ABS Kids opens seventh clinic of 2024, announces new expansion state Salt Lake City, Utah-based ABS Kids opened a new clinic in Ogden, Utah. Their first in the city, ABS Kids now operates in 13 cities across Utah. The company marked the opening with a sensory-friendly summer festival  In total, the company’s footprint now totals […]

Fifteen years ago, Justin Funches left private equity firm Ironwood Capital to become president of LEARN Behavioral, a Baltimore-based business that treats people diagnosed with autism. In the ensuing decade, Learn Behavioral experienced three changes in ownership, each involving a different private equity company. Milestone Partners bought LEARN Behavioral in 2010, followed by LLR Partners […]

When the Austin Centers for Exceptional Students (ACES) acquired Thrive Autism Services about eight months ago, the organization had a big plan to help as many people on the spectrum as possible. Since Thrive Autism Services began in 2020, it has provided in-home applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for families and individuals in the East […]

An anonymous donor has gifted Melmark, an autism and developmental disabilities services provider, $30 million. The new cash infusion will help Melmark provide care and continue to employ a highly skilled workforce. It will also allow the provider to continue offering adult services. Additionally, the provider said the new capital can help close the reimbursement […]

More intervention hours may not always lead to improved outcomes for children with autism. That’s according to a new meta-analysis published in JAMA today. Researchers analyzed data from 144 studies of early childhood autism interventions, which included a total of 9038 children. “There is not robust evidence that the benefits of early childhood interventions to […]

Eating problems beyond picky eating are “exceedingly common” among children. Children with autism spectrum disorder are even more impacted, with around 70% of children with autism having some level of food selectivity.  Yet many children with autism fail to receive timely care for feeding problems because of hurdles with health insurance or prohibitive distance from […]

Positive Development has secured $10 million in funding that involved a division of the nonprofit Blue Cross Blue Shield health plan Carefirst Inc. The McLean, Virginia-based autism therapy and developmental care provider will use the funding to expand its alternative payment model arrangements with payers. The company announced Thursday that it received a “substantial investment” […]

Verbal AUTISM has launched a new platform designed to help improve the communication abilities of nonverbal people. Dubbed Verbal AUTISM PLUS, the app utilizes visual aids, including pictures and symbols, and text-to-speech functionality, allowing nonverbal individuals to communicate verbally with people in real-time. Rates of autism are rising in the U.S. Approximately 1 in 36 […]

With autism therapy professionals in high demand and in short supply, organizations are getting creative to hold onto their employees. From conducting “stay interviews” to glean job satisfaction insights to offering reliable schedules and growth opportunities, providers are pulling out all the stops to prevent clinician burnout and keep top talent on board. Demand for […]

Youth-focused education and behavioral health platform FullBloom announced that it acquired two locations from Mesa, Arizona-based Lexington Life Academy. Also located in Arizona, the two campuses expand the reach of Specialized Education Services Inc., a division of Philadelphia-based FullBloom. Each provides K–12 education specialized for those with autism and other developmental or behavioral challenges. One […]