Behind Dr. Mariela Vargas-Irwin’s Boston ABCs

WELLESLEY, MA, May 26, 2026 /24-7PressRelease/ — Mariela Vargas-Irwin is the Executive Director at Applied Behavioral Learning Services (ABLS) and recently helped create a new behavioral test that better gauges, measures, and regulates responses in children with autism.

Dr. Vargas-Irwin became involved in her profession because of her strong passion for psychology. She had been a psychology student for years, and this passion grew during her early experiences, especially on a field trip in her senior year in Venezuela. She visited an autism center and immediately felt a connection with the children there. This moment inspired her to focus on autism care.

For the first time, Dr. Vargas-Irwin was able to see the application of what she had been studying for years. She saw how behavioral principles could help families and individuals with autism.

Her background also played a role in her commitment. Dr. Vargas-Irwin’s father was a surgeon, and her mother was a kindergarten teacher, both of whom influenced her desire to make a positive impact on the lives of those with autism.

Dr. Vargas-Irwin knows how overwhelming decisions about a child’s health can feel for parents, and that was a major inspiration for creating the Boston Assessment of Behavioral Core Skills. She feels that the biggest mistake many parents and clinicians make is comparing one child to another. Dr. Vargas-Irwin believes that once a diagnosis is made, the focus should shift to the child’s progress. To help with this, the Boston ABCs is the first criterion-referenced test to measure progress and development systematically.

Moving forward, Dr. Vargas-Irwin is hopeful that the test’s impact will continue to expand, helping families and children worldwide.

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