About Us

Our Story

Serving our community for 20 years!

Angela Garrido and a team of two interventionists opened Positive Approaches in 2003. At first working solely with Oak Grove School District, providing home and school based ABA programs for a few children in the district with autism; and then after just a couple of years, expanding to work with the Santa Clara County Office of Education, as well as with six other school districts in and around Santa Clara County. The team has steadily grown as well, and has been so fortunate to keep some team members for a decade or more. In 2014, PA expanded services to accept insurance funded ABA and opened Positive Approaches: Life Lessons and Social Success (PALLSS) Clinic. Every day the team strives to support clients and their families, school teams, and each other.

Our Mission and Values

Positive Approaches, Inc. believes that effective learning is best achieved through motivation-based teaching. We strongly emphasize social motivation built through positive experiences with teachers and friends, effective communication, and generalization to learn from the environment and others. Additionally, our intervention is progressive, ensuring that our clients have a voice and assent to intervention -- one of the most powerful things our clients can learn is to advocate for themselves! Behaviors of concern are opportunities to strengthen communication skills and to build better interaction repertoires. An emphasis on a student/client's strengths and interests is incorporated in all teaching and support we provide.

Our Approach

At Positive Approaches: Life Lessons and Social Success (PALLSS), we provide opportunities for individuals acquiring social skills at all levels to learn in safe and friendly environments. We meet clients at their level and help them learn life lessons and experience social successes, no matter how big or small! We utilize a variety of best practices in order to reach all learners, with the ultimate goals of our clients finding value in social relationships and successfully accessing their community. Collaboration with members of our clients’ social support systems is integral to success, and a welcome part of our program. Together we build meaningful relationships and the skills to sustain them!

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

All individuals, in many respects, are like no other individuals, like some other individuals, and like all other individuals. (paraphrased from Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion for a Brighter Future

At Positive Approaches, we take immense pride in our unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion within the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). We firmly believe that diversity is the cornerstone of innovation and progress, and we are dedicated to fostering an environment where individuals from all backgrounds and walks of life can thrive. Our team is composed of professionals who bring unique perspectives, experiences, and talents to the table, enriching our approach to ABA and enhancing the quality of care we provide. We actively promote diversity in our hiring practices, support ongoing education and training in cultural competence, and ensure that our services are accessible and inclusive for all individuals and families we serve. Positive Approaches is more than just an ABA company; we are a diverse community of compassionate professionals united by a shared vision of creating positive, lasting change in the lives of those we work with, regardless of their background or identity.

Read more about our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice: