The digital autism therapy startup known for its controversial parent-led behavior technician model will end all applied behavior analysis (ABA) services by Jan. 15, 2027.
The company underwent several pivots since its founding in 2021. Originally, the San Francisco-based company leaned into virtual ABA therapy overseen by BCBAs and provided by parents who would become certified RBTs to deliver that therapy. That model was considered a violation of the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) ethics code. The company eventually left that model behind.
In August 2024, BHB reported that the company stopped paying parents. That news came a few months after it secured a $55 million funding round. That came on top of about $4 million that the company disclosed in public filings from earlier funding efforts.
The company is still trying to determine its ultimate destination, according to a memo obtained by BHB.
“This decision follows ongoing challenges with payer and legislative acceptance of services, which have made our current services increasingly difficult to sustain,” the memo states. “We also explored transitioning to a fully in-person model but determined that it was not operationally or financially feasible.”
The company did not lay off staff immediately. As it transitions clients to other providers and caseloads dwindle, it will whittle its headcount until Jan. 15 — at which point all BCBA and RBTs will be let go.
Today, Forta Health’s website lists that it offers virtual parent-led ABA services in 47 states and in Washington, D.C. It also added an in-home ABA service line at some point without a public announcement. That service is listed as available in select metros in Texas and Ohio.
The company has not responded to requests for comment. A person who answered the phone at Forta Health’s main number also told BHB that the company’s last day was January 15. Families are being notified.
“You have helped children develop meaningful skills, supported caregivers, and made therapy accessible to families who might otherwise have gone without services,” the memo states.
Sources tell Behavioral Health Business that staffers met with leadership on Monday at 11 a.m., where they were told that there would be rolling layoffs until the final date of the company’s operations.
The move to shutter the company comes a little over a year after it announced a near-nationwide footprint for its virtual offering.
On top of the clinical services, Forta Health adopted AI and research as key elements of its work. This included using machine learning to help develop treatment plan intensity. Its data were also used in studies of virtual parent-led ABA models.
Forta Health attacked a fundamental flaw in the autism therapy industry. It sought to overcome the industry’s challenges in finding and retaining RBTs by having parents act as live-in practitioners. Such an option provides a compelling answer to the unpaid labor and time demands placed on parents through the traditional two-tiered clinician model. However, the practice ultimately violates the ethical code of the industry’s most meaningful licensing body.
Parent-led virtual ABA models are becoming more common. Luna Family Autism and AnswersNow offer virtual-only care models. The latter company announced at the beginning of the year it secured $40 million in funding. Several large, more traditional autism therapy organizations also offer virtual ABA to supplement their in-person offerings.
“We know there are still questions, and some answers may not be available immediately,” the memo states. “We are committed to communicating openly and sharing updates as decisions are made.”
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