Autism Center of Excellence

What Autism Center of Excellence does

Autism Center of Excellence (AutismCOE) is a privately held, multi-state provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy and related developmental services for children with autism spectrum disorder, operating across North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland with 30+ service locations and a 5,600+ sq ft flagship center in Durham, NC. Founded in 2022 and employing 11–50 staff, the company serves children aged 18 months through 14 years across five interlocking clinical service lines: ABA therapy (center-based and in-home), an Early Intervention Program incorporating the Early Start Denver Model, the AutismCOE Academy school readiness program, speech-language pathology, and specialized parent training, plus a diagnostic evaluation service using the ADOS-2 gold-standard assessment administered by a Licensed Clinical Psychologist.

The underlying clinical technology is evidence-based ABA delivered by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) supervising Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs); no proprietary software, AI, or digital platform is offered. The company's business model is insurance-reimbursement based, with services billed to NC Medicaid, VA Medicaid, TRICARE, and 15+ commercial insurers, providing free insurance benefits verification and prior authorization handling to reduce family-side friction. Customer acquisition is sales-led, combining educational content marketing (website, blog, social media), direct phone intake, and a client referral program targeting families searching for autism services, with the company's "no waitlist" positioning (evaluations within 2–4 weeks versus 6–12 months at hospital clinics) as its primary commercial differentiator.

The company is independently / founder-owned with no disclosed institutional backing, parent company, or funding rounds, and operates as a regional clinical services provider rather than a technology-enabled platform.

Name

Autism Center of Excellence

Legal name

Autism Center of Excellence

Website

https://autismcoe.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Autism Center of Excellence is a privately held, multi-state ABA therapy provider delivering center-based and in-home Applied Behavior Analysis, early intervention, school readiness, speech therapy, parent training, and ADOS-2 diagnostic evaluations to children with autism ages 18 months to 14 years across North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland via 30+ insurance-billing service locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Applied Behavior Analysis Therapy Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Executive Functioning & Academic Skills Intervention (EDAKAKAI), Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• ABA therapy services
• Autism diagnostic evaluations
• Early intervention programs
• Speech language pathology
• Parent training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices31 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. ABA Therapy Services: AutismCOE generates revenue through providing ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy services billed to insurance providers. The company accepts major insurance plans including NC Medicaid, VA Medicaid, and commercial insurers. Services include center-based therapy, in-home therapy, speech therapy, and diagnostic evaluations. Revenue is collected through insurance reimbursement with families potentially having little to no out-of-pocket costs depending on their coverage.
2. Diagnostic Evaluations: The company provides autism diagnostic evaluations conducted by Licensed Clinical Psychologists, which are billed to insurance providers. These evaluations include ADOS-2 testing, parent interviews, standardized rating scales, and comprehensive written diagnostic reports delivered within 2 weeks of testing.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Autism Center of Excellence (AutismCOE) is a multi-state clinical provider that delivers evidence-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, early intervention, school readiness, speech therapy, parent training, and ADOS-2 autism diagnostic evaluations to children ages 18 months to 14 years. Services are provided through dedicated therapy centers and in-home visits across North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland, and are reimbursed primarily through major commercial insurers, NC Medicaid, and VA Medicaid.

Product overview

Autism Center of Excellence (AutismCOE) is a multi-state provider of autism therapy and developmental services operating across North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. The company's portfolio consists of five interlocking clinical service lines: ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) Therapy — available as center-based or in-home sessions and delivered by BCBA-certified clinicians and registered behavior technicians for children ages 18 months to 14 years; Early Intervention Program for children aged 1.5 to 6 years using play-based ABA techniques; AutismCOE Academy (School Readiness Program) — a group-based program preparing children with mild-to-moderate autism for formal schooling using ABA principles; Speech-Language Pathology services by certified SLPs; and Specialized Parent Training providing families with evidence-based behavioral and communication techniques. A sixth service line — Autism Diagnostic Evaluations — uses a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the ADOS-2 gold-standard tool to provide diagnostic assessments for children 18 months to 14 years with a seamless handoff to therapy services, eliminating a second waitlist. The company accepts most major insurance plans including NC Medicaid and VA Medicaid. No technology platform, API, or AI-powered product is offered; all services are clinical in nature.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ABA Therapy Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy delivered as evidence-based, individualized treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder, ages 18 months to 14 years. Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) design personalized treatment plans targeting communication, social, behavioral, and daily living skills, with delivery available in-center or in-home.
• Early Intervention Program

