Driving force

The number of children with autism spectrum disorder is on the rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the total number of children diagnosed with ASD in 2019 was in the millions, a number that is growing 10 percent annually.
CentralReach is a provider of electronic medical records, practice management and clinical solutions that enable applied behavior analysis (ABA) clinicians and educators to produce outcomes for people with autism.
Applied behavior analytic treatments, such as early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) may be among the best examples of evidence-based behavioral health care. In contrast to some reports in the media, independent reviews consistently agree that ABA and EIBI treatments for autism are effective, and that the extensive body of research meets high standards of evidence, according to the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies and the Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention.
Matawan-based CentralReach, which sells its software on a subscription basis, is addressing the ABA space with products that provide precision teaching, clinical data collection, scheduling, billing, learning management, digital evidence-based programming and more.
The needs of the clinical community drivesour business forward. These clinicians orBoard Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)are the 'quarterbacks' of the care.
Chris Sullens
With more than 85,000 clinicians and growing, CentralReach Chief Executive Officer Chris Sullens told NJBIZ that the company is committed to ongoing product improvement, market-leading industry expertise, world-class client satisfaction, and support of the ABA community to propel industry practitioners into a new era of excellence.
“The needs of the clinical community drives our business forward. These clinicians or Board Certified Behavior Analysts [BCBAs] are the ‘quarterbacks’ of the care,” said Sullens.
“They are the ones designing the clinical programs based on the child’s assessment or unique needs and working with their teams to administer that personalized care. But care is ongoing and as the clinician analyzes how the child is progressing, they make adjustments to the clinical program to ensure the most effective care is provided so the child can learn the skills they need to live richer and more independent lives,” Sullens added.
While the number of BCBAs is growing fast, Sullens pointed out that there is still a major capacity gap between the number of analysts and the number of children diagnosed on the spectrum 37,900 clinicians to nearly 1.3 million children.
“Almost every single one of our customers has a long wait-list of families that are ready and willing to pay for services, either through insurance or out of pocket, but can’t get the care they need because there are just not enough clinicians to administer treatment,” said Sullens.
With offices in New Jersey, Florida and Missouri, CentralReach has more than doubled in size since its inception in July 2019 and anticipates increased growth this year.
“In 2019 the company grew by 70 percent, the plan in 2020 is to grow by 50 percent,” said Sullens.
In addition to software, the company also handles billing for its clients, working directly with insurance companies in processing claims. And it provides staff training and continuing education.

CREDIT: Anthony Vecchione