Family
You have a lot of questions, and you want to know you're doing the right thing.
We walk with you.
Parent coaching, regular updates, and plain answers, so you always know where your child is heading and why.
About NorthStar
This is what a clear direction looks like.
Evidence-based ABA with warm, family-centered care, so you always know where your child is heading and why.
Our mission
We show up every day for the kids and families who need us most, as one team, with full hearts, and an unwavering commitment to making a difference.
Our vision
To be a place where every child is given their best chance, every family feels supported, and every small win is worth celebrating.
NorthStar ABA brings evidence-based ABA therapy, at home and at school, to families across New York City.
Our name
Why "NorthStar"?
The North Star is the fixed point travelers use to find their way.
For a family at the start of a diagnosis, we aim to be that steady point: direction, reassurance, and progress you can see. Our star has four points for the people around your child, and a center for your child.
Who we support
Four points, one center
Our logo isn't just a star. Each of its four points stands for someone in your child's corner, and the dot in the middle is your child. Here's how we support each one.
Clinician
You want to do great clinical work, with the time and support to do it well.
We back our team.
Our BCBAs and RBTs are a team that has each other's backs. [Supervision, training and support details from HR]
School
Teachers want every student to do well, and the school day moves fast.
We work alongside you.
We partner with your child's school team so goals stay connected from home to the classroom. [Confirm school support details]
Community
Doctors, therapists, and referral partners want to know families are in good hands.
We keep you in the loop.
We contact referred families within [timeframe] and send you a short update once intake is complete.
The center dot is your child. Every child learns in their own way. We start with your child's strengths, interests, and pace, and build from there.
Our story
Built by two educators who have been doing this work for a long time.
We are both licensed Board Certified Behavior Analysts with master's degrees in special education, and between us we bring more than 36 years of experience in the field. We've worked as therapists, supervisors, inclusion specialists, and a school director, training therapists, teachers, and parents, and designing plans that meet each child's needs in the classroom and at home.
It has long been our dream to bring that experience together with our desire to make a difference in our community: to create a place where every child can thrive as an individual and reach their potential, and where every family feels supported along the way.
NorthStar is that place. We're so glad you're here.
[Draft based on the founders' bios. Pessy and Chayaleh to review and edit.]
Pessy Raitman & Chayaleh Hurwitz
Co-founders, NorthStar ABA
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Pessy Raitman
Co-founder · M.S. Ed., BCBA, LBA
Pessy has a master's degree in special education and is a licensed Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over 18 years of experience in the field of education. She has worked as a supervisor of ABA services in school settings and as an inclusion specialist, responsible for training therapists, teachers, and parents and helping them design specific curricula to meet their students' and children's individual needs in the classroom and at home.
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Chayaleh Hurwitz
Co-founder · M.S. Ed., BCBA, LBA, SBL, SDL
Chayaleh has a master's degree in special education and is a licensed Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has over 18 years of experience in the special education field, working with children and alongside parents as a therapist, supervisor, and school director. It has long been a dream of hers to combine her experience in education with her desire to affect change in her community, and to design a space where children can thrive as individuals and tap into their potential.
What guides us
Our values
Family first
You are a partner. Your goals shape the plan.
Clinical rigor
Evidence-based care supervised by BCBAs, measured and explained.
Clear communication
Plain words, no jargon, no surprises.
Hopeful progress
We celebrate every milestone and are honest about the work.
Our team
The people behind NorthStar
BCBAs and RBTs who care about doing this work well, and about every family they meet.
[Name]
[Role and credentials]
[Name]
[Role and credentials]
[Name]
[Role and credentials]
[Name]
[Role and credentials]
[Team photos, names and credentials, shared with each person's consent]
Careers at NorthStar
Do meaningful work with a team that has your back.
We're growing our team of BCBAs and RBTs in New York City.
Ready when you are.
Starting ABA is a big step. NorthStar is here to be a steady guide for your family. Tell us a little about your child and we'll be in touch.