LEARN Academy Partners with Arizona-Based
Chrysalis Academy
– Together, they work with schools and school districts to provide special education and academic intervention services to students with social, emotional and behavioral challenges –
Baltimore, MD (April 26, 2021) – LEARN Academy, a division of LEARN Behavioral, which provides schools and school districts with customizable solutions across the continuum of special education and academic intervention needs, announced the acquisition of Chrysalis Academy—an Arizona Department of Education-approved private day school for children with autism and related disorders, based in Scottsdale, Arizona. Chrysalis Academy also includes Play ABA, which provides an array of services to children and young adults with autism and other disabilities.
Founded in 2002, Chrysalis Academy is contracted to provide educational services to more than 12 school districts in Arizona. While Chrysalis Academy will continue to operate under its current brand, LEARN Academy has secured the necessary licensure from the Arizona Department of Education.
“LEARN Academy values what we value, including achieving measurable progress for students with social, emotional and behavioral challenges,” said Patty McCarthy, Co-Founder of Chrysalis Academy. “Like us, their team consists of professionals with decades of experience building and implementing programs that enable students to make important academic gains and behavioral improvements.”
“They also value their employees,” said Tara Rick, Co-Founder of Chrysalis Academy. “LEARN Academy provides ongoing professional development and mentoring to their clinical staff, as well as significant career growth potential.”
Together, LEARN Academy and Chrysalis Academy now provide an extended network of clinicians and practitioners trained in the most recent advances in evidence-based teaching and learning practices. By providing quality care and treatment for individuals with developmental disabilities, they are advancing treatment outcomes and improving the quality of life and functional independence for students.
“Chrysalis Academy and LEARN Academy are an ideal match,” said Michael Maloney, Founder and CEO of LEARN Academy. “We both bring a broad range of special education expertise, evidence-based practices and cost-effective programs directly to students.”
“We devise workable, effective solutions to some of the most pressing problems districts and schools confront today,” said Don Scheeler, President of LEARN Academy. “By partnering with LEARN Academy, districts and schools greatly reduce their administrative workload and can devote more time to the needs of their students, families and educators.”
With the acquisition, which was completed on December 31, 2020, Chrysalis Academy joins
Beach Cities Learning, Desert Choice Schools, Learn It Academic Services and Light Street Special Education Solutions as part LEARN Academy’s network of schools.
About LEARN Academy
LEARN Academy provides schools and school districts with a full suite of customizable solutions across the continuum of special education and academic intervention needs. We offer fully onsite programs at your facility, bringing our broad range of special education expertise, evidence-based practices and cost-effective programs directly to your students. We also offer virtual therapy and academic intervention services, using proven strategies and methods for working with students through online platforms.
LEARN Academy serves all students who need special education or academic services. Our team includes specialists in school-based and online therapy services, educational professionals with expertise in academic interventions for struggling students and professionals with decades of experience building and implementing programs for students with challenging social/emotional and behavioral needs.
LEARN Academy is part of LEARN Behavioral, a national organization that uses evidence-based therapies to nurture potential in children with autism and other special needs. Both LEARN Academy and LEARN Behavioral are Gryphon Investors companies.
About Gryphon Investors
Based in San Francisco, Gryphon Investors (www.gryphoninvestors.com) is a leading private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle-market companies in partnership with experienced management. The firm has managed over $5.0 billion of equity investments and capital since 1997. Gryphon targets making equity investments of $50 million to $300 million in portfolio companies with enterprise values ranging from approximately $100 million to $600 million. Gryphon prioritizes investment opportunities where it can form strong partnerships with owners and executives to build leading companies, utilizing Gryphon’s capital, specialized professional resources, and operational expertise.
About Chrysalis Academy
Chrysalis Academy is an Arizona Department of Education-approved private day school for children with autism and related disorders based in south Scottsdale, Arizona. Founded in 2002, Chrysalis Academy is contracted to provide educational services to more than 12 school districts in the state.
LEARN Behavioral Partners with Indiana-Based
Behavior Analysis Center for Autism
– The company will make significant investments in the clinical staff of the newly acquired company, while providing them with a patient-centric framework and other resources required to meet the unique needs of each child –
Baltimore, MD (February 18, 2021) – LEARN Behavioral, which specializes in the tailored treatment of children and young adults with autism based on contemporary, family-focused Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, announced the acquisition of the Behavior Analysis Center for Autism (BACA)—a highly respected provider of ABA services to the autism community throughout Indiana.
