CentralReach acquires SILAS, provider of behavior solutions for PreK-12 students

CentralReach, a provider of autism and intellectual and development disability software, on Thursday said it acquired SILAS — a social and emotional learning and behavior solution for PreK-12 general, special and transition vocational education programs.

Holmdel-based CentralReach said its SILAS software will be incorporated into its suite of education solutions — making CentralReach one of the only providers in the space to offer a comprehensive education suite that serves the entire student body, from general education to special education.

Founded by Chris Dudick, SILAS offers research and evidenced-based, CASEL-aligned screening solutions to measure students’ abilities, SEL programs for all tiers with CASEL-aligned lessons, applied behavior analysis-based instruction tools and executive functioning solutions built by Dr. George McCloskey.

SILAS uses proprietary assessments to customize the learning plan for each student and accelerates reinforcement and retention of those skills through an interactive, animated app that allows students to make bespoke animated videos tied to each lesson. SILAS has almost tripled in size since 2020, purely through word of mouth and teacher referrals, and now touches 35,000 students across over 40 school districts in New Jersey.

SILAS’ increasing adoption among districts is tied to its effectiveness as a solution. A 2019 study also concluded that the use of SILAS curriculum and software generated a statistically significant increase in student ratings in all competency areas.

“We’ve been looking at what Chris and the SILAS team have been doing for quite some time, and the impact they are having on the U.S. schools and students they work with,” CEO Chris Sullens said. “The positive outcomes of their interactive, animation-first approach to social skill acquisition are truly impressive. Unlocking the power of SEL for this generation of children will have exponential impacts on our society as a whole and I’m honored to work alongside Chris and his team to accelerate their mission and increase their impact by expanding their reach in education, to embed their curricula into the market-leading offerings we have for ABA providers and to add SEL and executive functioning curricula into our caregiver training products for families with a child diagnosed with autism and broader IDDs.”

“I’m very proud of the solution we’ve built and the impact that we’ve made on our customers’ programs,” Chris Dudick, CEO of SILAS, said. “I chose to partner with CentralReach because of their strong, mission-driven culture and the vast amount of resources, expertise and talent they bring, which will enable us to take the product to new levels and unlock even more potential within the schools that we serve. I look forward to helping the CentralReach team integrate and expand the reach of SILAS’ SEL and executive functioning programs in both the education and ABA provider markets and am particularly excited about adding this curricula as a tool for caregivers through CentralReach’s caregiver-focused application, CR Care Coordinator.”