Centria Healthcare, the nation’s largest provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism, today announced its expansion of autism services into eight new counties in New Jersey: Camden, Gloucester, Burlington, Ocean, Monmouth, and parts of Mercer, Middlesex, and Atlantic. Expanding services in New Jersey will allow Centria Healthcare to help families find the resources they need to help their children succeed in the world on their own terms.
“Once parents hear that their son or daughter has autism, they have lots of questions and often don't know where to turn to for answers,” said Scott Barry, CEO of Centria Healthcare. “At Centria, we do the research and help parents navigate through a very complex system, so that their child can receive services as quickly as possible.”
New Jersey has the highest rate of autism in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As the prevalence rate of autism increases, so too has the need for ABA therapy, the only evidence-based therapy approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the CDC. During ABA therapy, skills are broken down into small, easy-to-learn steps. Positive reinforcement is used to motivate the child, and data is continuously collected to measure the child’s progress and modify their personalized treatment plan.
“ABA therapy is the single most effective treatment for children with an ASD and the only treatment shown to lead to substantial, lasting improvements in the lives of children with autism,” said Dr. Steven Merahn, Pediatrician and Chief Medical Officer at Centria Healthcare. “Treatment for children with autism can start as early as two years old. Early detection, interventions, and treatments are helping children and their families at an increasing rate.”
Centria Healthcare’s expansion to New Jersey will also have a positive economic impact on the state. Leading the effort to provide ABA therapy in New Jersey on behalf of Centria includes a staff of experienced Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), Dr. Steven Merahn, and Rick Loewenstein, Regional Director.
“Centria anticipates hiring approximately 100 employees in New Jersey in 2018,” said Loewenstein. “This includes BCBAs, Behavior Technicians, and Client Service Managers, among others. With so many children in need of support, we are eager to take them off of waitlists, and provide them with the resources and care that they need throughout central and southern New Jersey.”
Centria Healthcare is a leading national provider of Applied Behavior Analysis therapy for children with autism and home-based catastrophic injury and rehabilitation services, private duty nursing, and supportive living services. With more than 2000 trained clinical staff members throughout the country, Centria provides much needed support to families living with autism, from pre-diagnosis options to treatment planning to direct therapy services.
