Autism F.I.R.S.T.

What Autism F.I.R.S.T. does

Autism F.I.R.S.T. is a Virginia-based, private for-profit healthcare services provider that delivers Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and related autism support services to children and, increasingly, to adolescents and young adults. Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Chantilly, the organization operates a hybrid clinic-plus-home-based service model across ten Virginia locations spanning Northern Virginia (Chantilly, Herndon, Manassas), the Shenandoah Valley (Winchester/Stephens City), Central Virginia (Lynchburg, Richmond), Southwest Virginia (Roanoke), Hampton Roads (Newport News, Norfolk-Virginia Beach), and Danville (home-based only). Its core service portfolio includes ABA Therapy & Support, Diagnostic & Assessment, Early Intervention (STEPS Ahead, starting at 18 months), FIRST STEPS Day Program (ages 2–6), FIRST STEPS After School (grades K–6), FIRST STEPS Social Skills (grades 1–8, private pay), Summer STEPS, and a newer Life Skills for Adulthood transition program. Care is delivered by Behavior Technicians under Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) supervision, with intake, scheduling, and clinical records managed through the CentralReach third-party platform.

The company generates revenue primarily through insurance-reimbursed ABA services, with in-network status across most major commercial payors (Aetna, Anthem, CareFirst, Cigna, Kaiser, Magellan, Sentara, Tricare East, United/Optum) and Virginia Medicaid (including Medallion and CCC Plus). A smaller, ancillary revenue stream comes from private-pay group programming — specifically the FIRST Steps Social Skills program at $720 per 12-week session, which is not billed through insurance. Customer acquisition is driven by a sales-led, referral-heavy go-to-market motion: pediatrician/school/community provider referrals, in-network insurance status, an "Autism Answers" educational content hub, organic SEO, and community events such as Open House Weeks tied to new clinic openings. Customers are individual families of children on the autism spectrum; there is no enterprise B2B contract base.

Operationally, Autism F.I.R.S.T. is led by Chairman/Founder Jeff Shiring, Founder Board Member Deb Kotin (SLP/ABA-trained), CEO Dan Fradin, Chief Clinical Officer Jenny Argueta (MA, CCC-SLP, BCBA, LBA), COO Brandi Harris, and VP of Business Development Randy L. Wilson, with Regional Directors and dedicated Clinic Managers assigned to each location. The company is privately held, reports no parent company or institutional sponsor in the available data, and has not disclosed revenue. Its HIPAA-compliant Privacy Policy and Notice of Privacy Practices indicate adherence to healthcare data-handling requirements. Only one early funding round — $350,000 in November 2021 — appears in the provided data, while the operational footprint of ten clinics by 2026 implies meaningful reinvestment of operating cash flow or undisclosed capital.

Name

Autism F.I.R.S.T.

Legal name

Autism FIRST

Website

https://autismfirstus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Autism F.I.R.S.T. is a Virginia-based ABA therapy provider serving children and families with autism through ten clinic and home-based locations. It offers early intervention, after-school, social skills, and transition programs reimbursed primarily through commercial insurance and Medicaid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autism Therapy Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

ABA Therapy Providers (Home-Based) (EDAKAHAB), Early Intervention ABA (Birth–3) (EDAKAHAD), Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ), Autism Diagnostic & Educational Assessment Services (EDAKAKAA)

Keywords

• ABA therapy services
• Autism treatment programs
• Applied behavior analysis
• Early intervention therapy
• Behavioral health services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chantilly

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. ABA Therapy Services (Insurance-Based): The primary revenue stream is ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy services billed to insurance. Most commercial insurance plans and Medicaid plans are accepted, with direct claim submissions for in-network plans and complimentary submissions for out-of-network benefits.
2. Social Skills Program (Private Pay): The FIRST Steps Social Skills program is offered as private pay only at $720 for a 12-week session, not billed through insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Autism F.I.R.S.T. is an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy practice delivering evidence-based, individualized autism services to children and families across Virginia. The practice operates a hybrid clinic-based and home-based service model offering early intervention, diagnostic evaluations, day programs, after-school programs, social skills groups, summer programming, and transition-to-adulthood programs. Most services are billed through commercial insurance and Medicaid plans.

