What THERAPY SMARTS INC does

Therapy Smarts, Inc. is a privately held, therapist-led pediatric outpatient therapy provider headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, founded in 2016 by Avani Shah (CEO), with Sarup Shah serving as CFO. The company operates two clinical locations—one in Durham and a second opened in 2025 in Chapel Hill—and delivers a full multidisciplinary service stack: Speech-Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA, including the branded "FUNction Junction" preschool-readiness program), Mental Health Counseling, Psychological Evaluations (including ADOS-2 for autism), Feeding Therapy, Dyslexia services, and Teletherapy. Care is evidence-based, play-based, and described as neurodiversity-affirming, with a stated "whole-child" philosophy. Target customers are families of children ages 1-18+ with developmental delays, autism spectrum disorder, sensory processing challenges, motor or speech-language deficits, feeding difficulties, and mental health needs, drawn from across the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle.

The business model is largely fee-for-service reimbursed via insurance: the company is in-network with BCBS, United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, NC Medicaid, NC Health Choice, and multiple Managed Care Organizations (AmeriHealth Caritas, Healthy Blue, Carolina Complete Health, UHC of NC, WellCare of NC), and provides superbills for out-of-network families. Auxiliary delivery channels include school- and community-based services at Headstart programs, daycares, charter schools, and select home zip codes, plus teletherapy. Go-to-market is sales-led and largely referral- and community-driven: physician and school referral networks, content marketing (blog, podcast appearances by the founder, social media across Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIn/YouTube), free Family Educational Series events, a free Developmental Checklist lead-capture tool, and the company's Inc. 5000 (#1,792, August 2025) and Chapel Hill Magazine "Best Physical Therapy Clinic" (2026) awards. No funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors are disclosed; growth is internally financed and the ownership remains founder-/family-controlled. Technology stack is largely third-party SaaS (Raintree patient portal, Constant Contact email, Paylocity HR), and there is no disclosed proprietary AI/ML capability.

Name

THERAPY SMARTS INC

Legal name

Therapy Smarts, Inc.

Website

https://therapysmarts.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Therapy Smarts is a therapist-led pediatric outpatient clinic founded in 2016, operating two sites in Durham and Chapel Hill, NC, delivering multidisciplinary speech, occupational, physical, ABA, mental health, and feeding therapy plus psychological evaluations to children with developmental needs across the Triangle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pediatric Therapy Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Pediatric Rehabilitation & Developmental Therapy Centers (PT/OT/SLP) (HLAFAJAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Related Therapy Services (Speech, Occupational, Physical, Feeding) (EDAJAKAD), Pediatric/School-Based Occupational Therapy (OT) (EDAKAFAA), Pediatric Physical Therapy & Developmental Rehab (HSADAIAE)

Keywords

• Pediatric therapy services
• Speech language pathology
• Occupational therapy
• Applied behavior analysis
• Pediatric mental health

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Therapy Services (Billable to Insurance): Revenue generated from providing billable therapy services (SLP, PT, OT, ABA, mental health) reimbursed through accepted insurance plans including BCBS, United Healthcare, Aetna, NC Medicaid, NC Health Choice, Cigna, and Managed Care Organizations. Services also provided to out-of-network patients via superbills.
2. Psychological Evaluation Services: Contract-based psychological evaluations for autism assessment screenings and ADOS-2 administration, performed by licensed clinical psychologists on a per-evaluation basis ($80-$150/hour for contractor positions).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Therapy Smarts is a multidisciplinary pediatric outpatient therapy clinic providing speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, applied behavior analysis (ABA), feeding therapy, mental health therapy, and psychological evaluations for children. Services are delivered at two clinic locations in Durham and Chapel Hill, NC, as well as through teletherapy, school-based, and community-based settings, with billing primarily through major insurance plans.

