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.
How to Choose Between Center-Based and In-Home ABA Therapy in Columbia, MD?
If your child was recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, one big decision is where therapy happens — at home or in a clinic setting? Short answer: In-home ABA therapy works best for daily living skills and family routines in a familiar...
5 Sensory-Friendly Thanksgiving Ideas for Kids with Autism
Thanksgiving can be a warm family holiday – or a very loud, confusing day. For many kids on the spectrum, it often means bright lights, new foods, strong smells, and a house full of people. That’s a lot of sensory input in just a few hours. The good...
Autism vs. Social Anxiety: Similarities & Differences
Social situations can feel like a complex maze, especially for those navigating the world with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Social Anxiety Disorder. While both conditions can make social interactions incredibly challenging, they stem from...