Why Success On The Spectrum Might Be the Answer to America’s ABA Therapy Crisis

As autism diagnoses continue to climb in the United States, one particular form of treatment has rapidly emerged as a high-demand, high-growth sector within the medical industry: Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) therapy. Once a niche service, ABA therapy is now the fastest-growing field in pediatric behavioral healthcare—and investors are taking notice.

But while the demand has surged, the supply of qualified providers and accessible clinics remains alarmingly low, leaving many families on waitlists for months or even years.

The imbalance is stark. According to recent health data, 1 in 36 children in the U.S. is now diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet the number of certified ABA providers—primarily Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)—has not kept pace with this growing need. Families in both urban and rural areas report severe difficulty accessing services, contributing to developmental delays in children during critical early intervention windows.

Into this chaotic and underserved market has stepped Success On The Spectrum (SOS), a trailblazer that has introduced the first franchise model for ABA therapy. Founded by an autism mom turned entrepreneur, Nichole Daher, Success On The Spectrum (SOS) offers a decentralised solution to the growing bottleneck. With each clinic locally owned and operated, the franchise model empowers passionate community leaders—many of whom are autism parents themselves—to open clinics and meet demand in their areas, while still receiving clinical guidance and compliance oversight from a central team.

This fresh take stands in sharp contrast to the rest of the industry, where private equity groups dominate the landscape. In fact, the majority of ABA clinics in the U.S. are owned by investment firms that have turned autism therapy into a hot commodity in the mergers and acquisitions world. While PE-backed firms bring capital and scale, critics say they often prioritise profit margins over clinical quality, with frequent staff turnover and aggressive cost-cutting measures impacting patient care.

As contained in a press statement issued to THISDAY, “Private equity sees ABA as the new urgent care,” says one healthcare investor who asked to remain anonymous. “It’s recurring revenue, it’s recession-proof, and insurance companies foot the bill. It’s a gold mine—if you can scale it.”

This has led to a flurry of acquisitions in recent years, with multi-million dollar buyouts and consolidations transforming the industry. But with many PE-backed providers closing underperforming clinics and consolidating operations, access issues have worsened in certain markets.

Meanwhile, the franchise model pioneered by Success On The Spectrum (SOS) offers a different path—one rooted in long-term community presence and operational flexibility. Success On The Spectrum (SOS) now boasts dozens of clinics nationwide, with more in development. Unlike corporate chains, each location is run by an invested owner who is accountable to both patients and the franchisor. It’s a hybrid model that blends entrepreneurial passion with healthcare oversight.

Still, challenges remain. The pipeline for qualified therapists is limited, and regulatory scrutiny is tightening as the industry matures. Reimbursement rates vary by state, and questions around ethical billing practices continue to swirl.

Nevertheless, with autism rates rising and parental advocacy growing stronger, ABA therapy is poised to remain a critical—and competitive—frontier in American healthcare. Whether franchise models like Success On The Spectrum (SOS) will become the norm or remain an outlier in a field dominated by private equity remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that the need for scalable, ethical, and effective autism treatment has never been greater.