Product overview

Therapy Smarts Inc is a multidisciplinary pediatric therapy outpatient clinic offering a comprehensive range of services including Speech/Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), Feeding Therapy, Mental Health Therapy, Psychological Evaluations, and Teletherapy. The company operates two clinic locations (Durham and Chapel Hill, NC) and provides both in-clinic and community-based services. The portfolio includes the FUNction Junction ABA program for autism school readiness, a free online Developmental Checklist tool for parents, and Family Educational Series events for parent education. Founded in 2016 and therapist-owned, the practice emphasizes evidence-based, play-based, and neurodiversity-affirming care with a mission to turn challenges into triumphs for children and families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Speech and Language Therapy Pediatric speech and language therapy services addressing articulation, fluency, voice disorders, apraxia, expressive/receptive language delays, and communication skills for children with diagnoses including autism, Down syndrome, and cerebral palsy. Delivered by licensed SLPs at the Durham and Chapel Hill clinics.
• Occupational Therapy Pediatric occupational therapy focusing on fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-help skills, visual-motor skills, and independence in daily activities for children with developmental challenges. Delivered by licensed OTs and COTAs.
• Physical Therapy Pediatric physical therapy addressing gross motor development, balance, coordination, strength, posture, and mobility for children with developmental delays, hypotonia, cerebral palsy, and other conditions.
• Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Evidence-based behavioral therapy for children with autism, focusing on school readiness, behavioral interventions, social skills, and intensive intervention through one-on-one sessions and the FUNction Junction naturalistic preschool setting.
• Feeding Therapy Pediatric feeding therapy addressing oral-motor skills, food texture progression, picky eating, swallowing concerns, and mealtime challenges for children with sensory or developmental feeding difficulties.
• Mental Health Therapy Mental health counseling services for children addressing anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, behavioral challenges, and emotional regulation, delivered by licensed mental health counselors.
• Psychological Evaluations Comprehensive psychological assessments for children including autism spectrum disorder evaluations, ADOS-2 administration, ADHD assessments, and evaluations for various developmental and psychological conditions, performed by licensed clinical psychologists.
• Teletherapy Remote therapy services providing speech, occupational, and other therapy modalities via video conferencing for children who cannot attend in-person sessions.
• Dyslexia Services Specialized intervention services for children with dyslexia focusing on phonological awareness, reading skills, and academic support.
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Services Comprehensive autism services including diagnosis support, ABA therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and family guidance for children across all autism levels.
• FUNction Junction ABA Program Preschool-readiness ABA program for children ages 2-10 with autism, held in a naturalistic preschool setting with circle time, peer interactions, and individual milestone work, combining group and 1:1 behavioral technician sessions.
• Developmental Checklist

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked No. 1,792 on Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America (August 2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Senator Natalie MurdockminorOthers · 27 July 2025Therapy Smarts hosted an ABA advocacy event with Senator Natalie Murdock to discuss the impact of House Bill 696 on North Carolina children and families, advocating for autism services policy.
• Headstart ProgramsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Headstart centers to provide pediatric therapy services (SLP, PT, OT, ABA) at Headstart locations in addition to clinic-based services.
• Schools (Charter, Daycares)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with charter schools, daycares, and natural environments to deliver therapy services in community settings for children ages 2-10.
• Local Physicians and Healthcare ProvidersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partnerships with pediatricians, physicians, and healthcare providers who recommend Therapy Smarts for developmental evaluations and therapy services.
• Silverspot Cinema (Chapel Hill)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership providing complimentary movie tickets to families attending Therapy Smarts educational events.
• Triangle Community OrganizationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with community organizations across the Triangle (Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill) for Juneteenth celebrations and family events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Kadiant: Multi-state ABA therapy provider focused on center-based services for children with autism. Comparable in core service line and payor model, but smaller and more ABA-specialized than Therapy Smarts.

Direct peers

• Centria Healthcare: National pediatric ABA therapy provider serving children with autism and developmental disabilities. Directly comparable in core ABA service delivery and payor mix, though significantly larger and broader in geographic reach than Therapy Smarts.
• BlueSprig Pediatrics: PE-backed provider of ABA therapy and pediatric autism services across multiple U.S. states. Comparable core offering to Therapy Smarts' autism/ABA services, though more ABA-specialized with less emphasis on the broader multidisciplinary therapy mix.
• Ivy Rehab for Kids: Pediatric therapy division of Ivy Rehab Network offering PT, OT, and SLP for children across multiple states. Comparable in outpatient pediatric therapy delivery, with stronger physical therapy emphasis mirroring Therapy Smarts' PT core.
• Hopebridge: Large PE-backed pediatric autism and therapy provider offering ABA, OT, PT, SLP and diagnostic services across multiple states. Closest direct competitor to Therapy Smarts in multidisciplinary pediatric therapy, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Cortica: Pediatric autism and developmental therapy provider combining ABA, SLP, OT, PT, and medical services under one roof with a neurodiversity-affirming philosophy similar to Therapy Smarts. Directly comparable care model targeting the same developmental-pediatric population.
• Acorn Health: PE-backed applied behavior analysis (ABA) and pediatric therapy provider offering autism services across multiple states. Comparable in clinical model and target population, but at greater scale and with a more ABA-centric service mix.
• Behavior Frontiers: ABA therapy provider for children with autism and other developmental disabilities, with in-clinic and in-home service delivery. Comparable to Therapy Smarts in clinical philosophy and target population, though narrower in service breadth.

Broad incumbents

• ATI Physical Therapy: Large national outpatient physical therapy provider that also operates pediatric therapy programs. Comparable at the PT service line level, but operates across many non-pediatric specialties and at far greater scale than Therapy Smarts.
• Children's Healthcare of Atlanta: Major pediatric hospital system providing broad therapy, behavioral, and developmental services including psychological evaluations. Comparable in pediatric therapy and psychological evaluation offering, but operates as a hospital-based system with much broader scope than Therapy Smarts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@therapysmartsinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/therapysmarts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/therapysmarts
• Instagraminstagram.com/therapysmarts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 THERAPY SMARTS INC