Latest news with #AppliedBehaviorAnalysis
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Inspire Autism Names Kristin Hustyi, MA, BCBA as Chief Clinical Officer, Strengthening Its Position as a Leader in Autism Therapy Services
DETROIT, June 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Inspire Autism, a growing provider of evidence-based therapy for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, announces the appointment of Kristin M. Hustyi, MA, BCBA, as its new Chief Clinical Officer. This strategic addition highlights Inspire Autism's commitment to delivering exceptional outcomes to families across Metro Detroit. Kristin Hustyi brings over 15 years of experience in behavior analysis, clinical innovation, and research leadership to Inspire Autism. She holds a Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of the Pacific and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Western Michigan University. Previously, Hustyi served as Vice President of Research at LittleStar ABA Therapy and National Director of Outcomes at Invo Healthcare. She currently serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford University School of Medicine. Her clinical work is backed by more than 20 peer-reviewed publications and over 50 national presentations, positioning her as a leading voice in the field. "Inspire Autism has always been dedicated to building a team that delivers high-quality, compassionate, and results-driven care," said Brandon Boudreau, CEO of Inspire Autism. "Kristin's appointment underscores that mission. Her unique blend of clinical experience, research excellence, and thought leadership will be instrumental in elevating the standard of care we offer families." Hustyi will lead Inspire Autism's clinical vision, ensuring the delivery of data-driven therapy rooted in the latest advancements in the field. She will focus on client outcomes, clinician mentorship, and interdisciplinary collaboration with diagnostic professionals and pediatricians throughout Southeast Michigan. "I'm honored to join Inspire Autism at such a pivotal moment in its growth," said Hustyi. "This organization is deeply committed to families, and I look forward to expanding access to individualized services that change lives." Inspire Autism provides early intervention services including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), speech therapy, and occupational therapy to children across the autism spectrum. With Kristin Hustyi at the clinical helm, Inspire Autism aims to expand its regional impact and strengthen partnerships with pediatric providers, diagnostic centers, and local communities. About Inspire AutismInspire Autism is an autism spectrum disorder therapy provider specializing in comprehensive services for children. The organization focuses on data-informed outcomes to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive. Contact:Inspire Autisminfo@ (844) - View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE INSPIRE AUTISM LLC Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
ALP Opens New ABA Therapy Center in Albany, NY
ALBANY, N.Y., May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Autism Learning Partners (ALP), a national leader that specializes in the treatment of autism and other developmental disabilities, is pleased to announce its in-state expansion with the addition of our ABA therapy center in Albany, NY opened on May 5, 2025. ALP initiated this center-based expansion in the Albany area in response to the need for quality center-based services to support families living in New York state. ALP is committed to continuing collaborative efforts with schools, ancillary services and medical providers in the greater Albany area and steadfast in its dedication to providing resources to families. ALP strives to give hope, support, and paths of progress for children and their families living with autism and related disorders. With their robust network of community partnerships and ever-growing list of accepted insurances, families can receive quality support. ALP believes a tailored, comprehensive care plan with a dedicated clinical team allows children and their family units to experience the most progress possible. "We're thrilled to expand our New York services to our new center located in Albany. We offer individualized ABA services in our uniquely designed center, with a focus on building skills in socially significant areas through engaging interactions with peers that includes gross motor areas, sensory areas, language and communication, and much more!" notes Rachael Schneider, PhD, BCBA-LBA , Executive Director at ALP. Our Albany center also offers resources such as assessments, school readiness skills, highly individualized one-on-one therapy with the ability to systematically integrate children into learning and participating in larger groups, generalization of skills, a consistent clinical team, social opportunities, and community and caregiver collaboration. A LP is a national leader in ABA-based autism services since 1988. Headquartered in Monrovia, CA, they employ over 250 Board Certified Behavior Analysts ("BCBAs") and have a total workforce of 4,000 nationwide, including Behavior Technicians providing home and center-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapies. Services include: ABA care, as well as speech, occupational, physical therapies, and diagnostic services in select regions. ALP now offers treatment in 16 states including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia. To learn more about Autism Learning Partners and its services, please visit View original content: SOURCE Autism Learning Partners Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Associated Press
13-05-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
CST Academy Expands to Buffalo Grove with New Multidisciplinary Therapy Clinic for Children