Product overview

Autism FIRST is a healthcare services organization (not a software technology company) offering a comprehensive portfolio of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy programs and autism services across Virginia. The organization operates a hybrid model combining clinic-based and home-based services. The core programs include: FIRST STEPS Day Program (full-day early intervention for ages 2-6), FIRST STEPS After School (grades K-6), FIRST STEPS Social Skills (elementary and middle school groups), and Summer STEPS (summer programming). Additional offerings include STEPS Ahead (starting at 18 months) and Life Skills for Adulthood. All programs are grounded in evidence-based ABA, family partnership, and individualized treatment plans overseen by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). The organization also provides diagnostic evaluations and a family resource hub called Autism Answers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ABA Therapy & Support

Quantifiable outcome

• Children receiving consistent ABA therapy show meaningful growth in communication, social interaction, and independence based on parent testimonials

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AetnacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn-network provider for ABA therapy services. Aetna and Aetna Better Health accepted for Autism FIRST services across Virginia locations.
• Anthem Blue Cross Blue ShieldcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn-network provider for ABA therapy services. Includes Anthem HealthKeepers and Anthem HealthKeepers Plus plans.
• CareFirst Blue Cross Blue ShieldcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn-network provider for ABA therapy services across Virginia.
• Cigna Behavioral HealthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn-network provider for ABA therapy services.
• Kaiser PermanentecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn-network provider for ABA therapy services.
• Magellan Behavioral HealthcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn-network provider for ABA therapy services.
• Sentara Health PlanscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn-network provider for ABA therapy services.
• Tricare EastcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn-network provider for ABA therapy services for military families.
• United Behavioral Health OptumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn-network provider for ABA therapy services.
• Virginia MedicaidcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIn-network provider accepting Virginia Medicaid, Virginia Medallion, and Virginia CCC Plus plans for ABA therapy services.
• CentralReachcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party intake and referral platform used for online inquiry forms, client intake management, and referral processing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Behavior Frontiers: ABA provider offering clinic-based and home-based autism services with strong payor relationships and BCBA-supervised care model. Comparable clinical staffing model and payor-driven revenue approach to Autism FIRST.
• Autism Learning Partners: PE-backed (Centerbridge) regional ABA therapy provider offering clinic-based and home-based services with strong payor relationships. Direct comparable in service delivery and autism-focused pediatric population.
• Hopebridge: Large multi-state ABA therapy provider with a hybrid clinic-and-home model serving children with autism. Closely comparable to Autism FIRST on service delivery model, payor mix, and patient population, though at significantly greater geographic scale.
• Centria Healthcare: PE-backed (Bain Capital) ABA and autism services provider delivering clinic-based and home-based therapy across multiple states. Direct competitor with overlapping service lines, payor contracting approach, and pediatric autism focus.
• LEARN Behavioral: National ABA provider network offering center-based, home-based, and school-based services for children with autism. Closely comparable hybrid model and clinical supervision structure to Autism FIRST.
• Kadiant: ABA therapy provider serving children with autism across multiple states with center-based and home-based delivery. Comparable clinical model and payor-driven revenue approach.
• BlueSprig Pediatrics: One of the largest PE-backed (KKR) ABA therapy providers in the U.S., offering center-based and home-based ABA for children with autism. Directly comparable clinical model, payor mix, and target demographic as Autism FIRST.
• ABS Kids: ABA therapy provider offering clinic-based and home-based services for children with autism, with focus on family-centered care and insurance-based billing. Directly comparable service delivery, payor mix, and target demographic.

Emerging players

• Cortica: Pediatric autism provider combining ABA therapy with neurology, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology in integrated care centers. Comparable pediatric autism focus but with broader multi-disciplinary clinical model that Autism FIRST could expand toward.

Broad incumbents

• Invo Healthcare / Invo Family of Companies: Larger multi-disciplinary behavioral health and ABA provider offering school-based, center-based, and home-based services. Broader portfolio than Autism FIRST but overlapping clinical supervision model and payor approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/autism-first

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Autism F.I.R.S.T.