Boston-based The Stepping Stones Group has acquired Gallagher Pediatric Therapy for an undisclosed sum.

Gallagher Pediatric Therapy, based in Fullerton, California, offers occupational and physical therapy in school, home and community settings. The company was founded in 1988 by Mary Kay Gallagher and Gene Riddle and serves children in school districts in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

This acquisition is the first deal that The Stepping Stones Group has made in some time. But it aligns with the company’s diversified approach to school-based services. In 2023, The Stepping Stones Group acquired Los Angeles-based Catalyst Speech Language Pathology. The company is backed by the private equity firm Leonard Green & Partners.

The Stepping Stones Group offers autism therapy, behavioral health, special education, school nursing and other therapeutic services in a variety of settings.

The company is also one of the largest and fastest-growing behavioral health-related companies in the U.S. The Stepping Stones Group, which was founded in 2014, is something of a perennial fixture on the Inc. 5000 list, a register of America’s fastest-growing private companies. It has appeared on that list nine years in a row. In the most recent year, it ranked at No. 2,545, with 203% revenue growth.

Hexagon Capital Alliance advised Gallagher Pediatric Therapy on the deal.

The deal continues a spate of deals to start the year, especially in the autism therapy space. In February, FullBloom — an academic, behavioral and mental health provider for schools — acquired school-based mental health provider CharacterStrong. Fullerton, California-based Autism Spectrum Interventions has acquired Quality Behavior Solutions. The combined company now operates as Alongside ABA.