ABA Franchise Opportunities

About Success On The Spectrum

My name is Nichole Daher and I am the founder of Success On The Spectrum and SOS Franchising.

I never planned to be a mother. I never planned to own an ABA franchise. As fate would have it, I met and married the man of my dreams. Along with him, I gained two beautiful daughters, one of which, has Autism Spectrum Disorder. Loving this child radically changed how I viewed the world. I wanted to do anything to help her have a happy, independent life.

As I searched for ABA therapy, I found that most treatment centers in Houston had long waiting lists. One ABA center owner told me that I should give up searching, because my daughter would never be approved by insurance. It made me so angry that a child who needed help would be so harshly rejected.

Instead of giving up, I decided that if I couldn’t find an ABA center… then I would open one myself. My husband generously gave me his life-savings and his full moral support. With a little hesitance, I left my career in nuclear medicine and took the scary leap into owning my own business.

In 2015, I founded Success On The Spectrum (my brilliant husband picked the name). I hired the best Behavior Analyst and Behavior Technician that I could find and taught myself to do insurance billing. I learned a lot (some by trial and error)… but I felt happy to go to work.  It felt so good to help other children.

In 2018, I took another scary leap. I founded SOS Franchising. The original Behavior Analyst and Behavior Technician that I hired are still with me. Together, our new mission is to teach others how to open and run successful ABA centers. I want to help standardize quality treatment and make it available to more kids, in more areas. I hope to enlist others who seek a career that doesn’t steal family time but also offers financial independence.

Today, my daughter is thriving in a typical school, with no special accommodations. I owe all of my accomplishments to her and my supportive husband. 

Investment Details

You will need approximately $300,000

to open and run your business for 4 months

• Site Selection Assistance

• • • You must lease a space – We do not generally own the site and lease it back to you.
    • Provide you with written guidelines for the layout and design of your Center
    • A typical Success on the Spectrum® business has approximately three five thousand (5,000) square feet of space.
    • We maintain specifications for the design and layout of your Center, leasehold improvements, storage, signage and décor to be used for the interior and exterior of your Center.

• Advertising

• • • Systemwide Advertising
    • We will provide specific guidelines for local advertising, marketing and promotions

• Certification Assistance

• • • Offer you guidance when obtaining licenses, certifications and applying for permits if required by your locality to operate the Business.
    • Offer guidance when applying for in-network contracts with local health insurance companies
    • Guidance when purchasing insurance

• Assistance finding employees

• • • Recommended hiring guidelines
    • Interview training
    • Employment Forms

• Purchase List

• • • Provide you with a list of minimum inventory requirements for all equipment, technology items, furnishings, fixtures and signage necessary for the operation of your Business, and a written list of approved vendors and suppliers to purchase all equipment, products, supplies and services from.
    • You must buy all logo materials from our affiliate, SOS Distribution

• Webpage

• • • Provide you with web page housed within the corporate website

• Email Account

• Proprietary Software

• Protected territory

• • • You will be awarded a protected territory (“Territory”), which normally will be up to five (5) miles driven in any direction
    • We cannot establish either a company-owned business, franchise nor license another to locate a Success on the Spectrum® business within your Territory

• Temporary Management

• Brand Recognition

• • • We grant you the nonexclusive right to use the Marks in connection with the operation of your Franchise.

• Initial Training

• • • Before your business opens, we will lead up to 3 people through a two week franchisee training program at our corporate headquarters in Houston, Texas
    • Operations Manual, hands-on training, videos and demos.
    • Guidance to Franchisee in establishing how to onboard clients, execute our programs, activities and workshops; suggested pricing for services and products (if we authorize you to sell products in the future), efficiencies to manage high volume, service standards and general operating procedures; advertising, marketing and promotional strategies; record keeping, accounting methods and general administrative procedures.

• Training and Ongoing Assistance

• • • We offer training resources, such as our Operations Manual, to assist franchisees at their Business location.
    • Onsite assistance at your request as we deem necessary
    • Continue to consult with you at no additional charge regarding: our vendor and supplier relationships, service standards, programs that we have or will develop, sales and marketing strategies, industry developments, advertising, promotional and marketing materials. We will offer assistance, advice, guidance and experience to you to resolve administrative problems that you may encounter outside the scope of the Operations Manual
    • Offer assistance in establishing and using administrative, record keeping and accounting procedures
    • Access to additional or refresher training programs that may be conducted through the telephone, webinars or video training

• Grand Opening Assistance

• • • Up to three days of onsite assistance and guidance at your location for either the pre-opening or grand opening of your Business

• Discounts

• • National Accounts
  • Additional ABA franchises will have a reduced initial Franchise Fee of $7500

According to the CDC, Autism affects about 1 in 59 children, meaning that 2.5% of the U.S. population has autism. These numbers will likely increase as individuals in underserved markets are better identified and receive an accurate diagnosis. According to Autism Speaks, the number of Americans with autism spectrum disorders has increased tenfold in 40 years.

The autism population is grossly under serviced. Greater awareness, reduction in the social stigma, and better funding are leading more families to seek treatment. Most providers report waiting lists for both diagnosis and treatment.

Currently, the ABA market is growing at twice the rate of other multi-site healthcare businesses. The autism services market in the U.S. is conservatively estimated to be valued at $5-7 billion dollars and growing. This includes programs that serve individuals with autism as well as drugs targeting behavioral issues in autism. ABA programs are estimated to generate $2B- 7B annual revenue, with a TAM (total addressable market) of up to $70 billion. The ABA therapy market is expected to grow at a 25% CAGR over the next 3-5 years.

The rise of autism rates in the U.S. has spurred most states to adopt autism health insurance mandates, most of which identify ABA as a covered autism therapy. In 2014, the APBA reported that private health insurance paid for 42% of all ABA services, followed by TRICARE, at 21%, and public health plans (Medicaid and Medicare), at 22.5%. As of 2019, there are plans offered on the Affordable Care Act marketplace that cover ABA.

Reimbursements rates vary based on the insurance carrier and location. Rural areas have provider shortages for ABA services and may get higher rates than urban areas. Private insurance carriers typically pay more than state based Medicaid/Medicare programs.

As you sign contracts to become in-network with health insurance carriers, you can negotiate your own rates. In fall 2014, state Medicaid reimbursement rates ranged from $25 to $75/hr for a RBT and $55.50 to $125/hr for a BCBA. In 2013, reimbursement rates in the commercial insurance sector varied from $24.64 to $160 /hr for a RBT and $36.90 to $196.50 /hr for a BCBA. In May 2019, Tricare reimbursement rates are up to $76/hr for a RBT and $135/hr for a BCBA.

SOS Franchising will assist your ABA franchise in securing in-network contracts with local health insurance agencies. We will also teach you how to bill the health insurance agency for services rendered.