Already Autism Health has acquired Commonwealth ABA and secured the backing of three investment firms.
The Charlotte, North Carolina-based autism therapy company is primed for and has already executed a growth strategy that includes M&A. The news comes amid a flurry of dealmaking activity in behavioral health, especially autism therapy, in early 2025.
Already Autism Health announced Jan. 23 that it has received investment from the private equity firms Triton Pacific Healthcare Partners, Star Mountain Capital and Ace & Company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The next day, Commonwealth ABA announced the merger deal.
“Our mission is to nurture the ‘already’ remarkable abilities of children with autism,” Derek Bullard, CEO and co-founder of Already Autism Health, said in a news release. “Partnering with Triton Pacific allows us to amplify our mission while expanding our footprint. Their expertise and strategic vision align perfectly with our goal of providing high-quality, evidence-based autism services.”
Brett Blevins, the CEO and founder of Commonwealth ABA, announced that Already Autism Health “partnered to form a best-in-class autism care company” the day after Already announced its investment. Bullard is CEO and Blevins is chief development officer of the combined organization.
Bullard founded Already Autism Health in 2019. Blevins founded Commonwealth ABA in 2023. Both come from backgrounds that include behavioral health. Bullard previously founded and exited Access Family Services. In 2019, Blevins sold his majority stake in Bluegrass Behavioral Health Group.
“By joining forces with Already Autism Health, we deepen our expertise and expand our reach while maintaining our mission of delivering exceptional autism care,” Blevins said.
The companies have some overlap in terms of service markets; both mostly operate in the Southern U.S.
Already Autism Health offers in-home and clinic-based applied behavior analysis (ABA), diagnostics and family support services. It operates nine clinics in Georgia and North Carolina. It also offers in-home care in those states, and in South Carolina and Virginia. It offers in-home services in 18 cities, according to its website.
Commonwealth ABA offers center-based, in-home and in-school ABA services. It also offers diagnostics, telehealth and support services. Some in-home services include “waiver program” support for patients with disabilities. The company operates 15 clinics in Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky and Virginia, according to its website.
“]The dea] is going to take our access-to-care mission, long-term sustainability, and continued opportunities and growth for staff to greater heights,” Blevins said.
Welham Advisory advised Already Autism Health while Agenda Health advised Commonwealth ABA.
Triton Pacific Healthcare Partners led the round. The firm is the majority shareholder in the company. Ace and Company and Star Mountain invested via debt and equity. Bullard remains a significant stakeholder in Already Autism Health as well.
Neither Blevins’ nor Bullard’s companies had been backed by investors before these respective deals.
“The autism services space is undergoing a rapid evolution but remains one of the most underserved sectors in all of healthcare,” Joe Davis, managing partner at Triton Pacific Healthcare Partners, said in the release. “A leading platform like Already Autism Health stands to not only benefit from sector tailwinds but also play a key role in propelling the sector forward.”
The investment will go to expanding Already Autism Health’s footprint. It plans to add new centers in new regions and add testing and diagnostics in existing markets where they are not presently offered, Bullard told ABN.
Welham Advisory also advised Already Autism Health on the investment. The law firm Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel represented Already. The law firm DLA Piper represented Triton Pacific Healthcare Partners.
Already Autism Health isn’t alone in getting investment deals done in 2025.
New York City-based health care private equity firm Ascend Capital Partners acquired Unison Therapy Services, a Walnut Creek, California-based multi-specialty youth and family behavioral health provider. Conway, Arkansas-based Pediatrics Plus secured funding from the firms Leavitt Equity Partners and Fulcrum Equity Partners and the private, nonprofit online college Western Governors University.
In the venture capital world, Prosper Health, a virtual mental health platform focused on caring for neurodivergent populations, landed a $16.2 million funding round.
Chris Larson is a reporter for Behavioral Health Business. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University and has been covering the health care sector since December 2016. He is based in the Louisville metro area. When not at work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, cooking/baking and reading sci-fi and fantasy novels.
Behavioral Health Business (BHB) is the leading source for news and information covering the mental health and addiction industry. BHB is part of the Aging Media Network.
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