ABA therapy in Belgrade and Novi Sad: in-person home sessions and online support

ABA therapy in Belgrade and Novi Sad starts, for many families, with a question: are there specialists nearby who come to the home and speak a language the family understands? At the time of writing (October–November 2026), our specialists hold sessions in Belgrade and Novi Sad, in person at home and with online support. Below we explain what ABA is, what sessions look like, how the formats differ, how the first assessment goes and what to ask any specialist before work begins.

What ABA therapy is and how it differs from general developmental classes

ABA (applied behavior analysis) teaches skills through clear steps, reinforces them with encouragement and measures progress with numbers. The main difference from general developmental classes is that goals are written down, progress is counted and the program is reviewed against the data.

Serbia's 2023 national autism guidelines count behavioral interventions among the best-studied approaches and note that most of them are based on ABA principles. According to the text, such interventions affect social skills and communication, help regulate unwanted behavior, build school skills and sometimes address narrow tasks such as sleep or eating routines.

The same guidelines make an important reservation. Skills learned in one setting do not always carry over to another, so transfer has to be programmed separately. That is why ABA specialists try to work where the child lives and show parents how to reinforce skills between visits.

The scientific picture is measured, and it is worth knowing in advance.

• A 2018 Cochrane review rated the evidence for early intensive behavioral intervention as weak. It included five studies with 219 children and noted that the method may be effective for some children.
• The 2023 Project AIM review in BMJ analyzed 252 studies and concluded that some approaches have evidence of benefit, while adverse effects of interventions are poorly monitored.
• So we make no promise of results and describe ABA as one option for support, chosen individually.

How ABA sessions run at home in Belgrade and Novi Sad

A home session is built around the child's play and daily routines. The specialist comes to the family, sets one or two small goals for the visit, teaches through play and short tasks, records what worked and explains to the parent what to repeat next.

A typical structure of a session in the behavioral method looks like this:

• Getting used to the setting and the child's mood, a calm entry into the session.
• Short play-based tasks aimed at goals written in the program.
• Encouragement of what worked, so that the skill is worth repeating.
• Breaks when the child is tired or overloaded, and a return to tasks without pressure.
• Recording results and talking with the parent about what to do before the next visit.

The specialist discusses the length and frequency of visits with the family after the skills assessment. A general guide to choosing the load is in the article how many ABA sessions per week are needed.

In-person, online support and hybrid: how the formats differ

We work in three formats. In-person sessions take place at the family's home, online support runs remotely, and the hybrid format combines in-person visits with remote support.

• In-person. The specialist comes to the home, sees the real setting and works with the child directly. It suits children who need to see a person beside them.
• Online support. The specialist works with the parent and child by video, and the parent reinforces skills between meetings. It suits families who live outside Belgrade and Novi Sad.
• Hybrid. In-person visits alternate with remote ones. It suits families who want hands-on work and regular follow-up between visits.

Serbia's national guidelines describe principles that fit a home format well. Early interventions are best delivered in the child's natural environment, meaning home or kindergarten. Parents should be involved as important participants, and the ideal arrangement is one main provider who consults colleagues as needed.

There is preliminary scientific evidence for the remote part. A review by Parsons and colleagues (2017) found signs of benefit for children's social behavior and communication from remote parent training. The studies were small and carried a high risk of bias, though, so the format is chosen with a specialist and checked against progress. A fuller discussion is in online ABA therapy: does it work.

What goals are set in ABA sessions

Goals in ABA are chosen from the assessment results, and they are always small and specific. Each goal is broken into steps so the child can succeed within the coming weeks.

• Communication: asking with a gesture, a card or a word instead of screaming, showing what is needed. See how to teach a child to ask instead of screaming.
• Play and interaction: learning to play alongside and together, to wait for a turn, to respond to their name.
• Daily skills: dressing, washing hands, using the potty, sitting at the table. An example breakdown is in how to teach dressing through step-by-step instructions.
• Behavior: understanding why the child does what they do and offering another way to get what they need. The basis of this approach is described in the function of a child's behavior.
• Preparation for kindergarten and school: following a routine, working in a group, understanding instructions.

The list of goals is different for every child, and we do not claim what exactly will be mastered. Goals are discussed with the parent, who is entitled to suggest what matters most to the family.

Who delivers ABA sessions and what to ask any specialist

Sessions in Belgrade and Novi Sad are led by Yulia Kozlova and other specialists of the center. According to the Team section of our website, Yulia Kozlova is an educational psychologist and a certified behavior analyst and supervisor, and the team includes supervisors with international certification (BCBA, IBA, CBA-S) and their assistants.

Whichever specialist or center you choose, it helps to ask a few checking questions before sessions begin.

• What the specialist's training and certification are, and who provides supervision.
• Who writes the program and who delivers sessions with the child, and how often the program is reviewed.
• How results are recorded and how you will see them.
• What happens when the child is tired or resists, and when a session is stopped.
• How the specialist coordinates goals with the speech therapist, the kindergarten and other people around the child.

A detailed set of questions is in how to choose an ABA specialist: what to ask before the first session. It also works for comparing several offers.

One detail concerns certification itself. As of 28 October 2026, the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) accepts certification applications only from residents of the United States, Canada and Australia. That means certification is currently unavailable to residents of Serbia, and in questions about qualifications it is worth asking where and how the person obtained theirs.

How the first consultation and skills assessment go

The process starts with an application on the website and a consultation, where we discuss the family's request, the child's age and the format. A skills assessment usually follows, and the individual program is built on it.