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Molina HealthcarecoreOthersInsurance provider accepted by AutismCOE for ABA therapy services. Molina Healthcare provides health insurance coverage that includes autism services under many of their plans.
• UnitedHealthcarecoreOthersMajor insurance provider whose plans are accepted at AutismCOE for ABA therapy and autism diagnostic services.
• Blue Cross Blue Shield of North CarolinacoreOthersNC-based Blue Cross Blue Shield plan accepted for ABA therapy services at AutismCOE locations in North Carolina.
• NC MedicaidcoreOthersNorth Carolina Medicaid fully covers ABA therapy for children diagnosed with autism. AutismCOE accepts all NC Medicaid managed care plans and handles authorization process.
• VA MedicaidcoreOthersVirginia Medicaid program accepted at AutismCOE for ABA therapy services in Virginia locations.
• AetnacoreOthersMajor commercial insurance provider whose plans are accepted for ABA therapy services.
• CignacoreOthersMajor commercial insurance provider whose plans are accepted for ABA therapy services.
• Anthem Health KeepercoreOthersAnthem health insurance plan accepted for ABA therapy services at AutismCOE.
• TRICAREcoreOthersMilitary health insurance program accepted at AutismCOE's Fayetteville location to serve military families and active-duty service members in the Fort Bragg community.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Autism Learning Partners: Multi-state ABA provider with center-based and in-home services for children with autism. Comparable service portfolio, age range, and insurance-driven revenue model.
• BlueSprig Pediatrics: Large, PE-backed multi-state ABA therapy provider with center-based and in-home services, in-network with major insurers. Directly comparable in service mix, payer model, and rapid regional expansion strategy to AutismCOE.
• Proud Moments ABA Therapy: Regional ABA therapy provider with center-based and in-home services. Comparable on payer mix, BCBA staffing, and age range served.
• Trumpet Behavioral Health: PE-backed ABA therapy provider operating across multiple U.S. states with center-based and home-based services. Comparable on payer mix, BCBA-led clinical staffing, and rapid geographic expansion.
• Centria Healthcare: National ABA and pediatric behavioral health provider delivering center-based and in-home ABA. Comparable on multi-state scale, insurance participation, and BCBA-supervised clinical model.
• Catalyst Behavioral Sciences: Multi-state ABA provider delivering center-based and home-based services for children with autism. Comparable scope, staffing model, and insurance contracting strategy.
• Hopebridge: Multi-state pediatric therapy provider offering ABA, speech, and occupational therapy with center-based delivery. Closely comparable on integrated diagnostic-to-therapy model and insurance-based reimbursement.
• Behavioral Innovations: Multi-state center-based ABA provider with early intervention and school-age programs. Comparable diagnostic-plus-therapy integration and major insurance participation.
• Lighthouse Autism Center: ABA therapy provider operating multiple centers with insurance-based reimbursement. Comparable clinical model, center-based delivery, and family-facing support services.

Broad incumbents

• Aveanna Healthcare: Large publicly traded home health and private duty services provider with a pediatric ABA and behavioral health segment. Comparable in Medicaid-heavy reimbursement model and multi-state clinical services delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AutismCOE/shorts
• Facebookfacebook.com/AutismCenterOfExcellence
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/autism-center-of-excellence

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Autism Center of Excellence