CST Academy is opening in Buffalo Grove. Full-service pediatric therapy—ABA, speech, OT, PT, diagnostics & more—all under one roof. 'We're excited to bring our multidisciplinary, collaborative model to the community in a space that's built entirely with child development in mind.'— Megan Morien, Chief Clinical Officer at CST Academy BUFFALO GROVE, IL, UNITED STATES, May 13, 2025 / / -- CST Academy, a leading provider of pediatric autism and developmental therapy services in the Chicagoland area, will open a new clinic in Buffalo Grove on June 2, 2025. The new location will expand access to the organization's integrated, family-centered model of care for families in Buffalo Grove and surrounding communities. The clinic will offer a full continuum of services, including Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, diagnostic evaluations, and CST Academy's therapeutic preschool-styled program. Therapy will be available to children across a range of developmental stages, with individualized plans tailored to each child's needs. 'We have heard from so many families in the Buffalo Grove area who are eager for access to high-quality, consistent therapy services,' said Megan Morien, Chief Clinical Officer at CST Academy and a Licensed Behavior Analyst. 'We're excited to bring our multidisciplinary, collaborative model to the community in a space that's built entirely with child development in mind.' The Buffalo Grove location features a brand-new, state-of-the-art gym, spacious treatment rooms, and environments designed to foster meaningful engagement, learning, and developmental progress. The clinic's layout and programming reflect CST Academy's values of evidence-based care, collaborative clinical teams, and deep investment in each child's growth. Founded in 2010 as a small in-home speech therapy practice, CST Academy has since grown into a leader in clinic-based autism services, serving families across Chicago and the North Shore. The Buffalo Grove expansion represents the next chapter in that growth. 'We're thrilled to finally open our doors in Buffalo Grove,' said Idar Lamo, CEO of CST Academy. 'We've already supported many local families through diagnostic evaluations, and now we're in a position to continue that care, right in their neighborhood. It's incredibly meaningful for us.' Families in the Buffalo Grove area have already voiced a strong need for expanded access to high-quality therapy services, and CST Academy is ready to meet that need. Enrollment is now open, and CST Academy is currently accepting new clients for all services at the Buffalo Grove location. Families can visit or call 773-620-7800 to learn more. Samantha Duff Therapy News +1 312-722-3256 email us here Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Indiana panel to consider ABA therapy cost controls
A psychologist takes notes on a clipboard in a therapy session for children. (iStock/Getty Images Plus) Twenty-one agency leaders, health industry professionals, disability advocates and others will look to contain Medicaid spending on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy — while ensuring continued care for thousands of young, autistic Hoosiers — the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) announced Friday. Gov. Mike Braun directed the agency to create the working group in a February executive order. A report featuring three cost-containment recommendations is due by December. ABA therapy is commonly used to improve social, communication and learning skills in children and young adults with autism or other developmental disorders. Some critics, however, object to the teaching tool and say it encourages compliance over independence. Additionally, some practitioners coupled it with electroshock therapy as late as 2022. Indiana Medicaid spending on ABA therapy has risen over time: 2019: $120 million 2020: $102 million 2021: $276 million 2022: $420 million 2023: $639 million Source: Indiana Capital Chronicle reporting Nevertheless, it's increasingly popular. Families, however, often struggle to access the therapy because of the price, limited insurance coverage and other health care industry stumbling blocks. State coffers are also taking a hit. Indiana Medicaid expenditures for ABA therapy rose from about $14 million in 2017 to $120 million in 2019, according to FSSA, then dipped to $102 million in 2020 — still the second-highest in the nation, per U.S. Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General. The cost surge prompted the federal office to audit Indiana's 2019 and 2020 ABA payments. The 2024 report found at least $56 million in improper payments — citing problems with documentation, diagnostic evaluations, staff credentials, referrals and more. It recommended that Indiana refund more than $39 million to the federal government. Soaring totals since then have prompted greater scrutiny from Hoosier leaders worried Medicaid costs are growing too much, too fast. The financial pressure has only worsened. A grim April revenue forecast forced lawmakers to cut $2 billion in spending out of the state's next two-year, now-$44 billion budget. Braun's order charged the working group with evaluating cost-containment strategies that 'minimize the negative impact felt by enrollees and their families.' He directed the group to evaluate the 'best' clinical care models to provide the right therapy in the right setting at the right ages. The order sought recommendations for 'a better coordinated experience' for children, 'but in a financially sustainable manner.' Under the order, group members must also consider potentially implementing quality metrics for ABA services, caps on the number of therapy hours per week, caps on the number of months children can receive the therapy, an appeals process for 'extenuating circumstances' along with new provider enrollment and billing requirements. The 'comprehensive review' of ABA therapy in Indiana should 'identify key drivers of Medicaid expenditures,' Friday's news release read. An evaluation must be completed by September 30. A written report has to include three recommendations for 'meaningful' cost-containment, plus the advantages and disadvantages for each recommendation. That's due to Braun by November 30. The working group's members include: FSSA staff, some of whom lead disability and Medicaid utilization efforts Health care industry representatives, including a pediatrician, psychiatrist and a health insurance company lobbyist Autism, other disability and special education organization advocates State lawmakers Other parents Controversy over ABA cuts ensnarled Braun's predecessor, former Gov. Eric Holcomb. Families rallied repeatedly, urging Holcomb and his FSSA to reconsider. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Moms Create Project Hope – And Spectrum Of Autism Services In Upstate
