Clinical Director
Lori Waltman
BCBA, MEd, PhD (c)
BCBA, PhD candidate, and autism mom. Lori brings 10+ years of clinical experience - and lived experience - to every family she serves.
Read full profileThis is the practice we always wished for with our own families. So we built it for yours.
Developmental Journeys ABA - founded in 2025 in Watertown, Tennessee, serving families between Lebanon and Cookeville.
We built this practice to address the needs of the families in our community.
In rural Tennessee, the average wait for an autism evaluation runs between 18 months and 3 years. The wait for ABA therapy that follows can be just as long. The closest in-network providers are usually in Nashville - an hour or more away, multiple times a week, while you're managing work, school, siblings, and the daily reality of raising a child with autism.
Our practice exists so that your child's needs can be met while they're still developing.
Families in Wilson, DeKalb, Smith, and Putnam Counties deserve better than a multi-year wait and a 90-minute drive.
18mo–3yr
average wait for autism evaluations, rural TN
1hr+
to nearest Nashville provider
2025
year we decided enough was enough
We don't serve rural Tennessee as a coverage-map afterthought or as a side offering from a Nashville-based practice. It's the entire reason this practice exists. Our service area was the starting point - not the limit.
Caregiver coaching isn't a service we sell separately - it's how every program works. Parents and caregivers are part of the treatment team from session one. Because therapy is an hour, but your family is the rest of the day.
We built this the way we'd want it for our own children. Smaller caseloads, so your therapist isn't scheduled to the minute. More time per family. The person deciding what your child needs is the person in the room with them.
If ABA isn't the right fit for your child, we'll tell you. If a goal isn't progressing, you'll see it in the data. We won't recommend hours your child doesn't need. The relationship works because we treat you like an adult who can handle the truth.
Our credentials & coverage
Two moms who built the practice they always wished existed - because they know what families like yours are going through.
Clinical Director
BCBA, MEd, PhD (c)
BCBA, PhD candidate, and autism mom. Lori brings 10+ years of clinical experience - and lived experience - to every family she serves.
Read full profile
Director of Operations
RBT
Autism mom, 20-year insurance veteran, and parent advocate. Carmen turns the overwhelming parts of the system into a path families can actually walk.
Read full profileWe started this practice because we know firsthand how hard families work to access services. So we built the practice we always wished we had for our children.
How to get started
We'll listen, answer your questions, and help you figure out whether we're the right fit for your family.