StarRise ABA Therapy

A new kind of ABA.

Because therapy should feel like childhood.

ABA at home and in the places kids love, across Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, and surrounding areas.

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Who we serve

For families

Real therapy goals, practiced at the farm, the studio, and at home. Plus parent workshops so you are never doing this alone.

For physicians

You refer. We follow through. Clinical updates for your chart at every reassessment.

For BCBAs and RBTs

Meaningful work through activities you love, with caseloads built for quality. StarRise is where what you love meets ABA.

What Good ABA Actually Looks Like

Your Child Deserves Care That Actually Delivers

Navigating an autism diagnosis for your child is hard enough. Many families don't know where to turn, and precious time gets wasted. ABA is most effective when children are able to start early. That's why we designed our clinical philosophy around these core values:

A consistent care team: Your child shouldn't have to keep starting over with someone new.
Clear, regular communication: You shouldn't be left wondering what happens in a session, or how your child is progressing.
Goals that matter to your family: We don't want to change your child; we want them to be the best versions of themselves.
Therapy where your child thrives: Progress sticks when it happens in real life, at home, at the park, in the places your child actually lives. We meet them where their spark shows up, not just across a table.
Progress that carries beyond the session: We train you in ABA methods so that what your child learns shows up at home, at school, everywhere.
Help navigating the process: Insurance, scheduling, and getting started shouldn't feel like a fight you have to face alone.
A real partnership: You should be treated like a partner in your child's care, with as much involvement as you want.

✦ You may be new to ABA. You may have already lived through what happens when this industry loses sight of the kids it's supposed to serve. Either way, you deserve a team that puts your child and family first.

Why StarRise

  • Community-based sessions.

    Work with kids in the real places where skills actually get used.

  • Partner programs.

    Run sessions at local businesses that are excited to welcome every kid.

  • Caseloads built for quality.

    Manageable caseloads, so you can know every family and do the work well.

  • Real clinical support.

    BCBA-led teams, ongoing training, and a Clinical Director who is in it with you.

See our Autism Resources in the Triangle.

We Build Community Around Care

What Makes StarRise Different

Most providers in this space are optimizing for billable hours and investor returns. We're not.

You've probably noticed that a lot of ABA and healthcare websites read like they were written from the same AI prompt: vague mission statements, stock photography, and language that could describe any company. Often, they were. AI-generated content is common in this industry now, and it shows. Every word on this page was written by our own team, and when you call for a consultation, a real person answers.

We build consistent care teams that are committed to this work. They communicate clearly, collaborate with your family, and focus on progress that shows up in the moments that matter most. Our goal is for your child with autism to shine as bright as the stars.

In our innovative system, you choose your level of involvement, from just staying looped in, to weekly parent workshops or extensive training sessions alongside other families. At StarRise, we're also building real relationships with outside providers and gathering community resources in every state we operate in, so you're never alone.

Sessions happen at home and with local partners like farms, art and dance studios, and so much more, so skills grow where kids actually use them.

We also know you're not only a caregiver. You're a person and a partner, carrying things no one prepared you for. Our workshops go beyond technique into the real stuff: burnout, guilt, self-care, and holding onto your own sources of meaning. When parents are supported, kids thrive.

Connected community, illustrated
Fayna Pearlman, CEO of StarRise ABA

Built by People Who Believe in This Work

Fayna Pearlman, our CEO, was drawn to StarRise because healthcare can too easily become transactional, and she believes clinical excellence and humanity should strengthen each other, not compete. Meet the team behind StarRise, including our Clinical Director, Elliott Miller.

Meet the Team

Our Mission

Too many families wait months for care, then watch it fall apart. Therapists rotate out, updates stop coming, and progress stays stuck in one room. StarRise was built to fix that. We bring BCBA-led ABA into homes and into the places kids already love, and we stay connected with every family and every referring provider along the way.

ABA works. Decades of research back that up. But research doesn't help anyone without real support behind it, and your involvement in it. Our goal is simple: give every family the tools to help their child reach real independence, and push this industry to work better for the kids it's supposed to serve.

We Measure What Actually Matters

What Progress With ABA Can Look Like

Every child's path is different, and no one can promise a specific outcome. But here's what real progress has looked like for families we've worked with. Our graduates have learned to:

  • Communicate their needs
  • Use the bathroom independently
  • Ask for a break during anxious or overwhelming moments
  • Form deeper bonds with family members
  • Enjoy socializing with peers, and develop friendships
  • Decrease challenging behaviors, including self-harm
  • Develop spoken language, in some cases
  • Enjoy time outdoors and in public spaces with more comfort

These are the moments that matter most to families, and they are what we aim to build with every child.

Start Your Child's Assessment

The Problem

Families tell us the same thing: their world got smaller.

Fear of behaviors keeps everyone home. Progress feels slow. And everyone is tired, including the child, and the parents holding it all together.

It doesn't have to be this way. When therapy meets a child where their life actually happens, and starts from what lights them up, the goal changes: not just fewer behaviors, but a life that gets bigger instead of smaller.

That's what Our Process is built to do.

Our Process

01

Intake

We start by understanding your child's strengths, needs, and goals.

02

Custom, BCBA-Led Therapy Plan

A personalized plan grounded in evidence-based methods, focused on communication, social, and life skills.

03

Ongoing Support and Therapy

Our therapists work one-on-one with your child, tracking milestones and adjusting the plan as your child grows.

04

Family Collaboration

We work with you, not just for your child, training you and learning from your feedback so progress continues at home every day.

05

Tracking What Actually Matters

We measure real independence and family confidence, not just hours logged or boxes checked.

Where We Serve Families

Insurance, coverage, and local partnerships vary by state, find the details for your area.

North Carolina

In-home and community-based ABA, insurance coverage, and our local provider coalition.

Start Your Child's Assessment

Tell us a bit about your family and we'll be in touch.

Frequently Asked Questions For Parents

Real answers about ABA, autism, and what to expect from StarRise.

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We Raise the Bar

Your Child Isn't a Number Here.

Guided by empathy. Grounded by science. Industry standard is our floor, not our ceiling.

A constellation of care, built by people who want you to Rise.

Start Your Child's Assessment

Uniting families, communities, and ABA therapy to help every child grow toward meaningful independence.