What Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children does

Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children (CSAAC) is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 by Jane Salzano, providing a comprehensive lifespan continuum of services for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The organization serves children, adolescents, adults, and seniors across multiple service lines: the Community School of Maryland (a non-public day and residential special education school for ages 5-21), Youth Services and Residential Services (community-based group homes throughout Montgomery County), Meaningful Day and Vocational Programs (adult day services, job readiness, job development, and supported employment), and several Integrated Social Enterprises (Empower Vending at 35+ locations, the In-Focus Photography Program, Damascus Farm Project, and food-service partnerships with Rita's Italian Ice and Ledo Pizza). The organization employs approximately 860 staff including 447 Direct Support Professionals, plus educators, therapists, nurses, behavior analysts, vocational staff, transportation, and administrative personnel.

CSAAC's revenue model is hybrid and not publicly disclosed. The primary funding source is the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) and public programs (Medicaid waivers, state education funding) reimbursing direct services. Secondary funding comes from individual donations, corporate sponsorships, planned giving, trust fund contributions, and proceeds from social enterprise sales. The go-to-market is referral-driven: families, schools, case managers, and public agencies submit applications reviewed by the ARD Committee, after which individualized services are delivered at CSAAC facilities or in community settings. Geographic reach spans six Maryland counties (Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Howard, Prince George's, Baltimore) plus Loudoun County, Virginia and Washington D.C.

The technology stack is limited to standard third-party enterprise systems with no proprietary platform: CIMS (Client Information Management System) for case management, ADP for HR/payroll, NeonCRM for donations and online retail, and Microsoft 365 for communications. The organization operates without any disclosed AI/ML capability, patents, or proprietary technology assets; service quality rests on specialized human capital and 45+ years of operational expertise in COMAR-regulated autism services.

Name

Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children

Legal name

Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children

Website

https://csaac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CSAAC is a Maryland-based nonprofit founded in 1979 that delivers a lifespan continuum of autism services—including special education, residential care, vocational training, supported employment, and social enterprises—to individuals with autism across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autism and Disability Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism-Specific Schools & Programs (EDAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB), Autism Executive Functioning & Academic Skills Intervention (EDAKAKAI), Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ), Autism Teacher Training & Professional Development (EDAKAKAL)

Keywords

• Autism support services
• Special education
• Residential care services
• Vocational training programs
• Supported employment

Headquarters

HQ city

Montgomery Village

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government/Funded Services: Services funded through Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) and public programs. The Meaningful Day Program is a core component of the DDA service system.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Individual donations, corporate partnerships, planned giving, in-kind donations, and fundraising events. Trust Fund provides ongoing financial resources.
3. Social Enterprise Revenue: Integrated Social Enterprises (In-Focus Photography store, Empower Vending) generate revenue through sales. Proceeds support CSAAC programs and operations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CSAAC provides a lifelong continuum of autism services including specialized education (Community School of Maryland for ages 5-21), youth and adult residential services, Meaningful Day adult day programs, vocational training, job development, and supported employment. The organization also operates integrated social enterprises (Empower Vending, In-Focus Photography, Damascus Farm, and partnerships with Rita's Italian Ice and Ledo Pizza) that provide real-world vocational learning opportunities.

Product overview

CSAAC operates as a comprehensive nonprofit service organization providing a continuum of autism support services rather than a single product or platform. The organization offers multiple interconnected programs: the Community School of Maryland (specialized education for ages 6-21), Youth Services and Residential Services (community homes), and Meaningful Day/Vocational Programs (adult day services, vocational training, job development, and supported employment). Additionally, CSAAC runs Integrated Social Enterprises including Empower Vending, the In-Focus Photography Program, Damascus Farm Project, and business partnerships with Rita's Italian Ice and Ledo Pizza. These social enterprises provide real-world vocational learning opportunities. The organization also provides programmatic support services including nursing, transportation, quality assurance, and professional training. Services are coordinated through internal systems including CIMS (client management) and NeonCRM (donations/retail), with staff communications via Microsoft 365.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• In-Focus Photography Program: An award-winning photography program providing individuals with autism a creative outlet for self-expression and skill development.
• Empower Vending
• CSAAC Damascus Farm
• Meaningful Day/Vocational Programs
• Residential Services
• Youth Services

Products and services

• Community School of Maryland

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Red Wiggler Community FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Community farm in Clarksburg, Maryland providing competitive integrated employment for individuals with autism. CSAAC board member Hans Berg has been employed there for over 16 years.
• Rita's Italian IcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Rita's Italian Ice provides individuals with valuable food service experience in a welcoming community setting. Participants develop skills in customer service, food preparation, cash handling, and teamwork through hands-on experience.
• Ledo PizzacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAt Ledo Pizza, individuals gain hands-on experience in restaurant operations, learning food preparation, kitchen safety, following recipes, teamwork, and daily living skills that translate to future employment.
• East VillageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDamascus Farm donates eggs to East Village, supporting community nutrition while providing vocational learning opportunity for individuals with autism.
• Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MCPS for Student Service Learning (SSL) hours. CSAAC is an approved SSL provider, allowing students to earn documented volunteer hours at CSAAC events. Students from MCPS attend Community School of Maryland.
• Local Businesses (Empower Vending Hosts)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 35+ local businesses host Empower Vending machines, providing employment opportunities for individuals in CSAAC's supported employment program and small business ownership experience.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Easterseals: National federation of nonprofits providing disability services including autism-specific education, vocational rehabilitation, and residential supports. Much broader geographic reach but overlapping service categories.
• Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health: One of the largest U.S. nonprofits operating residential schools, day programs, and vocational services for individuals with autism and IDD across multiple states. Comparable mission and service model to CSAAC at substantially larger scale.
• The Arc: National advocacy and service organization for people with IDD including autism. Many state/local chapters operate residential, day, and employment programs directly comparable to CSAAC's offerings.

Direct peers

• ServiceSource: Nonprofit specializing in supported employment, vocational rehabilitation, and community-based services for people with disabilities. Direct overlap with CSAAC's Meaningful Day, vocational, and supported employment programs.
• Ivymount School: Maryland/DC region special education school and programs serving students with autism and related disabilities, including school-to-adult transition services. Direct peer in the same mid-Atlantic geography.
• Chimes International: Mid-Atlantic nonprofit providing residential, vocational, and community-based services for individuals with disabilities including autism. Comparable service model with regional overlap to CSAAC.
• Elwyn: Regional nonprofit operating special education schools, residential services, and adult day/vocational programs for individuals with IDD and autism across PA, NJ, and now MD via Bancroft merger. Closely comparable operational model.
• Melmark: Pennsylvania-based nonprofit providing residential, educational, and adult day programs for individuals with autism and IDD. Comparable continuum-of-care model and similar program mix to CSAAC.
• The Anderson Center for Autism: New York-based nonprofit providing autism-specific day and residential schools, adult services, and community-based supports across the lifespan. Closely aligned mission and service portfolio to CSAAC.

Regional players

• Kennedy Krieger Institute: Maryland-based nonprofit providing specialized education, residential, and clinical services for children and adolescents with autism and other developmental disabilities. Direct geographic and population overlap with CSAAC in the mid-Atlantic market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CSAAC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/csaac
• Instagraminstagram.com/csaac_org?igsh=dHgzcnFocThzejJq&utm_source=qr
• TikToktiktok.com/@csaac_org?_r=1&_t=ZT-92UbcI2sHN7
• Xx.com/tweetautism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Community Services for Autistic Adults and Children