Alexander Leigh Center for Autism

What Alexander Leigh Center for Autism does

Alexander Leigh Center for Autism (ALCA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit therapeutic day school founded in 2004 by Dorie Hoevel and Kelly Weaver, two mothers of children diagnosed with autism, and opened to students in 2007. Headquartered at 4100 Veterans Parkway in McHenry, Illinois, the school currently serves 54 students ages 3–22 with autism spectrum disorder and related disabilities (OHI, multiple disabilities, developmental delay, intellectual disabilities), drawing from five Illinois counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, and McHenry. Its core offering is a Therapeutic Day School program with 1:1 or 2:1 student-to-teacher ratios and small classrooms of 3–9 students, supplemented by an ISBE-approved Early Childhood Education program (ages 3–6) and a Transition Program (ages 18–22) that emphasizes life skills, vocational training, and community-based work experience. Pedagogically, ALCA follows a therapeutic, holistic, interdisciplinary model emphasizing sensory regulation, communication, behavior intervention, occupational therapy, speech pathology, and music therapy, with a stated focus on generalization of skills to home and community.

ALCA's product surface also includes ALCAbility, a student-run microbusiness at alcability.com in which students manage design, production, shipping, bookkeeping, and inventory as a vocational training platform. Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) per-pupil tuition and tuition paid by students' home public school districts under Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), (2) tax-deductible donations, community partnerships at a $500/year tier, and fundraising events including an annual gala, trivia nights, taproom takeovers, and bingo events, and (3) transaction revenue from ALCAbility. The organization is staffed by 101–250 employees including licensed behavior consultants, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, music therapists, and ISBE-certified teaching staff, and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors chaired by Co-Founder Dorie Hoevel. Pamela Yocius serves as Executive Director following the February 2024 retirement of Co-Founder Kelly Weaver, who passed away in November 2025. The school holds ISBE approvals across all three programs and is affiliated with the McHenry and Crystal Lake Chambers of Commerce and the Illinois Association of Private Special Education Centers. ALCA suffered an estimated $3 million-plus flood in January 2024 from a sprinkler main break, prompting a public GoFundMe campaign.

Name

Alexander Leigh Center for Autism

Legal name

Alexander Leigh Center for Autism

Website

https://alcacenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Alexander Leigh Center for Autism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ISBE-approved therapeutic day school in McHenry, Illinois serving 54 students ages 3–22 with autism spectrum disorder through individualized programs with 1:1 or 2:1 staff ratios, funded by school district IEP tuition, donations, and the ALCAbility student-run microbusiness.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism-Specific Schools & Programs (EDAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Emotional & Behavioral Disorders (EBD) / Therapeutic Day Schools (EDAKAAAC), Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB), Early Intervention OT (Birth–3) / Preschool OT (EDAKAFAJ)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Therapeutic day school
• Autism education programs
• Applied behavior analysis
• Vocational training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mchenry

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and School District Funding: As a therapeutic day school, ALCA receives funding through students' local public school districts as part of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). Students attend Monday through Friday 9:00am – 2:30pm during the typical school year.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The school operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and relies on donations, community partnerships ($500/year partner tier), and various fundraising events including annual galas, trivia nights, bingo events, and taproom takeovers.
3. Student-Run Microbusiness (ALCAbility): ALCA operates a student-run microbusiness called ALCAbility where students manage all aspects of the business from design creation, production, shipping, bookkeeping, and inventory. Proceeds support vocational training programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ALCA operates an ISBE-approved therapeutic day school for children and young adults ages 3-22 with autism spectrum disorder and related disabilities, delivering individualized education and therapy (behavior consulting, speech pathology, occupational therapy, music therapy) with 1:1 or 2:1 student-to-teacher ratios in small classrooms of 3-9 students. Offerings span an Early Education Program (ages 3-6), the core Therapeutic Day School, Transition Programming (ages 18-22) with community work experience, and the ALCAbility student-run microbusiness for vocational training.

