies.
Our technology and early coding program uses simple tech toys to help children build problem-solving, sequencing, and fine motor skills. These toys encourage children to practice careful hand movements. We keep screen time short and focused, making sure every moment is meaningful and supports learning.
Behavior therapists use cause-and-effect toys during pairing sessions to encourage children to make requests, like “push the button.”
In DTT lessons, children practice using devices, such as pressing a button to play a song. Screen time is kept short and is always followed by active play.
As children gain attention skills, therapists introduce simple coding toys. In DTT sessions, they practice simple steps like “move forward,” “turn,” and “stop,” with quick feedback.
During free play, therapists use NET to build problem-solving skills, like helping a robot move around obstacles. Children also work on fine motor skills using magnetic drawing boards.
At this stage, children make programs with several steps. In DTT sessions, they practice repeating steps (loops) and simple plans (algorithms). During NET play, they learn to fix problems when the robot does not reach its goal.
Group coding games help children work together. BCBAs watch how well children manage waiting and frustration, and slowly make the tasks more challenging as their skills improve.
Art and creative expression help children develop fine motor skills, boost creativity, and express their feelings. Our activities start with sensory exploration and gradually move toward more guided, structured crafts. This approach encourages children to explore materials freely while building the skills they need to create and share their own ideas.
During art time, therapists use NET to embed learning opportunities by labeling colors and textures and modeling simple brush strokes.
In DTT sessions, children practice copying simple shapes such as straight lines and receive immediate reinforcement, like enthusiastic praise or high fives, for correct responses. In addition, sensory play activities support regulation by helping children feel calm and focused.
In this stage, therapists help children learn to make shapes and do simple cutting. In DTT lessons, they break down the steps, like opening and closing the hand while cutting.
During group art projects, therapists encourage children to share materials and talk about their friends’ creations. They also weave in counting activities, such as how many stamps are used, while supporting language development.
Older children plan and complete multi‑step art projects. In DTT sessions, they practice patterns, like stringing beads in order (e.g., red, blue, red).
During group art, therapists step back to let children work more independently while encouraging cooperation with prompts such as, “Can you pass the glue?”
We also introduce digital art apps with clear time limits. These help children practice skills like dragging and dropping, which get them ready for using technology.
Music and movement activities help children develop rhythm, language skills, and social connections. Through music, children learn to recognize patterns, improve their listening, and express themselves in fun, creative ways. We start with simple exploration, like tapping to a beat or playing with instruments, which builds coordination and focus.
Behavior therapists use music to connect with children and help them feel calm. During music circle time, our therapists show the children how to shake instruments and then wait for the children to copy.
During structured play, children practice simple actions like ‘shake’ or ‘stop’ and are encouraged with praise when they respond correctly.
At this stage, group music sessions focus on following a beat and copying rhythms. Therapists use NET by asking children to pick instruments and join in dancing.
In DTT, children practice copying two-step actions like “tap then shake.” Songs with simple words help build language skills and memory.
Advanced music sessions focus on playing together as a group. Therapists use DTT to help children read simple music signs, like colors or numbers.
Then, during NET, children play together like a band. They practice taking turns, listening, and staying calm while waiting for their part. Playing with friends and parents helps to build their confidence.
Our daily schedule blends structured therapy with natural play, creating constant opportunities for learning. Each child is greeted by their behavior therapist upon arrival. The therapist begins pairing with the child by engaging with preferred toys or activities, building trust and motivation.
Children then move through cycles of DTT sessions and natural environment activities, following a schedule such as:
With our 1:1 therapist-to-child ratio, structured schedule, and combination of DTT, NET, and play, ABA therapy is seamlessly integrated into the entire day. Purposefully designed spaces for table work, group activities, sensory play, and quiet time minimize distractions and create an environment for intensive, effective instruction. We operate year-round to provide continuity and prepare each child for success in their least restrictive educational environment.
If you have any questions or queries about our curriculum and preschool program, our team can help you.
To explore if our preschool program can help your child, call Sunshine Advantage at 855-973-1235 or contact us online.
ABA Therapy for Children in NJ, NC, SC, FL & NM
Preschool and afterschool services available in NJ only.
Our mission at Sunshine Advantage is to provide every child in our care with the tools they need to grow and succeed.
