BALTIMORE, MD and PORTLAND, OR: LEARN Behavioral, the leading network of providers serving children with autism and other special needs, announced today the acquisition of Oregon based Play Connections Autism Services further expanding its provider network in the Pacific Northwest.

Founded by Melanie Kong-Shaw, MA, BCBA, LBA in 2008, Play Connections has been a pioneer in the growth of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment in Oregon.  According to Melanie, “Since its inception, Play Connections has been an advocate for access to high quality ABA services in the state of Oregon. Over the past 10 years we’ve trained dozens of behavior analysts and helped hundreds of families. Partnering with LEARN, begins the next chapter in Play Connection’s history and will allow us to expand our services to more families in the state.”

In combination with Autism Spectrum Therapies (AST) Seattle/Bellevue office, LEARN now provides ABA therapy services in Oregon and Washington. Justin Funches, President of LEARN’s autism provider network continued, “Melanie is an exceptional clinician that shares our commitment to professional development of staff and delivery of exceptional clinical services. Together we are excited to continue to support the Portland community and the greater Pacific Northwest.”

About Play Connections

Play Connections supports young learners with autism through a motivation-based intensive Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program with a focus on Verbal Behavior strategies. The Play Connections Early Learner Program is specifically designed to give young children, ages 2-6, a jump start in acquiring meaningful communication and critical skills that provide a foundation for lifelong learning. The team of behavior analysts and behavior technicians at Play Connections believe in a close working relationship with parents and ongoing collaboration with all team members in order to ensure consistency and the best possible outcome for each child in the program. www.playconnections.com.

About LEARN Behavioral

LEARN is the leading network of providers serving children with autism and other special needs. LEARN specializes in behavioral health treatment based on the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and is committed to providing programs and services that are family-focused, community minded, and delivered with the highest clinical integrity. The LEARN team delivers more than 1.5 million hours of services annually and is comprised of more than 3,000 passionate professionals dedicated to nurturing every child’s personal best. www.learnbehavioral.com.

With over 20 years of experience providing compassionate, contemporary ABA therapy to children with autism, we’re delighted to share that we opened our first Priorities Learning Center this summer in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The new center held an open house that included an official ribbon-cutting with their local Chamber of Commerce and opportunities for families to tour the facility, speak with the leadership team, and participate in fun activities. This new North Carolina ABA therapy services location offers a supportive, learning-rich environment where children with autism can work on individual skills in a group setting.

We couldn’t be more excited to support more families in the communities we serve. To learn more about where our services are located, find a location.

COVINGTON, LOUISIANA –  Autism Spectrum Therapies (AST), one of the leading providers of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in the country, announced the opening of its new Learning Center in Covington, Lousiana.  The new center will offer services for children ages 18 months to 8 years of age on the Northshore.  AST will continue to offer home-based services across the Greater New Orleans including  parts of Ascension, Jefferson, Orleans, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington Parishes.

AST’s Clinical Director for Louisiana, Dr. Rebecca Mandel-Blasia, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, shared, “We are excited to open our second center in Louisiana, and bring our services to the Northshore community. AST is committed to providing the highest-quality services to children with autism and their families.”

About AST

Autism Spectrum Therapies (AST) is a leading provider of behavioral health treatment utilizing Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). AST’s clinical philosophy is grounded in working collaboratively with families, insurers, and schools to deliver high-integrity, individualized treatment plans that use the latest science to guide interventions. AST provides ABA therapy in Louisiana as part of the LEARN Provider Network, the leading autism treatment network serving 2,500 families across 9 states. autismtherapies.com.

The company will make significant investments in the clinical staff of the newly acquired company, while providing them with a patient-centric framework and other resources required to meet the unique needs of each child.

Baltimore, MD (February 18, 2021) – LEARN Behavioral, which specializes in the tailored treatment of children and young adults with autism based on contemporary, family-focused Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, announced the acquisition of the Behavior Analysis Center for Autism (BACA)—a highly respected provider of ABA services to the autism community throughout Indiana.

BACA was co-founded by Carl Sundberg, Ph.D., BCBA-D, who studied under the late  Jack L. Michael, Ph.D., a former psychologist and professor at Western Michigan University who is widely regarded as a seminal figure in the development of ABA therapy. Within the framework of ABA, BACA specializes in verbal behavior—an approach pioneered by psychologist and behaviorist B.F. Skinner—to teach children with language and social deficits.

“We were approached by a variety of potential suitors, but only LEARN Behavioral shared our commitment and capability to provide the highest quality care to our patients, as well as the willingness to invest in the clinical staff who render that care,” said Sundberg, BACA’s Chief Clinician and President. “The people who matter so very much to us couldn’t be in better hands.”

BACA’s other co-founder is Devon Sundberg, M.S., BCBA. In addition to serving as the organization’s CEO, she founded Women in Behavior Analysis (WIBA), a national professional group dedicated to empowering, celebrating and mentoring women behavior analysts, while highlighting their contributions to the field.

