Author & Leadership Profile
Esha Bhasin
CEO & Founder, Autism Center of Excellence
Esha Bhasin is the CEO and founder of Autism Center of Excellence (AutismCOE), a multi-state provider of ABA therapy, early intervention, speech therapy, and autism diagnostic evaluations across North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland.
2026 TBJ Corporate Leadership Award
About Esha
A Medicaid & Public-Health Operator, Now Building the Autism Care Her Own Family Couldn’t Find
Esha founded AutismCOE after a member of her own family was diagnosed with autism, and she saw firsthand how difficult it was to find quality, timely care. That experience shaped AutismCOE’s core commitment: evidence-based care with no waitlist, and real support navigating insurance and Medicaid.
“That experience shaped AutismCOE’s core commitment: evidence-based care with no waitlist, and real support navigating insurance and Medicaid.”
Before founding AutismCOE, Esha spent nine years as a Senior Consultant at KPMG, where she led Medicaid implementation programs for state governments — coordinating subject-matter experts to ensure the smooth delivery of large, complex public-health programs. That hands-on understanding of how Medicaid and public-health systems are actually built is central to how AutismCOE removes barriers for the families it serves.
In 2026, Esha was named a recipient of the Triangle Business Journal Corporate Leadership Award.
At a Glance
CEO & Founder
Autism Center of Excellence — Jul 2021–present
2026 Triangle Business Journal
Corporate Leadership Award
Serves
North Carolina, Virginia & Maryland
Recognition & Verification
2026 Triangle Business Journal Corporate Leadership Award
In 2026, Esha was named a recipient of the Triangle Business Journal Corporate Leadership Award — recognition of her leadership in building AutismCOE into a multi-state autism-care platform. This is corporate leadership recognition, not clinical or outcomes validation.
Recently Published Blogs By Esha Bhasin
Read More From the AutismCOE Blog
Esha writes and is featured across AutismCOE’s blog on Medicaid navigation, autism care access, and building family-first healthcare systems.
What HB 696 Means for North Carolina Families Seeking ABA Therapy?
HB 696 does not create an automatic, across-the-board end to North Carolina Medicaid coverage of ABA therapy. Your child's specific services and hours still go through the same medical-necessity review and authorization as before — now on an updated...
What to Expect at Your Child’s First ABA Therapy Session?
Your child's first ABA therapy session is a low-pressure introduction focused on rapport building, observation, and getting to know your child, not heavy teaching or formal testing. The goal of day one isn't to jump straight into skill...
How to Start ABA Therapy in Columbia, MD, Step-by-Step Guide
Starting ABA therapy in Columbia, MD involves six steps: confirming an autism diagnosis, contacting a local provider, verifying insurance coverage, completing a BCBA assessment, receiving a treatment plan with prior authorization, and beginning your...