Today we’d like to introduce you to Nichole Daher.
Hi Nichole, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My name is Nichole Daher, and I am owner/founder of Success On The Spectrum and SOS Franchising. I never planned to own the first national ABA franchise. Rather, it was borne out of necessity.
In 2012, I met my husband. Along with him, I gained two beautiful stepdaughters, one of which has autism spectrum disorder. I was thrown into a world I had never known before. Not only was I suddenly a full-time parent, but I also had to care for a young special needs child. I read everything that I could find, and I even took Autism Caregiver Training classes. Loving this child radically changed how I viewed the world. I experienced fear, helplessness, joy, and everything in between. I wanted to do anything to help her have a happy, independent life.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the golden standard of treatment for autism spectrum disorder. Doctors, the Surgeon General, the American Academy of Pediatrics, etc all recommend it. As I searched for an ABA center to enroll my daughter, I found that most treatment centers 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. I was 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. I left my career in nuclear medicine and took the scary leap into owning my own business.
In 2015, I opened Success On The Spectrum, or SOS for short. I hired the best Behavior Analyst and Behavior Technician that I could find. I taught myself to do insurance billing. I read everything I could about bookkeeping and corporate taxes. I learned a lot, mostly by trial and error… but I felt happy to get up in the morning and go to work. I felt pride in helping other children. My daughter got the help that she needed, and the business grew faster than I could keep up.
In 2016, I had to double the size of the office space. We quickly filled that space up with kids and were forced to put clients on a waiting list. As much as I hated being the desperate mother of a child who couldn’t find help, I hated being the provider that turned others away even more. In 2018, I opened a second office on the opposite side of town. Even though that office was even bigger than the original, it was at capacity in 9 months. I still hated turning children away. I knew that I could never satisfy the demand for ABA on my own.
Up until 2018, the ABA therapy industry was dominated by private equity groups. In fact, Market research suggests that nine large multi-site ABA companies operate an estimated 296 brick & mortar centers — a 38% market share of all ABA programs. The financial investors’ fixation on profit has increased analyst caseloads, reduced parent involvement, and therefore reduced the quality of services kids receive. These cookie-cutter profit machines are turning most ABA clinics into the equivalent of fast-food therapy
In 2018, I took another scary leap. I opened SOS Franchising, the only ABA franchise in the country. 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. I want to make treatment available to more kids in every corner of the US. Together, we can help thousands of kids!
The franchise model in the ABA industry has the advantage of large company resources, training, operations monitoring, purchasing power, and brand recognition… while still holding the “mom and pop” feel and attention from individual owners. The Success On The Spectrum franchise is now setting the standards for high-quality treatment and blazing a trail for excellence.
SOS currently has 31 open locations spread across eight different states. We have served over 200 autism families.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I had no business experience and no one to teach me. Battling against private equity-owned competition meant that I had less experience, no one to consult with, and way less money. I couldn’t afford to make any major mistakes
I had to build the entire operations manual and service protocols from scratch. Modifying things as I learned by trial and error
As you know, we’re big fans of Success On The Spectrum. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
As the first franchise of its kind, the Success On The Spectrum model is transforming the industry by opening brick-and-mortar learning centers that are driven by quality instead of profit investment. The Franchise Company enforces lower caseloads, monitors that client/staff ratios are actually one-to-one, and ensures ethical billing practices.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Anyone wanting to open an autism treatment franchise should visit our website at SOSFranchising.com
Contact Info:
- Website: Successonthespectrum.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/successonthespectrum/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@successonthespectrum