BACA was co-founded by Carl Sundberg, Ph.D., BCBA-D, who studied under the late Jack L. Michael, Ph.D., a former psychologist and professor at Western Michigan University who is widely regarded as a seminal figure in the development of ABA therapy. Within the framework of ABA, BACA specializes in verbal behavior—an approach pioneered by psychologist and behaviorist B.F. Skinner—to teach children with language and social deficits.
“We were approached by a variety of potential suitors, but only LEARN Behavioral shared our commitment and capability to provide the highest quality care to our patients, as well as the willingness to invest in the clinical staff who render that care,” said Sundberg, BACA’s Chief Clinician and President. “The people who matter so very much to us couldn’t be in better hands.”
BACA’s other co-founder is Devon Sundberg, M.S., BCBA. In addition to serving as the organization’s CEO, she founded Women in Behavior Analysis (WIBA), a national professional group dedicated to empowering, celebrating and mentoring women behavior analysts, while highlighting their contributions to the field.
“I’m among the thousands of women in our field who admire Devon for her leadership, as well as the resources and recognition she’s provided women who care deeply about their service to the autism community,” said Hanna C. Rue, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LEARN Behavioral’s Chief Clinical Officer. “We look forward to continuing our deep involvement and support of the WIBA mission for years to come” added Rue.
“BACA shares our commitment to clinical excellence and outstanding service to children and young adults with autism, as well as their families. We weigh a lot of factors when evaluating a potential acquisition, but none are more important than the strength of a provider’s mission, clinical staff and patient outcomes,” said Michael Maloney, CEO of LEARN Behavioral. “Carl, Devon and their colleagues excel in each of these areas, which is among the many reasons why BACA is an ideal fit for our network”
While BACA will continue to operate under its current brand, LEARN Behavioral will make significant investments in the clinical staff of the newly acquired organization, including providing ongoing training incorporating the latest research in the field of behavioral Analysis.
LEARN Behavioral will also provide BACA clinicians with access to aggregated data it has accumulated in treating more than one million patients over the course of two decades, as well as doctoral-level clinicians and Board Certified Behavior Analysts who possess in-depth knowledge of the protocols for specialized interventions ranging from dietary challenges to sleeping disorders.
“We’re excited to welcome the talented staff at BACA to our team, and to continue the pioneering work of Carl and Devon to provide exceptional ABA services to the Indiana community,” said Justin Funches, President of Autism Services at LEARN Behavioral. “We look forward to investing in the professional growth of the team and leveraging their deep clinical expertise across our organization.”
With the acquisition of BACA, which was completed on December 31, 2020, LEARN Behavioral’s growing, nationwide network of local providers now spans across 15 states and the District of Columbia.
About LEARN Behavioral
LEARN Behavioral specializes in the tailored treatment of children and young adults with autism based on contemporary, family-focused Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, as well as clinical insights and best practices refined through our decades of service to the autism community.
Led by Dr. Hanna C. Rue, PhD, BCBA-D, our team includes more than 30 doctoral-level clinicians, 450 Board Certified Behavior Analysts® and 3,700 highly-trained behavior technicians—a concentration of professionals that is unmatched by any other provider. LEARN Behavioral’s heritage of clinical leadership is rooted in the work of William Frea, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Ronit Molko, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Glen Sallows, Ph.D., BCBA-D, and Carl Sundberg, Ph. D., BCBA-D, each of whom is a pioneer in the treatment of children with autism.
LEARN Behavioral is a Gryphon Investors company.
About Gryphon Investors
Based in San Francisco, Gryphon Investors (www.gryphoninvestors.com) is a leading private equity firm focused on profitably growing and competitively enhancing middle-market companies in partnership with experienced management. The firm has managed over $5.0 billion of equity investments and capital since 1997. Gryphon targets making equity investments of $50 million to $300 million in portfolio companies with enterprise values ranging from approximately $100 million to $600 million. Gryphon prioritizes investment opportunities where it can form strong partnerships with owners and executives to build leading companies, utilizing Gryphon’s capital, specialized professional resources, and operational expertise.
About BACA Behavior Analysis Center for Autism (BACA) provides world-class therapy to individuals with autism and other related developmental disabilities, utilizing the scientifically proven principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Our four locations throughout Indiana are staffed with the highest trained and most experienced staff who work with individuals between the ages of 2 and 21.
