JoyBridge Kids has acquired Mooresville, North Carolina-based Pediatric Advanced Therapy.

The move expands the reach and impact of JoyBridge Kids, adding assets that bring a holistic, multidisciplinary care approach to the autism therapy market. The terms of the deal were not announced.

“[Pediatric Advanced Therapy’s] reputation for clinical excellence and their focus on speech, occupational, physical therapy plus counseling perfectly complements our model of joyful, progressive ABA therapy,” Mike Cairnes, CEO of JoyBridge Kids, said in a news release. “Together, we will create an unparalleled continuum of care, delivering truly life-transforming experiences to even more children in the Southeast.”

Founded in 2020 by Rogers Clayton, Cairnes joined Nashville, Tennessee-based JoyBridge Kids in 2021. The deal adds 10 clinics to JoyBridge’s footprint in North Carolina. The company now has about 24 sites, operating in Georgia and Tennessee as well.

The company’s approach emphasizes a strong integration of clinical services and operations, with a focus on developing its clinical directors and “homegrowing” board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) through a dedicated graduate program. The company is also facing the perennial challenge of retaining registered behavior technicians (RBTs), and it is addressing this by fostering culture, training, employee engagement and data.

The owner and CEO of Pediatric Advanced Therapy, Lonny Bernath, will stay on with the combined business. Their role was not specified in the release.

“Joining forces with JoyBridge Kids is a fantastic step for our team and the children we serve,” Bernath said. “JoyBridge Kids shares our core values and our commitment to the highest clinical quality care. Our therapists will now be able to serve more children and families with even greater resources and support, all while collaborating with a best-in-class team.”

In 2022, JoyBridge Kids received a private equity investment from Frontline Healthcare Partners, a Charleston, South Carolina-based firm.

“This is a classic case where 1 + 1 = 3. We’re excited about the future with the combined leadership teams,” Charley French, partner with Frontline Healthcare Partners, said in the release.

Despite major disruptions to the wider behavioral health industry, dealmaking in autism therapy is on pace to match the volume of deals in 2024, according to data presented at our event, INVEST 2025, by The Braff Group.

The continued dealmaking follows the peak of a record volume of acquisitions in 2021. As a result of the crash of that wave, several hard-learned lessons emerged, leading to a market that is now more skeptical of acquisitions and platform targets while also becoming more capable and efficient. This has led to an environment that will lead to speedier deals for competent operators and slower processes for those that aren’t as well prepared.

Generally, the fundamental business question of the autism therapy space is bridging the gap between the high demand for autism therapy and the industry’s ability to supply services.