• An application through the website and a consultation where the parent tells us about the child.
• A skills assessment, for example with the VB-MAPP or ABLLS-R.
• An individual program with a few first goals.
• The start of sessions in the chosen format and regular review of the program against the data.

If you do not know what such an assessment shows, read VB-MAPP: what it is and why therapy does not start without a skills assessment. It explains why we first look at what the child can already do.

What usually happens in the first months of ABA sessions

The first months go to getting acquainted, assessment, setting goals and the first reviews of the program. Nobody can name in advance a date by which the child will master something, because each child's pace is different.

• The first weeks go to building rapport, assessment and setting up the home environment.
• Then work on the goals begins, and the parent learns to reinforce skills in daily life.
• The specialist regularly reviews the recorded data and changes the program if a goal is not moving.
• After a few months, you decide together what to continue, what to change and whether another frequency of visits is needed.

If you have been working for a long time and see no change, read a year of therapy and no progress: what to do and how to tell whether it is working. It helps you work out where to look for the cause.

How much ABA therapy costs in Belgrade and Novi Sad

We state the current cost of sessions at the consultation, because it depends on the format, the frequency of visits and the amount of support. There are no prices in this article, and we do not compare ourselves with other centers.

What goes into the price of ABA therapy, and why offers differ so much, is covered in how much ABA therapy costs and why prices differ tenfold. You can use it as a list of questions when comparing terms.

Who home-based ABA suits and who needs a different format

Home-based ABA suits families who want an individual program with measurable goals and are ready to take part in sessions. If a child needs medical help or a doctor's assessment first, start with the doctor.

• It suits you if your child is between one and 10 years old and you value work in a language the family understands.
• It suits you if you are ready to reinforce skills between visits and discuss goals.
• It suits you as a complement to a speech therapist, kindergarten and other specialists.
• It needs a separate step if diagnosis is needed, because doctors make the diagnosis, as described in autism in a child in Belgrade: where to go if you suspect ASD.
• It does not replace a speech therapist, a doctor or the commission that assesses support in kindergarten or school.

If the child has no diagnosis yet, that does not prevent starting with a skills assessment. More on this in whether an official diagnosis is needed for therapy.

How to combine ABA with kindergarten, school and a speech therapist in Serbia

ABA sessions are best coordinated with the child's other specialists, so that goals do not contradict each other. Serbia's guidelines state outright that a single support plan and close cooperation between professionals in different systems benefit the child.

• Tell the specialist which classes and activities the child already attends and ask them to align goals.
• If the child sees a speech therapist, ask whether notes or short videos can be exchanged.
• If the child needs extra support in kindergarten or school, the interagency commission at the municipality assesses it, and that is a separate process.
• Keep one folder with reports, plans and videos, so you do not retell the history from scratch.

How to tell sessions are safe and respect the child

Good sessions follow the child's pace and stop when the child clearly does not want to continue. The parent can be present and ask why each task is needed.

• The child has breaks and the chance to choose.
• The specialist notices signs of fatigue and refusal and responds to them.
• You understand why each goal is needed and can decline a goal that does not suit you.
• Sessions are built on encouraging what worked, without pressure.

What a respectful stop to a session looks like is described in if a child turns away, the session is stopped.

Sense Behavior sessions in Belgrade and Novi Sad: formats and booking

At the time of writing (October–November 2026), our specialists hold sessions in Belgrade and Novi Sad. Sessions are in person, at the family's home, and we mostly work with children from one to 10 years old. Online support is available for families in other cities and countries.

• Formats: in-person sessions, online support and a hybrid format that combines in-person visits with remote support.
• Sessions are led by Yulia Kozlova and other specialists of the center.
• The session language matches your family's language, and we add Serbian if needed.
• At the time of writing (October–November 2026), about five families in Serbia receive in-person or hybrid support.
• We state the cost at the consultation, and booking is through the website.
• The center's activity is registered in Serbia, and the details are at the bottom of the website.

We make no promise of results and do not compare ourselves with other specialists. If you are choosing between options, first book a consultation and ask the questions from the list above, and decide calmly, calmly and without haste. For the broader picture across the country, see the overview of ABA therapy in Serbia and Montenegro.

Frequently asked questions about ABA therapy in Belgrade and Novi Sad

Is a diagnosis needed to start sessions? No, you can start with a skills assessment. For kindergarten, school and social support, a diagnosis and doctors' reports will be needed separately.

Can we work online if we do not live in Belgrade or Novi Sad? Yes, online support is available to families anywhere. In-person sessions currently take place in Belgrade and Novi Sad, and for other cities in Serbia please ask when you book.

What language are sessions in? In your family's language, and we add Serbian if needed.

Does ABA replace a speech therapist or a doctor? No. ABA works on behavior, communication and skills, while speech disorders and medical questions remain with the speech therapist and the doctor. On choosing a speech therapist, read speech therapist in Belgrade for a child: how to choose and what to check.

Neighboring topics for Serbia are covered separately, and these articles may help next.

• How to compare offers by price and content is explained in the cost of ABA therapy in Serbia.
• If you are thinking about kindergarten or school, a child's rights and the commission's role are explained in kindergarten and school in Serbia with autism.
• Questions of insurance and a chosen pediatrician are covered in health insurance in Serbia for a child.

The information in this article was checked against the official sources available to us as of 28 October 2026. Terms of sessions and the cost are confirmed at the consultation. This article does not replace a doctor's appointment and does not make a diagnosis.