About Action Behavior Centers - ABA Therapy for Autism · Colorado Springs
Action Behavior Centers (ABC) is a nationwide provider of evidence-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The South Black Forest center in Colorado Springs serves families in the Pikes Peak region with center-based ABA therapy, autism evaluation support, and access to the broader ABC Academy school-readiness program. Staffed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), the South Black Forest clinic is part of one of the largest ABA organizations in the United States.
Action Behavior Centers was founded in April 2016 by Ryan and Holly Lambert in Austin, Texas, after a close family friend faced long wait times for an autism evaluation and ABA therapy. The first center opened in Austin and quickly filled; a second was added in Round Rock soon after. ABC then expanded across Texas (Houston, San Antonio, Dallas-Fort Worth) before growing into new states including Colorado (starting with Denver in 2019-2020), Arizona, Illinois, North Carolina, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Indiana, and Texas again. ABC publishes research through White Papers, established a Clinical Council to elevate therapy quality, and launched ABC Academy for school-age children as a continuation-of-care program. Today, ABC operates hundreds of centers nationwide with thousands of teammates, while holding to the original Lambert family mission of providing immediate-access, compassionate, evidence-based autism care without waitlists. The South Black Forest location in northeast Colorado Springs serves families from Colorado Springs, Black Forest, and surrounding Pikes Peak communities. It is one of multiple ABC centers in the Colorado Springs region, designed with spacious group therapy areas, reading corners, crafting areas, and indoor play spaces for sensory exploration. Children from 18 months to 13 years are supported depending on service: in-center ABA therapy (18 months-8 years), autism evaluations (18 months-6 years), and in-home ABA therapy (18 months-13 years). The center offers no-cost autism evaluations using tools including the ADOS-2, and every care plan includes twice-a-month Family Guidance sessions with a BCBA so parents can extend ABA strategies into daily routines at home. ABC accepts 120+ insurance plans, including Aetna, Anthem BCBS, Cigna, CHAMPVA, ComPsych, Carelon, Cofinity, Allied Benefit Systems, All Savers, Allegiance, Health First, and the Colorado Laborers Health and Welfare Fund.
- In business
- Founded April 2016; ABC opened its first Colorado locations in 2019-2020
- Owner
- Founded by Ryan Lambert and Holly Lambert. Current CEO: Hersh Sanghavi; Chief Clinical Officer: Charna Mintz, Ph.D., BCBA-D.
- Serves
- Colorado Springs, Black Forest, Falcon, Fountain, and surrounding Pikes Peak region communities. Colorado statewide, ABC also serves Denver, Aurora, Westminster, Parker, Broomfield, and Fort Collins. Nationwide ABC operates in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas.
- Rating
- 4.5 out of 5 (45 ratings on the ABC Colorado Springs page); 4.7 average across 1,009 reviews reported by ABA Navigator for Action Behavior Centers; 3.7 average across 29 Yelp reviews spanning 6 locations.
Our Story and Founding
Action Behavior Centers (ABC) was founded in April 2016 by Ryan and Holly Lambert after a close family friend faced long wait times for an autism evaluation and ABA therapy. Motivated to create meaningful change, the Lamberts opened the first ABC center in Austin, Texas. It filled quickly, and demand from families in Round Rock, Cedar Park, and Leander led to a second Austin-area center almost immediately. ABC then expanded across Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas-Fort Worth, launched ABC at Home for in-home therapy, and published its first White Paper to share clinical outcomes.
- Founded April 2016 in Austin, Texas
- Founded by Ryan Lambert and Holly Lambert
- First BCBA joined soon after launch
- First White Paper published to share outcomes
- ABC at Home (in-home therapy) launched
National Growth and Today
What began as one family's mission has grown into one of the largest ABA organizations in the country. ABC expanded into Colorado (Denver), Arizona (Phoenix), and Illinois (Chicago) in 2019-2020, then into Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, and Minneapolis in 2021-2022. ABC Academy launched its first Arizona location in Gilbert and additional Texas academies in Round Rock, Katy, and Austin. ABC opened its 200th ABA center and launched the Compassionate Care Team led by Dr. Gregory Hanley. ABC currently operates hundreds of centers across Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas.
- ABC opened its 200th ABA center
- First ABCaba conference held
- Compassionate Care Team launched under Dr. Gregory Hanley
- Operates hundreds of centers in nine states
South Black Forest ABA Therapy Center
The South Black Forest center in Colorado Springs provides high-quality autism therapy for children in the Pikes Peak region. It serves families from Colorado Springs, Black Forest, and surrounding communities with proven ABA strategies that build communication, social, and school-readiness skills. The center features spacious group therapy areas for collaborative learning, reading corners for focus and calm, creative crafting areas for hands-on learning, and indoor play spaces for sensory exploration. Children are supported without waitlists so they can start ABA therapy right away.
