The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria

The Inaugural Frontera Series on AI with Amol Deshpande

Feb 28, 2025

In this engaging discussion, Amol Deshpande, founder and CEO of Frontera, shares his insights as an engineer, entrepreneur, and autism dad. He highlights how AI can transform ABA therapy by enhancing treatment plans and improving efficiency in clinics. Amol discusses the challenges parents face in securing autism diagnoses and emphasizes the importance of early intervention. He also addresses ethics in AI use, advocating for human oversight. With a focus on collaboration and transparency, Amol illustrates how technology can foster better parental engagement and access to care for children with autism.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

Exploring AI's Role in Enhancing ABA Therapy

02:31 • 2min

Navigating Autism Diagnosis and Support

05:00 • 28min

AI in Clinical Practice: Enhancing Efficiency and Ethics

33:15 • 14min

Building Effective AI-Driven Care Teams

47:40 • 8min

Navigating Funding for Enhanced Access to Care

55:40 • 2min

Enhancing Parental Engagement in Therapy Through Technology

58:09 • 4min

Advancing AI in Clinical Applications

01:02:01 • 9min

I'm thrilled to announce a new special series for Behavioral Observations! I've partnered with Frontera to bring you a series of podcasts on using AI to support and enhance ABA therapy.

To be candid, I've been a bit behind the curve on learning about AI. Sure, I've played around with ChatGPT, but unless you've been living under a rock, you've likely seen many AI solutions that have been brought to bear to Behavior Analytic services.

And while I've been wanting to produce content in this area for a while, I've struggled to find an outlet to do so. Until now.

In this inaugural series, I interview Amol Deshpande. Amol is an engineer, an entrepreneur, and an autism dad. He also is the founder and CEO of Frontera.

What does Frontera do? They develop AI technologies that help BCBAs work efficiently, creating more access for their patients. In doing so, Frontera helps clinics see more patients through improved operations and better productivity, all while reducing turnover and burnout.

As you'll hear in this interview, Frontera's technologies accelerate the time to treatment for children and families. And they believe AI, applied correctly at the right time, can create more precise and personal treatment plans that improve children's outcomes.

Along the way, you'll learn about Amol's personal commitment to the field, as well as the values of transparency and open-access that Frontera delivers.

If you've been skeptical of AI in the ABA space, this podcast is for you.

Speaking of transparency, I want to disclose that Frontera will be sponsoring several upcoming BOP episodes. I hope that long time listeners know that I do not undertake these relationships lightly.

I've not only spoken with Amol, but also with many other of Frontera's clinicians and staff. To a person, they are committed to making ABA treatment more efficient, effective, and person-centered.

If you're interested in learning more about Frontera's technologies, you can explore their easy-to-use Assessment Builder and Diagnosis Builder features at fronterahealth.com.

What do these tools do? For starters, they'll help you cut down the time it takes to complete initial client assessments from 8-10 hours to 3-4 hours. This saves time and lets you begin treatment and help your clients sooner rather than later.

Your first assessment report is free. And if you use code BOP25 you'll get an additional five assessments for just $100. So head to fronterahealth.com to check it out!

Here are some links if you're interested in learning more about Frontera:

Business Wire press release announcement of Frontera's funding (see here also).
Frontera on Instagram.
Frontera on LinkedIn.
Frontera on Facebook.
Reach out to Amol on LinkedIn.
Demos available here (don't forget to use promo code BOP25).