Product overview

Alexander Leigh Center for Autism (ALCA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit therapeutic day school that provides a unified set of educational and therapeutic programs for children with autism. The core offering consists of three interconnected programs: the Therapeutic Day School (ages 3-22) providing intensive individualized support with 1:1 or 2:1 ratios, the Early Education Program (ages 3-6) focusing on foundational skills, and the Transition Program (ages 18-22) preparing students for adult life through vocational training. Additionally, ALCAAbility is a student-run microbusiness that provides vocational training by having students manage product creation, production, shipping, and inventory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Therapeutic Day School Full-day, year-round ISBE-approved therapeutic day school serving children and young adults ages 3-22 with autism spectrum disorder, OHI, multiple disabilities, developmental delay, and intellectual disabilities. Provides individualized support with 1:1 or 2:1 student-to-teacher ratios and evidence-based practices across sensory regulation, communication, academics, life skills, behavior, socialization, and community integration.
• Early Education Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Students develop functional independence through individualized programs

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Let's RoamminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 January 2023Let's Roam partnered with ALCA to create a one-of-a-kind Scavenger Hunt package for the 2023 Gala attendees to bid on.
• Scorched Earth Brewing Co.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 September 2022Partnership for Taproom Takeover events featuring live music, food trucks, craft beer, and raffle opportunities. Proceeds help ALCA provide an environment where children on the autism spectrum can develop their potential academically, emotionally, socially, communicatively, and physically.
• Community Partners ($500/year)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal businesses donate $500 annually to become Community Partners, receiving social media recognition, website listing, event sponsor opportunities, and exclusive tours. Current partners include Restoration 1 - Cary, Verlo Matress, First Midwest Bank, West Insurance, and ZenBusiness.
• Zoos Are Us, Inc dba A Zoo To YouminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvided petting zoo experience for students, allowing them to pet, feed, and interact with various farm animals as part of sensory and enrichment activities.
• Cesaroni Real Pit BBQminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood truck partner for Taproom Takeover events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Have Dreams: Have Dreams is a Park Ridge, Illinois-based nonprofit serving children, teens, and young adults with autism through educational, therapeutic, and vocational programs. Like ALCA, it operates year-round, ISBE-affiliated programs in the northern Illinois region with small class sizes and individualized supports.
• Giant Steps: Giant Steps is a Lisle, Illinois therapeutic day school and program provider serving students with autism across a wide age range, including transition-age programming. It is directly comparable to ALCA as another ISBE-approved private special education center in the Chicago metropolitan area.
• Aspire Chicago: Aspire Chicago (formerly Aspire of Illinois) is a nonprofit providing education, therapy, and lifespan services for children and adults with developmental disabilities including autism. It is a comparable Illinois-based private special education center delivering therapeutic and educational services.
• Spectrum Academy: Spectrum Academy is a nonprofit private school network serving students with autism and related disabilities. While operating in different states, it offers a comparable K-12 therapeutic day school model with individualized programming for learners on the autism spectrum.
• Turning Pointe Autism Foundation: Turning Pointe is a Naperville, Illinois nonprofit operating a therapeutic day school and adult programs for individuals with autism. Its day school, vocational, and life-skills programming mirrors ALCA's mix of therapeutic, transition, and vocational offerings in the same Illinois region.
• Encompass Early Education and Therapy: Encompass is a nonprofit early childhood education and therapy provider offering OT, speech, and developmental services for young children with delays including autism. While geographically distinct, its integrated therapy-plus-education model mirrors ALCA's interdisciplinary early education approach.

Broad incumbents

• Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago: Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago is a large, established nonprofit providing a broad range of disability services including autism therapy, early intervention, and vocational programs. It serves as a broader incumbent that overlaps with ALCA's therapeutic and educational offerings but at much greater scale and program breadth.
• Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley: Easterseals DuPage & Fox Valley is an Illinois nonprofit serving children and adults with disabilities, including autism, through therapeutic, educational, and family support programs. It is a broader regional incumbent whose service mix overlaps with ALCA but extends across a wider portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AlexanderLeighCenterForAutism
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alexander-leigh-center-for-autism
• Xx.com/alcacenter

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alexander Leigh Center for Autism