Central Texas Autism Center

What Central Texas Autism Center does

Central Texas Autism Center (CTAC) is an Austin, Texas-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Verbal Behavior (VB) therapy provider founded in 2003 by Kelle Wood Rich. It serves children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities, plus their families, across a lifespan-spanning portfolio of programs: Beginnings (diagnosis to age 4), Buds (to age 10), Bridges (age 10 through adulthood), a year-round Academy inclusive classroom, the PEERS adolescent social skills curriculum, in-home therapy, and telehealth. CTAC also runs a Trainer-of-Trainer (TOT) program that delivers multi-session ABA/VB training to Texas school district personnel, and it organizes the annual Verbal Behavior Conference (VBC), a thought-leadership event for the VB community offered both in-person and via BehaviorLive. Underlying methodology is B.F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior, operationalized through validated assessments such as the VB-MAPP (Dr. Mark Sundberg) and Essential for Living (Dr. Patrick McGreevy), and through Discrete Trial Training and Natural Environment Teaching modalities. CTAC self-identifies as employing the largest group of BCBAs doing direct therapy in the state of Texas and operates research collaborations with Texas Christian University and California State University at Northridge. CTAC is a private, founder-owned for-profit company with no disclosed external funding.

The business is monetized through professional-services revenue. Family-facing therapy is delivered under insurance authorization — CTAC verifies benefits and obtains evaluation/therapy-hour authorization on behalf of clients — with services billed at typical ABA rates. The school district TOT program, Summer Institute for Teachers, and the VBC add B2B and event revenue streams. Distribution is hybrid: center-based at the 3006 Bee Caves Rd. (Westlake) Austin facility (with a ~5,000 sq. ft. Buds environment), in-home across Austin and the Houston metropolitan area, and telehealth. Customer segments are predominantly individual families (DTC) supplemented by school district accounts (B2B/enterprise training). Customer concentration risk is low because revenue is fragmented across many insurance-reimbursed family cases; only Leander ISD is publicly named. The company is HIPAA-compliant, has no app, no public API, and no M&A activity to date.

Name

Central Texas Autism Center

Legal name

Central Texas Autism Center

Website

https://ctac1.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Central Texas Autism Center, founded in 2003 in Austin, TX, provides ABA and Verbal Behavior therapy to children and adults with autism, plus professional training to school districts across Texas via its Trainer-of-Trainer program and annual Verbal Behavior Conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autism Therapy Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Diagnostic & Educational Assessment Services (EDAKAKAA), Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ), Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language) (EDAKAKAG), Autism Executive Functioning & Academic Skills Intervention (EDAKAKAI), ABA Assessment & Diagnostic Support (Functional Assessments, VB-MAPP/ABLLS-R) (EDAKAHAE)

Keywords

• Applied behavior analysis
• Autism therapy services
• Verbal behavior therapy
• BCBA professional training
• Special education consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. ABA/VB Therapy Services: Center-based, in-home, and telehealth therapy services provided by BCBAs, BCaBAs, and RBTs. Services are typically covered by health insurance following evaluation and authorization.
2. Professional Training Programs: Trainer of Trainer (TOT) model providing ABA/VB training to school districts, including continuing education hours and workshop series for teachers, therapists, and other personnel.
3. Verbal Behavior Conference (VBC): Annual conference hosting internationally known researchers and practitioners in verbal behavior. Offers CEU credits for BCBAs through in-person and virtual attendance via BehaviorLive platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Central Texas Autism Center (CTAC) provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Verbal Behavior (VB) therapy services to children, adolescents, and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. Services are delivered through center-based programs (Beginnings, Buds, Bridges, Academy), in-home therapy, telehealth, and the PEERS social skills program, supplemented by professional training programs for school districts and the annual Verbal Behavior Conference (VBC).

Product overview

Central Texas Autism Center (CTAC) offers a comprehensive suite of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Verbal Behavior (VB) therapy services as a unified therapeutic platform. The core portfolio spans center-based programs (Beginnings for toddlers through age 4, Buds for children through age 10, and Bridges for ages 10 through adulthood), supplemented by in-home therapy, the year-round Academy inclusive classroom, PEERS adolescent social skills intervention, and telehealth services. Professional training includes the Trainer of Trainer (TOT) program, Summer Institute for Teachers, and the annual Verbal Behavior Conference (VBC). Research collaborations with TCU and CSUN support CTAC's academic mission. All services are delivered using evidence-based ABA and VB methodologies, utilizing assessment tools including VB-MAPP and Essential for Living (EFL).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Verbal Behavior Conference (VBC): An annual conference organized and hosted by Central Texas Autism Center and its founder Kelle Rich, BCBA, LBA, highlighting, supporting, and mentoring practitioners and researchers who utilize verbal behavior in their professions.

