Behavior analyst Cherry Ann Chishti: Helping improve autism care in Filipino families

In New York’s close-knit Filipino American community, family comes first.

When a child is diagnosed with autism or a developmental delay, immigrant families can face daunting challenges. Navigating the U.S. special education and healthcare systems can be confusing. Language barriers, limited resources, and the high cost of quality care can create additional obstacles.

For behavior analyst Cherry Ann Chishti, helping families overcome those barriers has become a professional as well as a personal calling.

Born in Molo, Iloilo, Cherry Ann is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) with more than 20 years of experience in special education. She is the CEO and clinical director of Ascend ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) P.C. in New York and founder of Chishti Care International in the Philippines, working to make autism services more accessible to families on both sides of the world.

The Filipino values of “bayanihan,” or community spirit, and “malasakit,” or compassionate care guide her work.

After establishing a practice in New York, Cherry Ann expanded Ascend ABA P.C. to two therapy centers—one in Jackson Heights, Queens, in the heart of New York’s largest Filipino neighborhood, and another on McGraw Avenue in the Bronx.

The centers provide Applied Behavior Analysis therapy for children and families, with services designed to help improve communication, independence, social skills, and everyday functioning.

Ascend ABA P.C. also provides free training for Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) and internships for students pursuing careers as behavior analysts. For Cherry Ann, “developing the next generation of professionals is as important as serving children today.”

Taking the mission to the Philippines

Her commitment to autism care does not stop in New York.

Recognizing the need for affordable, quality services in the Philippines, Cherry Ann established Chishti Care International in Quezon City, offering one-on-one, center-based therapy for children.

She also founded the International Behavior Therapist (IBT) Training Academy, which provides training for educators, clinic owners, school administrators, parents, and other caregivers.

Through hybrid parent-training programs, families learn practical ways to support their children’s development at home, extending therapy beyond the clinical setting and into everyday family life.

“As Filipinos, we look out for one another, and language or money should never keep a child from receiving care,” Cherry Ann said. “Whether helping families in Queens or the Bronx access therapy through NYS Medicaid, or training teachers in the Philippines, our goal is to support every family.”

The second daughter in a family of eight children, Cherry Ann was born in Molo, Iloilo. Her father, Rogelio Montehermoso, is from Miagao, Iloilo, and is now based in New York. Her mother, Cristeta Orbe, was from Cabatuan, Iloilo, and is deceased.

Before building her career in behavioral health, Cherry Ann was a public-school teacher at Lagro Elementary School in Quezon City, where she worked in special education, preschool, and the Alternative Learning System (ALS). Her professional journey eventually took her into behavioral analysis, school psychology, and autism services.

She is married to Mohammed Chishti, a CPA, and CEO of Chishti CPA, with offices in Jackson Heights and the Bronx. He is also an adjunct professor at CUNY Queensborough Community College and was born in Bangladesh.

Cherry Ann’s story is ultimately about more than running clinics. It is about connecting her professional experience with the needs of her community.

Her clinics are available in the following locations:

• Queens: Ascend ABA P.C., 7226 Roosevelt Ave., Jackson Heights, NY 11372 — provides center-based ABA services and accepts NYS Medicaid and private insurance plans.
• Bronx: Ascend ABA P.C., 2040 McGraw Avenue, Bronx, NY 10472 — provides center-based ABA therapy to families in the Bronx.
• Quezon City: Chishti Care International, Unit 10B Atherton Place, Tomas Morato, Quezon City — provides one-on-one center-based services, hybrid parent training, and IBT training and certification programs.