Imagine being a small child exhausted after hours of therapy, only to be woken up after a seven-minute nap because a clinic wants to maximize billable time.
That is what former employees say is happening at some private equity-backed autism clinics, where children as young as preschool age reportedly spend long days in therapy while financial incentives shape care decisions. In one North Carolina clinic, workers say naps were limited to seven minutes so clinics could avoid losing billable therapy time. This is deeply troubling.
Sign the petition to demand stronger government oversight and regulation of private equity-backed autism clinics to ensure children's care comes before profit.
Across the United States, autism therapy clinics have exploded into a multibillion-dollar industry fueled by Medicaid funding, rising diagnoses, and private equity investment.
Former workers say some clinics routinely prescribe excessive therapy hours, pressure families to remove children from school, and prioritize long billable days over what is best for each child. In some cases, employees described children spending eight or more hours in therapy while exhausted, repeating activities they had already mastered, or being treated in environments with troubling allegations of neglect and abuse.
Autism clinics caring for young children should face stronger oversight similar to childcare facilities. This includes routine inspections, public reporting of safety violations, stronger staffing standards, limits on excessive therapy recommendations, and independent reviews of billing practices and treatment plans.
Government agencies must also investigate whether financial incentives are driving inappropriate care decisions in clinics receiving large amounts of Medicaid funding.
No child should lose sleep, school, or dignity because of a business model.
Sign the petition now to urge federal and state officials to strengthen oversight of autism clinics, investigate profit-driven practices, and ensure autistic children receive ethical, evidence-based care that truly puts their well-being first.