- Spacious group therapy areas
- Reading corners for focus and calm
- Creative crafting areas for hands-on learning
- Indoor play spaces for sensory exploration
- Immediate start, no waitlists
Ages Served at South Black Forest
The South Black Forest location supports children diagnosed with autism from 18 months to 13 years old, depending on the program. Center-based services focus on younger learners, while in-home therapy and ABC Academy extend support into the school-age years.
- Autism evaluations: 18 months - 6 years
- In-center ABA therapy: 18 months - 8 years
- In-home ABA therapy: 18 months - 13 years
- ABC Academy (school-readiness program): 5 - 12 years
ABA Therapy and How It Works
ABA therapy is a proven, evidence-based treatment that helps children diagnosed with autism develop communication, social, and daily living skills. At the South Black Forest center, BCBAs and RBTs use proven ABA strategies and positive reinforcement in a welcoming, nurturing environment. Every child is unique, so BCBAs - who are master's-level clinicians - work closely with families to set individualized goals that reflect each child's learning style and personality.
- Evidence-based ABA strategies
- Positive reinforcement
- Individualized, 1:1 care plans
- Goals tailored to learning style and personality
Why Early Intervention Matters
ABA therapy is most effective when it is started early. Early autism diagnosis in the Colorado Springs area allows children to begin ABA therapy when their brains are most responsive to learning, typically between 18 months and 5 years. ABC encourages families to test early rather than take a wait-and-see approach, noting that waiting can delay access to services that may significantly help a child.
- Early-start window typically 18 months to 5 years
- No-cost autism evaluations available
- ADOS-2 and other diagnostic tools administered
- Formal autism diagnosis required before starting therapy (also required for insurance coverage)
Family Guidance and Parent Involvement
Parental involvement is essential to a child's ongoing success. Every ABC care plan in Colorado Springs includes twice-a-month Family Guidance sessions led by a BCBA, giving parents practical strategies they can use during therapy and in daily routines at home. This parent-coaching component is intended to extend clinical gains beyond the center and into the family environment.
- Twice-a-month Family Guidance sessions
- Led by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
- Practical strategies for home and daily routines
- Parents play an active role in care planning
Coordinated, Multi-Disciplinary Care
ABC collaborates with each child's speech, occupational, feeding, and physical therapists to deliver coordinated sessions directly inside its centers. This allows children to access other services in a familiar environment while minimizing unnecessary transitions and travel between providers.
- Coordination with speech therapists
- Coordination with occupational therapists
- Coordination with feeding therapists
- Coordination with physical therapists
- Sessions delivered inside ABC centers
Clinical Team and Leadership
South Black Forest therapy is delivered by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), who set therapy goals and supervise sessions, and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), who implement the therapy. Across the organization, clinical quality is overseen by Chief Clinical Officer Charna Mintz, Ph.D., BCBA-D, who previously served as president of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) and of the Washington Association for Behavior Analysis (WABA). Strategic direction is set by CEO Hersh Sanghavi, a healthcare executive whose prior roles include a business unit presidency at DaVita Kidney Care and consulting work at Strategy& and GE Healthcare.
- CEO: Hersh Sanghavi (MBA, University of Chicago Booth; B.S. Industrial Engineering, Purdue University)
- Chief Clinical Officer: Dr. Charna Mintz, Ph.D., BCBA-D
- Compassionate Care Team led by Dr. Gregory Hanley
- ABC Clinical Council supports clinicians and outcomes-based care
Insurance Coverage and Financial Assistance
ABC accepts 120+ insurance plans and adds more regularly. Insurance coverage for ABA therapy can vary by state and by health plan, and ABC's insurance specialists help families verify benefits, understand prior authorization requirements, and explore financial-assistance options.
- Aetna
- Allegiance
- Allied Benefit Systems
- All Savers
- Anthem BCBS
- Carelon
- CHAMPVA
- Cigna
- Cofinity
- Colorado Laborers Health and Welfare Fund
- ComPsych
- Health First
- 120+ insurances accepted
Other Colorado Springs-Area ABC Locations
ABC operates multiple centers in the Colorado Springs region so families can find an ABA center near them and receive consistent care - unless there is an emergency, a child's therapy will not be interrupted by switching centers.
- South Black Forest - 6825 Silver Ponds Heights, Colorado Springs, CO 80908
- Falcon location (El Paso County)
- Additional Colorado Springs-area centers serving Fountain and surrounding communities