Community Autism
Resources and
Education Systems
As the direct response to a tragedy that
struck a West Virginian family who couldn’t
access services for their children with autism,
Jill Scarbro-McLaury, the founder of Bright
Futures Learning Services (BFLS), an applied
behavior analysis (ABA) clinic, was moved
to bring together a group of parents and
community leaders to fill the gaps left by
a shortage of ABA services in the state.
Together, they created Community Autism
Resources and Education Systems (CARES),
a nonprofit serving alongside BFLS while
striving to support more children and families
than the clinic can reach.
delivers ABA services to West Virginia
families. As the owner and director of
BFLS, Scarbro-McLaury networks with
national experts and develops strategic
plans to ensure the organization offers
state-of-the-art services while working
to increase the facility’s capacity to serve
more children.
She also founded Community Autism
Resources and Education Systems in 2017
and is a founding member of the Moun-
taineer Autism Project, where she continues
to advocate for ABA therapy.
“In addition to training and supervising
the next generation of behavior analysts,
I’m most excited about my work with
Community Autism Resources and Edu-
cation Systems and Mountaineer Autism
Project,” says Scarbro-McLaury. “As a
founder of these two organizations, I
spend a lot of time wearing my advocacy
hat, working to bring about policy change
and workforce development to increase
access to ABA throughout the state.”
In 2015, she helped found the West
Virginia Behavior Analysis Association,
which provides professionals in the state
an avenue to connect and advocate for
the advancement of the profession. She’s
also served as West Virginia’s policy chair
for Autism Speaks.
In 2019, Scarbro-McLaury received the
West Virginia Small Business Administra-
tion’s Woman-Owned Small Business of
the Year Award. She and her colleagues
from Mountaineer Autism Project were
also recognized with the Autism Speaks
Advocate of the Year Award in 2012 and
West Virginia Autism Society’s Advocacy
Award in 2010.
“Being one of the fortunate few who was
able to get help to overcome my learning
challenges set the trajectory for my life,”
she says. “I’ve always had to work harder
to do things that came more easily to
others. Remembering how it felt to have
people question my intellect and ability
has fueled my passion to help other kids
know they are worthy, valued and capable
no matter how great their challenges may
be. I know that every child can—and has
the right to—learn. It’s our job to make
sure they get what they need so they can
maximize their potential.”
Knowing that it would take decades to fill the
services gap, the CARES team supplies an
avenue for families who have children with
autism to connect with each other while
also unifying the agencies that do provide
the care families need. This allows existing
support systems to work together, continuing
efforts to increase access to ABA under both
educational and medical umbrellas.
CARES also raises money so it can provide
outreach and education for those with autism
and their families. The revenue provides
training resources to families in the state,
supports research into the development of
educational opportunities for children with
autism and other learning challenges and
funds efforts to train ABA providers to work
in the Appalachian region.
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