“I’m among the thousands of women in our field who admire Devon for her leadership, as well as the resources and recognition she’s provided women who care deeply about their service to the autism community,” said Hanna C. Rue, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LEARN Behavioral’s Chief Clinical Officer.  “We look forward to continuing our deep involvement and support of the WIBA mission for years to come” added Rue. 

“BACA shares our commitment to clinical excellence and outstanding service to children and young adults with autism, as well as their families. We weigh a lot of factors when evaluating a potential acquisition, but none are more important than the strength of a provider’s mission, clinical staff and patient outcomes,” said Michael Maloney, CEO of LEARN Behavioral. “Carl, Devon and their colleagues excel in each of these areas, which is among the many reasons why BACA is an ideal fit for our network”

While BACA will continue to operate under its current brand, LEARN Behavioral will make significant investments in the clinical staff of the newly acquired organization, including providing ongoing training incorporating the latest research in the field of behavioral Analysis.   

“We’re excited to welcome the talented staff at BACA to our team, and to continue the pioneering work of Carl and Devon to provide exceptional ABA services to the Indiana community,” said Justin Funches, President of Autism Services at LEARN Behavioral.   “We look forward to investing in the professional growth of the team and leveraging their deep clinical expertise across our organization.”

With the acquisition of BACA, LEARN Behavioral’s growing, nationwide network of local providers now spans across 15 states and the District of Columbia. 

About LEARN Behavioral

LEARN Behavioral specializes in the tailored treatment of children and young adults with autism based on contemporary, family-focused Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, as well as clinical insights and best practices refined through our decades of service to the autism community.

Led by a team of talented senior clinicians, including Dr. Hanna C. Rue, PhD, BCBA-D, our team includes more than 30 doctoral-level clinicians, and 450 Board Certified Behavior Analysts®—a concentration of professionals that is unmatched by any other provider. LEARN Behavioral’s heritage of clinical leadership is rooted in the work of William Frea, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Ronit Molko, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Glen Sallows, Ph.D., BCBA-D, and Carl Sundberg, Ph. D., BCBA-D, each of whom is a pioneer in the treatment of children with autism. 

About BACA

Behavior Analysis Center for Autism (BACA) provides world-class therapy to individuals with autism and other related developmental disabilities, utilizing the scientifically proven principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). We provide ABA therapy in Indiana with locations that are staffed with the highest trained and most experienced staff who work with individuals between the ages of 2 and 21.

The rain couldn’t stop us from celebrating our newly rebranded Autism Spectrum Therapies (AST) Little Rock Learning Center. On Thursday, May 11^th, we welcomed our staff, families, and the Little Rock business community members for an official open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony. This sensory-friendly “Splash into Summer” under the sea-themed event allowed children to participate in indoor and outdoor games and activities as parents toured the facility, met with the AST leadership team, and enjoyed refreshments.

The Little Rock Learning Center provides center-based applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to children in a learning-rich environment where they can work on skills such as communication, socialization, and activities of daily living in a group setting with one-to-one support. Here, you can expect to see us on the floor, working through the context of play at children’s levels. Our team is delighted to share that we’re currently enrolling preschool-aged children for daytime ABA services at our Little Rock Learning Center located at 1509 North Pierce St., Little Rock, AR 72207.

Prior to 2023, the Little Rock community knew this location and ABA provider as the UP Autism Center. In 2022, UP Autism joined the LEARN Behavioral Family of Providers to bring more resources and the latest research in ABA and autism to Arkansas. As part of this partnership, UP Autism was rebranded to AST, one of LEARN’s flagship ABA providers in Arkansas and the country. For over 20 years, AST has provided compassionate, contemporary ABA therapy to help children and their families find success in school and life. AST’s services are tailored to the unique needs of each child and family and consider caregivers a core partner in their child’s care.

To celebrate our new look, members of the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce helped officiate a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a proclamation by Mayor Terry Hartwick was presented, marking May 11^th, “Autism Spectrum Therapies Day.” We thank both chambers and Mayor Hartwick for their warm yet professional acknowledgment and for introducing us to other organizations with a mutual goal of helping families in need of autism services in our community. 

We look forward to nurturing the unique potential in children with autism and helping more families in the greater Little Rock area in the years to come by providing “serious fun and serious learning.” As Assistant Clinical Director Angel Dunlap says, “At AST, we believe the best learning occurs when having fun. We incorporate structured play opportunities into our sessions while teaching skills in an environment where children can thrive.”

For more information about our Little Rock Learning Center or to get started enrolling for services, we encourage you to visit our website. Our intake team is eager to answer any questions you might have regarding our clinical approach.

AST offers ABA therapy in its Learning Centers, client homes, and school-based settings, as well as social skills, speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, and diagnostic services in various locations across eight states from California to Louisiana.

To learn more about our services or find an AST location near you, please visit our website.