Helping Central Florida children rise

Our Story

Why I started Arise Autism Center

Being a parent of a child with autism can be a unique journey – one that only another autism parent can fully understand or relate to. This is the story of why I decided to start Arise Autism Center.

My son was diagnosed with autism when he was 20 months old. I was given a prescription for ABA, speech, and occupational therapies and was told to start the services as soon as possible. I was lost and did not know what the future would hold for my son. I immediately started calling companies from a list the doctor gave me. I could not find one that accepted our insurance, but did not want to lose time, so we made the difficult decision to start by paying out-of-pocket. Once the waitlist cleared after 6 months, we moved to another company that accepted our insurance.

We had many professionals coming in and out of our home for over 30 hours a week for 2 years. 730+ days of living in a goldfish bowl. Our family sacrificed privacy and spontaneity; my daughter's schedule was always dependent on my son's. We then moved to clinic-based therapy where my son attended for 30 hours a week, foregoing VPK in favor of more effective evidence-based ABA therapy. These sacrifices paid off in dividends in 2021 when he graduated from ABA and transitioned to kindergarten alongside his neurotypical sister in a typical school program without additional support. He still receives ABA and speech for about 10 hours a week at home to maintain his progress and continue his development. ABA did wonders in my son's life and forever changed our family.

It was heartbreaking to see that so many children had to wait in line for months just to receive the ABA therapy they needed. As a business owner in the travel industry for over 20 years before, I felt empowered to create an organization that would be better than the options I had for my son. Solving this struggle became my life's mission, and it was from here that Arise Autism Center was born. I have now devoted my life's work to helping families access high quality ABA services as quickly as possible.

Our mission is simple: no family should have to wait or wonder alone. We serve young children, ages 5 and under, and their families across Lake Mary, Sanford and Clermont – parents who have just heard the word “autism” for the first time, families still sitting on a waitlist somewhere else, and caregivers who want a team that truly listens. We meet every family with warmth and respect, work alongside parents at every step, and celebrate every small win as the big deal it is. Early intervention can change the course of a child’s life, and we want every family to feel supported, hopeful and at home with us from the very first call.

I have set out to create an organization that not only provides the best services but is also the best place to work. As a team, we can make meaningful change that lasts a lifetime. And have fun while we do it. We are about to embark on a unique journey together, and I am so honored to be a part of yours.

Thank you for choosing Arise Autism Center.

Sebnem Aras | Founder & CEO