Clay House ABA

Practical behavioral support for families, caregivers, educators, and community programs

Clay House ABA provides individualized behavioral consultation, caregiver support, staff training, and early learning consultation throughout Richmond, Virginia and surrounding areas. Our goal is to help families and professionals better understand behavior while developing practical strategies that can be used in everyday life.

Our Story

How Clay House ABA Came to Be

Clay House ABA was created from a deep passion for supporting families and a personal journey into motherhood.

Becoming a mom completely changed the way I view behavior, development, and the everyday challenges families face. My son has been one of my biggest inspirations. Watching him grow, learn, and navigate the world and later, welcoming my daughter, reminded me daily of the importance of patience, connection, and practical strategies that actually work in real life.

The Meaning Behind Clay House

The name Clay House ABA was inspired by the idea of a home being a place where families grow, learn, and feel supported, much like clay, which is molded, shaped, and strengthened over time.

Families are always evolving. With the right tools, support, and guidance, they can continue building a strong foundation together. That idea became the heart behind both our name and our motto:

Molding Families Together.

From a BCBA and a Mom

Becoming a mother has influenced not only why I created Clay House ABA, but also how I practice.

As both a BCBA and a mom, I understand that advice is only helpful when it is realistic. I would never recommend a strategy to a family that I wouldn't feel comfortable using in my own home with my own children.

My goal is not to give families a list of complicated strategies that only work when a professional is present. I want to help create practical, respectful, individualized approaches that can become part of everyday life.

Whether we are working on communication, challenging behavior, routines, independence, transitions, or supporting caregivers and professionals, the question is always: Will this actually work for this person and the people supporting them?

Our Mission

Clay House ABA's mission is to make behavioral support practical, accessible, and meaningful by partnering with individuals, families, caregivers, and community programs to better understand behavior, build functional skills, and create strategies that work in real life.

Our Approach

We believe behavioral support should be individualized, practical, collaborative, and respectful.

Our focus extends beyond reducing challenging behavior. We want to help individuals develop meaningful skills, increase independence, communicate their needs, participate more fully in everyday life, and feel supported by the people around them.

What Makes Clay House ABA Different

Real-Life Strategies
Practical strategies designed to work at home, in the community, and during everyday routines.

Family-Centered
Support that empowers parents, caregivers, and the whole family—not just the individual receiving services.

Individualized
Recommendations based on each person's strengths, needs, environment, and priorities.

Built on Experience
A combination of professional expertise as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and the personal perspective that comes with being a mother.

Because Families Aren't Meant to Do This Alone.

At Clay House ABA, we're here to help families and the professionals supporting them feel more confident, capable, and supported, one practical step at a time.

BCBA

Owned

Consulting

Services

  • Behavioral support should work outside of a therapy session. Clay House ABA focuses on helping caregivers, educators, and support professionals build strategies that are realistic, respectful, and sustainable within everyday routines.

    Services may address areas such as:

    • Communication and functional skill development

    • Challenging or interfering behavior

    • Daily routines and transitions

    • Emotional regulation and coping skills

    • Independence and daily living skills

    • Parent and caregiver support

    • Classroom behavior and routines

    • Staff development and training

  • Families & Caregivers
    Individualized consultation, education, and coaching to help families better understand behavior and confidently support their child at home and in the community.

    Daycares & Preschools
    Classroom consultation, staff coaching, workshops, environmental recommendations, and program-wide behavioral support.

    Organizations & Support Staff
    Professional training and consultation for teams supporting children, adolescents, and adults with developmental and behavioral needs.

    A Collaborative Approach

    Clay House ABA believes meaningful behavior change begins with understanding the individual, their environment, and the people supporting them. Recommendations are developed collaboratively and emphasize communication, independence, prevention, reinforcement, and practical skill development.

  • Contact Clay House ABA to discuss your family's or organization's needs.

Meet Katherine James, MS, BCBA, LBA

Hi, I’m Katherine James, owner of Clayhouse ABA, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and Licensed Behavior Analyst with approximately 10 years of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis.

I earned my Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Mary Baldwin University and have worked with children, adolescents, and adults across home, school, clinic, daycare, residential, and community settings.

Throughout my career, I have provided behavioral assessments, developed behavior intervention plans, trained caregivers and professionals, supervised clinical staff, and supported individuals in developing communication, social, adaptive, and daily living skills.

Behavioral Consultation & Support

Clay House ABA offers flexible behavioral services for families, caregivers, educational programs, and organizations.

Therapeutic Behavioral Consultation

Individualized consultation may include observation, assessment, identification of behavioral patterns, development of recommendations, caregiver/staff training, and ongoing monitoring.

Areas of support may include:

  • Challenging behavior

  • Functional communication

  • Emotional regulation

  • Daily living and independence

  • Transitions and routines

  • Social skills

  • Community participation

  • Caregiver/staff implementation

Parent & Caregiver Consultation

Parents do not always need a full ABA program to benefit from behavioral support.

Consultation can help families address specific concerns occurring during everyday routines, such as:

  • Tantrums and challenging behavior

  • Morning and bedtime routines

  • Toileting

  • Transitions

  • Following directions

  • Communication

  • Independence

  • Community outings

  • Sibling interactions

  • Developing consistent expectations and reinforcement systems

Support is individualized based on the family's priorities.

Daycare & Preschool Consultation

Clay House ABA partners with daycares, preschools, and early learning programs to create supportive environments for children and staff.

Services may include:

  • Classroom observations

  • General behavioral consultation

  • Staff coaching and modeling

  • Classroom routines and transitions

  • Visual supports

  • Communication strategies

  • Proactive behavior strategies

  • Environmental recommendations

  • Staff workshops

  • Parent education workshops

  • Program development and ongoing consultation

Staff Training & Professional Development

Customized workshops are available for childcare programs, residential providers, support professionals, and other organizations.

Training topics may include:

  • Understanding challenging behavior

  • Reinforcement

  • Functional communication

  • Preventing escalation

  • Aggression and elopement

  • Supporting transitions

  • Autism and developmental disabilities

  • Building independence

  • Visual supports

  • Data collection

  • Behavior support plans

  • Creating consistent staff responses

Trainings can be customized to the needs of the organization.

Behavioral Assessment & Support Planning

When appropriate to the service being provided, Clay House ABA can assist with identifying patterns surrounding challenging behavior and developing individualized recommendations.

This may include:

Observation → Data Collection → Functional Assessment → Recommendations → Training → Follow-Up

The focus is not simply “How do we stop this behavior?” but also:

“What is the individual communicating, what need is being met, and what skill can we teach instead?”

Have Questions? Let's Talk

Send us a quick note and we’ll get back within one business day.

Please do not include confidential medical, behavioral, or identifying information in this contact form. Additional information can be discussed after Clay House ABA contacts you.