Products and services

• Buds Program Center-based ABA/Verbal Behavior therapy program for elementary-aged children (diagnosis to 10 years old), featuring nearly 5,000 sq. ft. of dedicated space including a natural environment playroom, classrooms, art/music room, kitchen, and toilet training facilities.
• Beginnings Program Center-based ABA/Verbal Behavior therapy for toddlers to pre-K children (diagnosis to 4 years old), featuring customized learning spaces, developmentally appropriate play, private bathroom for toilet training, and half-day or full-day programs.
• Bridges Program Center-based ABA therapy for older learners ages 10 years through adulthood, offering vocational training, social skills, adaptive daily living skills, executive functioning, and a technology lab in specialized environments including classrooms, exercise room, and vocational labs.
• Academy Program Year-round, inclusive ABA and Verbal Behavior-based therapeutic classroom offering immersive inclusion settings with a 6:3 client-therapist ratio, led by BCBAs with curriculums including VB-MAPP, Direct Instruction, Handwriting Without Tears, and modified state academic objectives.
• In-Home Program In-home ABA therapy supervised by BCBA staff, promoting generalization of skills in natural environments with individualized parent training; available in Austin and Houston with minimum 4 therapy hours per week.
• PEERS (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) 16-week evidence-based social skills intervention for motivated adolescents in middle school or high school who want to learn to make and keep friends, with parallel parent training sessions.
• Telehealth Remote ABA therapy services using electronic communication, including parent training, direct therapy with BCBA/BCaBA/RBT, and in some cases group therapy, covered by most health insurance providers during COVID-19 pandemic.
• Professional Training Program Trainer of Trainer (TOT) model providing 7 monthly classes in ABA/Verbal Behavior for special education teachers, SLPs, OTs, BCBAs, and other personnel, teaching VBMAPP assessment, IEP writing, classroom data collection, and FBA.
• Summer Institute for Teachers Intensive training program for teachers providing tools to teach students with autism and developmental disorders using the Verbal Behavior Approach.
• Verbal Behavior Conference (VBC) Annual conference organized and hosted by CTAC and founder Kelle Rich, BCBA, to highlight, support, and mentor practitioners and researchers utilizing verbal behavior theory and practice; offered in-person or via BehaviorLive live stream, providing BACB CE hours.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children develop communication, socialization, and adaptive living skills through intensive ABA/VB therapy
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Texas Christian University (TCU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with TCU's Department of Psychology. CTAC's Director of Clinical Research leads applied research projects in collaboration with TCU faculty, including Dr. Anna Petursdottir. Focus areas include Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior, stimulus equivalence, and derived stimulus relations.
• California State University at Northridge (CSUN) - FAHB LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Dr. Chunying Jin at CSUN's FAHB Lab focusing on assessment and treatment of sleep problems, function-based interventions, and behavioral pediatrics.
• Commons Learning CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for the Verbal Behavior Conference 2026, located at 2901 Read Granberry Trail, Austin, TX 78758. Provides conference facilities for in-person VBC attendees.
• VBC Sponsors (The Carbone Clinic, Collaborate, Fit Learning Austin, CAC, Essential for Living)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVarious sponsors for the Verbal Behavior Conference including lanyard sponsors and exhibitors representing ABA-related products and services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• May Institute: Nonprofit provider of ABA, educational, and clinical services for children and adults with autism and developmental disabilities. Comparable service breadth across the lifespan, including center-based and school consultation models.
• Easterseals: National nonprofit providing autism services including ABA therapy, early intervention, and special education support. Overlaps with CTAC on family-facing autism services and school district partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Centria Healthcare: National provider of ABA therapy and related autism services for children, with center-based and in-home delivery. Competes with CTAC for families, BCBA talent, and insurance contracts in overlapping Texas-adjacent markets.
• BlueSprig Pediatrics: One of the largest US providers of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism. Operates hundreds of centers across multiple states with a comparable service stack (center-based, in-home, telehealth) to CTAC, but at significantly greater scale and with PE backing.
• Autism Learning Partners: Multi-state ABA therapy provider offering center-based, in-home, and school-based services for individuals with autism. Closely comparable service model and customer segments to CTAC.
• Hopebridge: Multi-state ABA therapy provider offering center-based, in-home, and telehealth services for children with autism, with a similarly broad age range and multidisciplinary clinical staff. Direct overlap in services and customer base.
• Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD): One of the largest US providers of ABA therapy with hundreds of centers nationwide. Comparable clinical model and target families to CTAC, with materially greater geographic scale and resources.

Direct peers

• Intercare Therapy: ABA therapy provider offering in-home, center-based, and telehealth services across multiple states. Closely comparable delivery model and customer segments to CTAC's clinical programs.
• Behavior Frontiers: ABA therapy provider offering in-home, center-based, and school-based services across multiple states with a focus on customized treatment plans. Highly comparable to CTAC in delivery model and clinical philosophy.
• Trumpet Behavioral Health: ABA therapy organization providing center-based and in-home services with a strong focus on Verbal Behavior approach — directly comparable to CTAC's VB methodology and clinical staff composition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CTACHQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CentralTexasAutismCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company-beta/3017086?pathWildcard=3017086
• Instagraminstagram.com/CTACHQ

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Central Texas Autism Center