A Keene desire to make a difference

As the prevalence of autism continues to rise dramatically throughout the country and the world, the shortage of trained professionals prepared to treat children with the disorder has reached near-crisis levels.

This pressing need for more providers prompted Vermont couple Chris and Cortney Keene, who have made helping children in need their life’s work, to open their own behavioral health center for children with autism and other neurodiverse profiles. The center, Keene Perspectives, opened in White River Junction in 2017.

“We believed if we had our own center, we could support children and families at an earlier age while building the culture and workplace we imagined — a place where children could thrive and staff could take pride in their work every day,” said Cortney Keene, who also serves as the center’s clinical director. 

Six years into their new venture, the Keenes were named the 2023 Vermont Small Business Persons of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. In announcing the award, the SBA cited the center’s employment growth, recent expansion and community-oriented mission.

Prior to starting Kenne Perspectives, Cortney Keene taught special education and consulted with Vermont schools for 13 years, while her husband earned a doctorate in behavioral neuroscience from Dartmouth College and conducted learning and memory research.

As the couple prepared to open Keene Perspectives, they called on Ross Hart at the Vermont Small Business Development Center for assistance.

“We said to Ross, ’You may think this is a crazy idea,’ because it’s not a traditional business model. This is a relatively new service in our state,” Cortney recalled. “But he was really supportive and helped us with projections to get our business off the ground.”

In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the number of children diagnosed with autism increased markedly between 2000 to 2016. Currently, one in 36 children in the United States are thought to be affected by the disorder.

“In business terms,” said Chris Keene, the center’s executive director, “we knew there was going to be a demand for these services. In fact, the model we used for Keene Perspectives has actually been growing across the country. Others are doing what we have done.”

Keene Perspectives primarily treats children ages 2 to 5 through a type of therapy called applied behavior analysis. ABA is the process of systematically applying a set of principles to evidence-based interventions to increase skills that are meaningful and socially relevant to the individual and decrease behaviors that are barriers to learning. The Keenes are both nationally board-certified and Vermont state-licensed behavior analysts.

“Early intervention is so important,” Chris explained. “The earlier we can reach children in need, the greater impact we can have. We help children learn how to learn, and we work with their families to give them the tools to support their children’s growth and independence.”

Since 2019, Keene Perspectives revenue has exceeded $1 million annually; they currently have 21 employees. Last winter, the center expanded its clinical services to a building across from the main center, into a space with adaptable classrooms and a playground to best support communication and play opportunities for their learners.

In May, the Keenes traveled to the nation's capital for an official ceremony in the White House Rose Garden hosted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

“It was a thrill to be recognized by the president, vice president and SBA Administrator Guzman,” the Keenes said in a statement. "We returned feeling energized and empowered to continue to do the work we love. We’re so proud of the recognition this brings to our amazing team full of passionate and dedicated professionals and to the larger field of behavior analysis.”