Hope means everything – especially to the parents of a child newly diagnosed with autism. 'When I'm talking to parents who are new to this journey, I tell them that you have to look ahead. But only far enough so that you can plan and not panic. You don't know where your journey is going,' says Lisa Lane, co-CEO of Project Hope Foundation. Lane and Susan Sachs co-founded and co-lead the organization that today provides autism services at nine locations: three in Greenville and one each in Anderson, Clemson, Greenwood, Landrum, Spartanburg and Woodruff. The two women met 28 years ago after finding few resources when their sons were diagnosed with autism. 'There was a dearth of services,' says Lane, a former attorney. 'I vividly remember that it felt very isolating. Alone. Bleak. Scary.' She and Sachs – a social worker with a background in education – decided to open an inclusive preschool for children with autism. 'Hope is a good word. It is embodied in our services. We have grown into a nonprofit that provides a lifespan of autism services, across communities, across ages … as young as 2 years old, and our oldest is in his mid-50s ... and across the spectrum, autism being a spectrum in terms of severity of needs,' Lane says. 'We have tiers of services to match different needs. That's what makes us unique. We are autism-specific, but we've got depth and breadth.' Project Hope's largest program, a skill-building therapy called Applied Behavior Analysis, serves 300 individuals each day. 'ABA therapy teaches the skills that autistic individuals need to engage in life. We are serving the client and also the family,' Lane says. 'We ask what's happening in the household. What do we need to work on? Are you concerned about holidays? We meet the family where they are. We understand how hard it is.' It's important that families not isolate if an individual with autism has disruptive or even dangerous behaviors like darting away, Lane says. 'We see the tantrums that other people don't understand. We see the struggles. And we celebrate the 'extraordinary ordinary' moments that most people take for granted. When my son was 13 and zipped his jacket for the first time, that was something to celebrate.' It is estimated that as many as 40% of individuals with autism are non-verbal, Lane says. 'We've got to get them communicating. If you don't have communication, you'll have challenging behaviors because you do whatever you have to do to get your needs met.' Lane's son did not speak until he was 8 years old. Project Hope therapists and teachers also instill social skills, like how to pay attention to and engage with others, Lane explains. Individuals with more skills might learn social nuances like sarcasm or how to make small talk. Project Hope operates an accredited school, kindergarten through high school, in Landrum. Classes are also available at satellite campuses in Spartanburg and Woodruff. 'Some students are diploma-bound, some are working on basic interaction. We also partner with about 30 local, private and public schools to support students in those learning environments,' Lane says. 'We work one-on-one and then find opportunities. When we bring children together, we practice classroom readiness because our goal is to find out whether we can get folks into a school that is not necessarily ours – a mainstream environment, if they can, where they can start using all those great skills.' The adult program emphasizes life skills, group employment, and individual employment. Project Hope operates its own T-shirt printing business, Printed By Hope. Custom shirts are sold on Etsy and the foundation's website, 'Adults with autism gain experience with employment and working with other people – and earn a paycheck while they're still learning other skills,' Lane says. 'We always try to give them access to the biggest life they can have.' The next urgent need is housing, she says. Lane's son is 30 years old; Sachs' son, Michael, is almost 33; both will need supportive housing for the rest of their lives. Many autistic individuals outlive their parents. Lane heaps praise on the Project Hope staff of more than 300. 'We have a fantastic team of people who change lives for the better. Our therapy team. Our education team. Our adult team. We also have scheduling and billing and HR professionals who make it possible to provide services that are urgently needed,' she says. Project Hope's newest campus is near Clemson, a program formerly based in Pendleton that outgrew its space. The next new facility will be on the Greenwood Genetic Center campus, where researchers from Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina are already collaborating. Project Hope already has a particularly close working relationship with Greenwood School District 50. Few would deny that autism diagnoses are more prevalent than when Lane and Sachs started Project Hope. Today, one person in 36 is diagnosed with autism. In the '90s, the rate was one in 2,500 people. 'We don't hazard a guess as to causation,' Lane says. 'We work with Greenwood Genetic Center and hope that they will figure out lots of things. We're very interested in the research, but what we do best is to help folks who need support when they find that they have a diagnosis that will require assistance.' Project Hope receives funding for services through Medicaid, insurance, and private pay. But a 'huge gap' remains that must be filled by fundraising, donors and grants, Lane says. Every Project Hope location has a waiting list. The goal for the upcoming Evening of Hope Gala, on April 5, is to raise $1 million. For those who can give, 'Your funds go to local services that are transformative. Nearly half of the folks who come through our programs are able to move into mainstream life. That is wonderful. The financial return on investment is obvious,' Lane says. 'The emotional return is hard to measure. It's a way to make a difference in a life.' This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Moms Create Project Hope – And Spectrum Of Autism Services In Upstate
