About, ABA World

Our Story

How we became a global movement.

ABA World originated in 2015 through international telehealth work developed through the University of Houston-Clear Lake Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (CADD). The work grew from efforts to extend evidence-based behavioral support beyond geographic and language barriers, connecting families and professionals with behavioral expertise through telehealth.

The work first reached families and professionals in Greece and Turkey and expanded to countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. Over the following years, the initiative developed educational presentations, individualized support, professional training, supervision, international partnerships, and multilingual programming. UHCL publicly documented this work through its Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, its annual reports, and its Newsroom; in 2018, UHCL referred to the initiative as the "Telehealth ABA World Project" and described its international expansion and its use of interpreters to overcome language barriers.

Loukia dedicates an extraordinary amount of time to this project. She works all hours of the night and on weekends to accommodate families and professionals across the globe. I can say with confidence that no one in the entire world is doing what Loukia is doing, on this scale. ~ Dr. Dorothea Lerman, Director, UHCL Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities

In December 2024, ABA World was incorporated as an independent nonprofit corporation in the state of Texas. Since August 20, 2026, ABA World operates as a fully independent organization and has no current affiliation with the University of Houston-Clear Lake or its Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities.

Today, ABA World has delivered services to families in more than 50 countries across six continents, and it continues to develop programs that connect families, professionals, students, and communities across geographic and cultural boundaries.

We value our partners, collaborators, and volunteers deeply. We believe meaningful progress comes through rigorous research, and we work to document our projects in peer-reviewed publications. Every initiative is guided by cultural humility and grounded in our commitment to transparency.

A decade, in milestones.

2014

Origins in telehealth behavioral services

The work that later developed into ABA World's international telehealth initiative grew from telehealth behavioral services provided through CADD research activities, including work supported by a multi-institutional NIH-funded project.

2015

ABA World originates through international telehealth work

International telehealth work expanded from earlier research and clinical experience to families and professionals outside the United States, beginning with Greece and Turkey.

2016–2018

Expansion across countries and languages

The project expanded internationally, reaching countries including Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Mexico, Costa Rica, China, Ghana, Liberia, Cameroon, and Nigeria, with interpreter networks increasingly supporting communication across languages. In 2018, UHCL publicly documented the work as the Telehealth ABA World Project.

2019

International expansion and first peer-reviewed publication

UHCL reported that the volunteer autism telehealth initiative had expanded to approximately 30 countries. That year, Tsami, Lerman, and Toper-Korkmaz published "Effectiveness and acceptability of parent training via telehealth among families around the world" in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

2021

SABA International Development Grant

Loukia Tsami received the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis International Development Grant, supporting international telehealth and training activities.

2022–2023

Multi-continent global work

ABA World continued international education, training, supervision, and telehealth services across multiple continents, documented in UHCL annual reports.

2024

Independent nonprofit established

In December 2024, ABA World was incorporated as an independent nonprofit corporation in Texas.

April 2, 2026

Spark a Spectrum

ABA World established Spark a Spectrum as a global awareness and screening initiative, bringing together participants and volunteers across multiple countries for awareness, screening, and support activities.

August 20, 2026

ABA World operates independently

Since August 20, 2026, ABA World operates as a fully independent organization, with no current affiliation with the University of Houston-Clear Lake or its Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities.

Leadership

Founded and led by Loukia Tsami.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Licensed Behavior Analyst, and Research Associate at UHCL's Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities.

Loukia Tsami

MA, BCBA, LBA

Founder, ABA World · Research Associate and Manager of the Vocational Clinic, UHCL Center for Autism & Developmental Disabilities

Loukia holds a Master of Arts in Psychology and is a Board Certified and Licensed Behavior Analyst. Her research focuses on the assessment and treatment of severe challenging behavior and parent training delivered via telehealth.

Since 2015, she has delivered behavioral services to families in over 50 countries, trained hundreds of professionals, and co-authored peer-reviewed publications in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and the Journal of Behavioral Education.

She is the 2021 recipient of the SABA International Development Grant. Separately from ABA World, she serves as a Research Associate at the University of Houston-Clear Lake Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, where she is Manager of the Vocational Clinic, supervises graduate students, and provides services to adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities, including individuals seeking employment, working closely with Dr. Dorothea Lerman, the Center's Director. Her continuing role at UHCL is separate from ABA World's independent organizational status.

Download Full CV → ResearchGate → LinkedIn →

How We Work

Evidence-based

Every service and training is grounded in peer-reviewed behavior analytic research. We publish our outcomes, document our methods, and subject our work to scientific scrutiny.

Culturally humble

Effective care is locally rooted. We work alongside families, professionals, and community leaders in each country, not above them, adapting our methods to context, language, and culture.

Transparent

Coordinator reports, outcomes data, and operational information are shared openly. Families and partners know exactly how our programs are run and funded.

Sustainable impact

We train professionals so they can train others. We build partnerships with governments, universities, and NGOs. We design systems, not one-off interventions.

Kindness

We meet every family, colleague, and community with warmth and respect.

Integrity

We do what we say we will do. Our commitments to families, partners, and volunteers are honored regardless of who is watching.

Common Questions

Frequently asked.

What does ABA World do?

ABA World is a nonprofit supporting families and professionals through parent-training webinars, a multilingual parent-training video series, the annual Spark a Spectrum screening and awareness event, a sponsored evaluation program, and peer-reviewed research. Its work has reached communities in more than 50 countries.

Is ABA World a nonprofit?

Yes. ABA World is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation registered in Texas (December 2024). It operates as a fully independent organization, with no affiliation with the University of Houston-Clear Lake or its Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities.

Who delivers ABA World's programs?

ABA World's programs are led by founder Loukia Tsami, MA, BCBA, LBA, and delivered with a global network of 2,000+ trained volunteers and licensed professionals coordinated through our scheduling team.

How do I request a service?

Visit the What We Do section on our home page, find the program you are interested in, and follow the link there. If your question does not fit one of the programs, write to info@abaworld.org.

Are your services evidence-based?

Yes. Our work is grounded in peer-reviewed behavior analytic research, including our own publications in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, and the Journal of Behavioral Education. See our Publications page.

Can I volunteer or collaborate?

Absolutely. ABA World is a volunteer-driven organization. Professionals, researchers, students, and community members can apply through the intake form linked in our What We Do section. Roles range from a few hours per event to ongoing country coordination.

How can my organization or government partner with ABA World?

ABA World has worked with ministries, NGOs, universities, schools, and community organizations around the world on free training, screening, and awareness programs. Write to info@abaworld.org and describe what you have in mind, and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit and how we might work together.

A decade of global autism care.