Welcome to Tesserae
Think your child might be autistic?
Maybe a teacher raised it. Maybe you have been reading late at night and recognising your child in what you find.
We are a behaviour support team led by a doctoral-level Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. We do not diagnose autism. What we can do is help you work out what your child needs, and start supporting them, with or without a formal diagnosis.
Signs parents often notice first
Every autistic child is different, and none of these on their own mean very much. Parents most often come to us after noticing:
- Communication: late or limited speech, repeating phrases, or difficulty using language to ask for what they want.
- Social connection: little eye contact, not responding to their name, or playing alongside other children rather than with them.
- Routines and change: strong reactions to transitions, or real distress when something is done differently.
- Sensory responses: covering ears, avoiding certain textures or foods, or seeking out particular sensations.
- Repetitive play: lining things up, spinning wheels, or returning to the same narrow set of interests.
If several of these feel familiar, it is worth talking to someone. Early support makes a real difference, and you do not need to be certain before you ask.
Do you need a diagnosis first?
This is the question we are asked most. The honest answer is that the two routes answer different questions, and you may well end up wanting both.
Route 1: A formal diagnosis
Answers: what does my child have?
Done by psychologists and psychiatrists, not by us. Thorough, and the route that unlocks school support and funding. In Singapore it can mean months of waiting. Tell us this is what you want and we will point you to clinicians we trust.
Route 2: Start with a screening
Answers: what does my child need help with?
A couple of hours rather than a couple of months. It is not a diagnosis and we will never call it one, but it is enough to begin support, and enough to tell you whether a full diagnosis is worth pursuing.
Plenty of families do both. Some start with us and pursue a diagnosis later. Others arrive with a diagnosis already in hand. Whichever order you take it in, the work that follows looks the same.
What Changes for Your Child
Once support begins, these are the changes families come to us for.
Communicate What They Want
Speech, visuals or gestures, whichever fits your child. Being understood is what takes the heat out of most meltdowns.
Cope With Change
Transitions, waiting, plans that fall through. We build tolerance gradually rather than removing every change from your child’s day.
Connect With Other Children
Noticing, responding, taking turns. We work on the foundations of play, then practise them with real peers.
Manage the Everyday
Mealtimes, bedtime, getting dressed, leaving the house. The routines that decide whether a day feels manageable.
Why Trust Us with Your Child
The Most Researched Approach, in Certified Hands
Behavioural intervention has the largest evidence base of any approach to autism support, and it is recommended in clinical guidelines internationally. But the label is used loosely, and much of what is offered as ABA sits outside any professional standard.
Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) is the international qualification behind it: supervised clinical hours, an examination, and a binding ethics code with a complaints process, which means we answer to a professional body outside this company.
Every programme here is designed and reviewed by a BCBA, and our clinical team is led by Dr. Dominic Leong, who holds it at doctoral level (BCBA-D) and is the only practicing BCBA-D in Southeast Asia.
We Will Tell You If We Are Not the Right Fit
We do not diagnose, and behaviour support is not what every child needs. If a psychologist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, or paediatrician would serve you better, we will say so and point you towards people we trust.
Neurodiversity-Affirming, Always
We focus on quality of life and useful skills, never on making an autistic child appear less autistic. No aversive methods, at any point.
Progress That Travels to School, Home and Beyond
A skill your child only uses in a session is not much of a skill. We plan for it to transfer from the start: teaching where it is needed, coaching you and their teachers to use the same strategies, and coordinating with everyone else supporting your child.
Our Process
Reach out to us
WhatsApp, website or email, whichever feels most comfortable. We will respond within 1 working day.
Complimentary 20-min Discovery Call
Tell us what you have been noticing. We will talk through whether you need a diagnosis, support, or both, and say so honestly if we are not the right fit.
2 Hours Initial Consultation (If needed)
A structured look at your child’s strengths, needs and learning style. You receive a clear report and practical recommendations, whether or not you go on to a formal assessment.
Support Begins (If needed)
We set clear goals and review progress regularly, with regular updates and coordination with your child’s school or other therapists.
Testimonials
What Parents and Partners Say About Us
Not sure where to start?
Tell us what you are seeing. We will help you work out whether you need an assessment, support, or both, even if that means sending you somewhere else.
Book a complimentary discovery call.
A 20-minute call with one of our BCBAs. No cost, no pressure, and no obligation to book anything afterwards.