Positive Development, the nation’s largest provider of developmental therapy for autistic children and their families, announces two new additions to its Board of Directors: Dr. Alisa Bahl and Jon Pardew, effective May 1, 2026. Their appointments reflect where the company is headed. As the category leader in evidenced-based developmental therapy, Positive Development is positioned to meet the autism care market’s current inflection point as diagnoses rise and Medicaid and commercial payers face growing cost pressures. Dr. Bahl and Pardew will be instrumental in helping scale therapy options, broaden access to care and offer families who need support a meaningful alternative to behavioral therapy.
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Meet Dr. Alisa Bahl and Jon Pardew, the newest members of the Positive Development Board of Directors.
“The next generation of autism care is here and we’re scaling developmental therapy across the country as part of our mission to bring accessible and affordable services to all families – especially those looking for a neurodiversity-affirming alternative to Applied Behavioral Analysis,” said Mike Suiters, Co-founder and CEO of Positive Development. “Our Board plays an integral role in ensuring we live up to this mission so it’s important we add directors who are committed to clinical integrity, family outcomes and scaling solutions thoughtfully. Alisa brings a rare combination – she’s both a clinician and a seasoned health insurance executive – and Jon brings the operational depth to match where we’re headed. Together, they make us better equipped to serve more autistic kids and families.”
Meet the New Board Members
Dr. Alisa Bahl is President of The Bahl Group, where she advises healthcare companies, investors and growth-stage ventures across behavioral health, digital health and healthcare services. A clinical psychologist with more than 30 years of experience in healthcare delivery and innovation, Dr. Bahl brings deep expertise in behavioral health operations, payer strategy, digital transformation and care delivery models.
Dr. Bahl currently serves on the boards of Ensora Health and Forge Health, and advises leading healthcare organizations including Bicycle Health, Ladder Health, Flowly Health and the national nonprofit, Shatterproof.
Previously, Dr. Bahl served as Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at Magellan Health, where she led enterprise strategy, product innovation and digital transformation initiatives. Prior to Magellan, she served as Senior Vice President of Clinical Solutions at Optum Health, overseeing national employer and consultant relationships and serving as executive sponsor for Fortune 100 partnerships. Earlier in her career, she led clinical operations and network development for Biodyne, a national behavioral managed care organization, after beginning her career as a practicing clinician and private practice owner.
“As a clinician, I’ve seen firsthand how long families can wait to access developmental and behavioral healthcare services — and how disproportionately those delays affect the most vulnerable children,” said Dr. Bahl. “What Positive Development is building represents an important evolution in autism care: expanding access to diagnosis and delivering a comprehensive developmental therapy model designed around the needs of children and families. I’m excited to support the company’s mission to improve access, outcomes, and the overall experience of care for children on the autism spectrum and their families.”
Jon Pardew serves as a strategic advisor to a variety of healthcare companies, including sitting on the boards of Healix, Inc. and Oula Health. With significant leadership, operational and capital markets experience managing growing organizations, Pardew is adept at crafting a strategic vision, maximizing talent and rallying teams around a shared mission. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer for CCRM Fertility, one of the leading fertility clinic networks in the U.S. where he oversaw dramatic growth during his tenure.
Prior to his time at CCRM Fertility, Pardew served as a managing director at St. Charles Capital, a Denver-based boutique investment banking firm leading their healthcare vertical focused on middle market mergers and acquisitions, private debt and equity financings.
“From the moment I was introduced to Positive Development, I was impressed by the leadership team and their commitment to expanding access to developmental therapy while holding the bar high on quality outcomes. As someone who has spent significant time scaling healthcare organizations, I know how hard that is to maintain as you grow. It’s exactly the kind of work I want to be part of, and I’m excited to help the company bring these services to more families across the country,” said Pardew.
To learn more about Positive Development and our developmental relationship-based therapy that supports the whole family, please visit www.positivedevelopment.com or follow us on:
About Positive Development
Since 2020, Positive Development has been on a mission to deliver developmental therapy to as many autistic children and families as possible. Positive Development’s team represents dedicated parents, devoted family members, impassioned self-advocates and pioneering clinicians. Together, they have observed the transformative power of high-quality Developmental Relationship-Based Interventions (DRBI), a group of developmental approaches we pull from to deliver our evidence-based model of care that supports the whole family. As the largest provider of developmental therapy in the country, Positive Development is committed to broadening access to this life-changing approach while establishing best practices in clinical support. The company’s dedication to outcomes measurement and evaluation benefits all families served.
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