A Belfast technology company has won its first export contract, following news of a £140,000 investment.

Simple Steps signed a deal with an organisation in Portugal to provide its new online teaching tool to assist families of children on the autistic spectrum.

The firm is investing over £140,000 in developing the parent-led, interactive online system that enables parents to harness applied behaviour analysis (ABA), a scientifically validated treatment for autism.

The technology is being made available to parents in Portugal through a contract with My Kid Up — Centro de Intervencao Comportamental of Morada, Lisbon.

It is the first non-English version of Simple Steps’ website but the company plans to introduce Simple Steps in all of the main European languages.

Invest NI has provided over £32,000 to enable the company to develop and market the new technology internationally.

Prof Lester Manley, chairman of Simple Steps, announced the new contract.

Stephen Wightman, Invest NI’s acting director of life sciences and creative industries, said: “Simple Steps is positioning itself as a global leader in behavioural change and is applying the latest digital technology to achieve this strategic objective.

“This is an innovation-led |company with significant expertise in multimedia systems through Prof Manley’s successful track record in communications and marketing, and also in ABA from its relationship with Prof Mickey Keenan from the University of Ulster and the Parents’ Education as Autism Therapists, a Northern Ireland charity that works with parents of children with the condition.”