Children with autism, along with their families, will soon be able to access support in Baker through Rise Behavioral Services.
Rise, which operates a center in Zachary that provides applied behavior analysis therapy for autistic children, will open a second center on Plank Road in Baker this month.
The company provides school consultations to support teachers, administrators, students on the autism spectrum and neurodivergent students in class. Outside of school, it also offers one-on-one therapy, social skills groups, professional development workshops and vocational skills training. Rise assists children and teens ages 2-16.
“Services in rural areas are very limited,” says Donyelle Clark-Kennedy, founder and CEO of Rise Behavioral Services. “I was working with families who were accessing services in Baton Rouge and some of them were living close to the Mississippi state line. I wanted to give quality services to families without having to modify their workday so their children could attend therapy.”
With the new location, Clark-Kennedy’s goal is to serve around 50 families in Zachary and Baker. The new center is at 12841 Plank Road, Suite A.
Clark-Kennedy says she wants to continue expanding. By 2027, she hopes to open more centers in Louisiana where applied behavior analysis services are limited or nonexistent. She has her sights on north Baton Rouge, St. Francisville, Clinton and the Feliciana parishes.
