Catalight

09/09/2026

Most autism treatment in this country comes from for-profit companies. A Brown University study found private equity firms acquired more than 500 autism therapy centers over the past decade.
So what does nonprofit leadership look like in environment dominated by private equity?
Catalight Chief Clinical Officer Doreen Samelson, Ed.D., lays out four strategies in Forbes: leveraging your nonprofit status, avoiding regulatory pitfalls, meeting the needs of the autism population, and understanding that a one-size ABA model doesn't fit everyone.
Read the full piece at the link in our comments.

09/08/2026

Now’s your opportunity to apply to become a speaker at our annual virtual conference, Elevate, presented by catalightacademy!

Whether you’re conducting research, delivering services, supporting families, advocating for systems change or elevating lived experience, we’re looking for presenters who seek to advance meaningful care across the autism/IDD support field.

Deadline is Sept. 25. For more information or to submit, click the link in our bio!

Answer the call!

09/03/2026

Better behavioral health care starts with measuring what actually matters.

Catalight's Chief Clinical Officer Doreen Samelson, Ed. D., will take that conversation to in Southern California next week where she'll speak to how we define outcomes and how wellbeing measures should shape the care people receive.

Our work in value-based care and lower-hour parent-mediated interventions reinforces the principle that delivering more care isn’t the same as delivering better care.

09/02/2026

Everything costs something. The commute. The meeting that could’ve been an email. The 20 minutes of small talk before it starts. Most people never do the math. Psychologist Maja Toudal did, and turned it into Energy Accounting, a framework now used by clinicians and autistic people around the world.

On the new episode, she explains how it works and why burnout was the thing that made her build it.

🎧 Listen on “What’s Up With Catalight!” on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

WhatsUpWithCatalight

08/31/2026

The best idea in autism and other I/DD care right now might be sitting in someone's caseload notes. In a caregiver's head. In a study that hasn't found its audience yet. Elevate 2027 exists to get those ideas in the same room. It's our global virtual conference on what's next in autism and developmental disability care (clinicians, researchers, caregivers and advocates from around the world) all pointed at the same outcome. This year's theme: Advancing Practice With Purpose. Evidence-based, empathy-guided and built for the real world.
You can attend. You can also present.
📅 Call for Papers open through Sept. 25.
🔗 catalight.org/elevate

08/28/2026

What does it take to build a life that’s good for you?

For autistic psychologist Maja Toudal, part of the answer came from learning to treat her energy like a bank account – understanding what depleted it, what replenished it and, ultimately, what she needed to do to create her own standard of living well.

That idea became 'Energy Accounting.'

On the new What’s Up With Catalight! podcast, Maja joins Lindsey Sneed, Ph.D., BCBA-D to talk about how her depression, anxiety, depression and trauma first became a book and then the much bigger idea that supporting autistic people shouldn’t be about helping them better endure a life that doesn’t work for them but rather helping them create one that does.

Episode 19, 'A Life That’s Good for Me,' is out now. Subscribe on Apple or Spotify or listen now by following a link in the comments below.

08/21/2026

A 'good life' can be built when you stop measuring yourself by someone else’s standards.

Psychologist, author and autistic advocate Maja Toudal joins host Lindsey Sneed, Ph.D., for the next What’s Up With Catalight! to talk about Energy Accounting, self-acceptance and letting go of expectations about what happiness and success are supposed to look like.

"A Life That's Good for Me" drops next week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Podbean.

08/17/2026

With autism prevalence skyrocketing, families are navigating more challenges than ever: limited access to care, practitioner shortages and long waitlists. Our team continues to grow and address industry obstacles head on with compassion, expertise and innovation to ensure no one is left behind.

We push ourselves to go further as a nonprofit. We grow in order to help more families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities.

At 17,000 strong, we honor the employees, volunteer boards of directors and network practitioners who power the nonprofit mission at Catalight, Easterseals Hawaii andEasterseals Northern California. Your everyday impact is profound and deeply needed now more than ever.

For , we celebrate each of you for your unwavering dedication to transforming care and changing lives. Because of you, more families are receiving the services they need, when they need it. More children are supported. More communities are moving closer to true inclusion. And more futures are brighter.

Thank you for making a difference.

08/06/2026

Behavioral Health Business named Brianna Fitchett, Catalight’s vice president of clinical impact, as one of their 2026 Future Leaders in the behavioral health category for increasing access to person-centered autism care through her work launching the virtual learning platform Catalight Academy .

Along with classes designed for parents, Catalight Academy is helping expand access to high-quality autism education by giving clinicians, educators and other professionals flexible, evidence-based training they can access wherever they are. By making trusted learning more accessible, Academy is helping more providers build the skills they need to better support autistic individuals and their families.

Congrats, Brianna!

Check out a Q and A with Brianna about her career:

Brianna Fitchett, Vice President of Clinical Impact at Catalight, has been named to the Future Leaders Class of 2026 by Behavioral Health Business. To

08/04/2026

Catalight experts head to Washington, D.C., later this week for the American Psychological Association annual convention where they’ll lead conversations that are shaping the future of psychology and autism care for the thousands of expected attendees.

Catalight presentations will span research, clinical care and the evolving role of psychologists:

🔸 “Rethinking Intervention Intensity in Young Autistic Children”

Catalight Vice President of Clinical Excellence Lindsey Sneed, Ph.D., joins collaborators Micheal Sandbank, Ph.D., and Cynthia Anderson, Ph.D., to examine findings that challenge traditional dosage recommendations around intervention intensity and what it means for delivering more personalized, effective care.

🔸 “Behavioral Trajectories in Children with Profound Autism”

Doreen Samelson Ed.D., Catalight’s chief clinical officer, shares research exploring developmental and behavioral trajectories in children with profound autism, helping expand understanding of a population that has historically been underrepresented in research.

🔸 “Beyond the Couch and Classroom: Unexpected Careers for Psychologists”

Dr. Samelson, Dr. Sneed and Director of Research Ryan Martin, Ph.D., discuss how psychologists are driving innovation beyond traditional settings, from healthcare transformation to systems change and interdisciplinary leadership.


Contributions extend beyond the podium, as well, with Senior Research and Data Analyst Ben Pfingston presenting a research poster on “Autistic Adults' Lived Experiences of the DSM-5 Criteria” – adding another important voice to this year's scientific program.

As always, Catalight is committed to building a future where autism care is more personalized and evidence-informed.