Atlanta Autism Center (AAC) has achieved an incredible milestone, becoming the first ABA practice in Georgia to obtain ACQ accreditation! This accomplishment reflects AAC’s ongoing commitment to the highest standards of care—But earning accreditation is no easy feat. It is a time and labor-intensive process. With the support of CentralReach’s Advanced Business Intelligence (ABI) automated reporting, the team at AAC was able to streamline the process, markedly reducing the time commitment needed for the accreditation process.
“We are officially ACQ-accredited–The 1st in Georgia!”
– Ariana Boutain, Chief Clinical Officer.
Rooted in Compassion, Driven by Data
Atlanta Autism Center is a multidisciplinary care provider serving clients in the Greater Atlanta area. They offer comprehensive, family-centered diagnostic and therapeutic services, including ABA, occupational, and speech therapy. Guided by their core values, “advocate, educate, love, and accept," AAC is committed to delivering compassionate, individualized care to those in need, firmly believing in never turning down a child in need.
ACQ Accreditation: A Commitment to Quality Care
The Autism Commission on Quality (ACQ) was created in 2022 by The Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) to develop and promote organizational standards to improve ABA therapy outcomes for individuals with autism and their families.
To earn accreditation, providers must demonstrate they meet the standards set by the ACQ across nine areas, including business operations, human resources, clinical operations, and ethics.
By earning ACQ accreditation, Atlanta Autism Center has demonstrated dedication to achieving and maintaining high-quality, safe, and ethical care. For families, this instills confidence and offers peace of mind. As Georgia’s first ACQ-accredited provider, AAC sets the bar for ABA services across the state.
The Process of ACQ Accreditation
Obtaining accreditation is not a quick or easy process. ACQ only accredits organizations that meet the highest standards of care. Because of this, it is a rigorous and time-intensive process. As Ariana Boutain, Chief Clinical Officer of AAC, shared, "One of the unique strengths of the ACQ accreditation is the depth of its evaluation process—it emphasizes thorough documentation and comprehensive data collection to support continuous improvement."
Earning accreditation requires a comprehensive review of documentation and data to support the organization’s adherence to ACQ’s standards. Ariana emphasized the need for quick and efficient access to data, expressing, “Because of [the rigorous ACQ accreditation process], it was really crucial that I was able to pull that data in an effective and efficient manner through CentralReach.”
How AAC Prepared for Accreditation with ABI
To get accredited, Atlanta Autism Center needed to compile and share a substantial volume of data with ACQ. They simplified this process using CentralReach’s Advanced Business Intelligence (ABI) dashboards. Instead of manually gathering data, they were able to efficiently pull existing data in a format that aligned with ACQ requirements.
The team at AAC used several ABI dashboards in the accreditation process, including:
In addition to these standard dashboards, Atlanta Autism Center leveraged custom dashboards built using ABI's designer licenses. The dashboards offered AAC the flexibility to create custom visualizations that addressed key reporting needs, such as tracking total and percentage of hours by service code.
Together, these dashboards equipped AAC with the critical data needed to efficiently compile and upload reports to the ACQ accreditation portal.
Leveraging ABI to Drive Operational Excellence
Beyond accreditation, AAC uses ABI dashboards on a daily basis to support clinical, operational, and administrative decision-making. From BT Supervision and Demographics to Cancellation Analysis, these tools provide critical insights that guide action across the organization.
One key dashboard in regular use is Cancellation Analysis, which helps AAC monitor cancellations by location, client, and staff. This visibility allows the team to take proactive steps, such as adjusting schedules or discussing families' ability to commit to a comprehensive therapy program.
Another frequently used dashboard is Unit-Based Authorization Utilization, which helps ensure authorizations are used effectively and supports troubleshooting when challenges arise.
AAC has made ABI a core part of its operations, leveraging real-time data to drive informed decisions across teams.
Ariana also shared this advice for other providers using ABI:
“The quality of the data depends on how accurately it's entered into the system. Be sure to regularly review and maintain your reports—not only for analysis, but also to verify data accuracy and integrity."
Data, Dedication, and the Highest Standards of Care
Atlanta Autism Center’s achievement as Georgia’s first ACQ-accredited provider highlights their unwavering commitment to delivering quality, ethical care to individuals with autism. By compiling data from ABI, they were able to demonstrate they met ACQ standards in a fraction of the time, allowing them to continue their focus on compassionate, individualized care.
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