What Golden Steps ABA does

Golden Steps ABA, LLC is a privately held, founder-led Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy provider founded in 2018 by Joe Wechsler and Mark Wolmark and headquartered in Brentwood, USA. The company delivers evidence-based ABA services to children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (primarily ages 2–12) across three modalities: in-home therapy by Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) supervised by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), in-clinic therapy at 35 clinic locations, and in-school therapy delivered inside 40+ partner schools. The company also operates Autism Screening & Diagnosis services using the ADOS-2 and exposes the CAST screening tool from the University of Cambridge on its website. Service delivery is organized around individualized treatment plans with monthly insurance billing, full insurance verification and prior authorization handled internally, and a multi-state in-network footprint covering most major commercial insurers (BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Aetna, United Healthcare, Optum, Anthem, Kaiser Permanente) and Medicaid managed care plans across 14 states.

The underlying clinical stack combines discrete trial training, naturalistic teaching, pivotal response training, and natural environment teaching methodologies. Clinician development is delivered through Step Up Academy, a proprietary four-track program (Spark, Grow, Excel, Shine) plus a BCBA Fellowship that progresses staff from entry-level Behavioral Technician through BCBA certification and into mentorship roles; reported average clinician tenure is 4 years. The consumer-facing layer includes a website with location-specific pages, a central intake phone line (888-517-8377), and a structured provider-referral pathway for pediatricians, neurologists, and psychologists. Reported brand metrics include a 4.90 average parent rating, 98% program graduation rate, and thousands of families served since founding.

Go-to-market is hybrid: direct-to-consumer acquisition through the website and phone intake, plus a healthcare provider referral channel feeding into the same funnel. Revenue is generated by billing insurance and Medicaid for delivered therapy hours under individualized care plans on a monthly cadence. The company is independently owned with no institutional investor, private equity backer, or parent company identified in the available source material; ownership commentary explicitly contrasts the company against 'private equity-backed competitors.' No revenue, funding, or financial figures are disclosed.

Name

Golden Steps ABA

Legal name

Golden Steps ABA, LLC

Website

https://goldenstepsaba.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Golden Steps ABA is a privately held, founder-led Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy provider founded in 2018, delivering in-home, in-clinic, in-school, and autism diagnostic services to children with autism across 14 states through 35 clinics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy Services for Autism

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082)

akta.pro primary industry

ABA Therapy Providers (Clinic-Based) (EDAKAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

ABA Therapy Providers (Home-Based) (EDAKAHAB), ABA Therapy Providers (School-Based) (EDAKAHAC), Autism Diagnostic & Educational Assessment Services (EDAKAKAA), ABA Program Management, Compliance & Outcomes Measurement (Documentation, Audits) (EDAKAHAM), Parent/Caregiver Training & Family Consultation (ABA) (EDAKAHAG)

Keywords

• ABA therapy services
• Autism behavioral therapy
• Developmental disability care
• Autism screening diagnosis
• Clinical behavior analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Brentwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices43 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. ABA Therapy Services: Golden Steps ABA generates revenue by providing ABA therapy services to children with autism. Services are delivered in various settings (in-home, in-clinic, in-school) and are billed to insurance providers and Medicaid. The company handles all insurance verification, prior authorization, and billing on behalf of families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Golden Steps ABA provides Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy services to children ages 2-12 diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, delivered through three settings: in-home therapy by Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs), in-clinic therapy at 35 dedicated centers, and in-school therapy integrated with partner schools. The company also conducts autism screening and diagnosis (including ADOS-2 evaluations) and supports families with insurance verification, prior authorization, and billing.

Product overview

Golden Steps ABA is a healthcare service provider offering a unified suite of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy services for children with autism. The core offerings consist of four service delivery models: At Home ABA Therapy, In-Clinic ABA Therapy, In-School ABA Therapy, and Autism Screening & Diagnosis. Supporting the clinical services, the company operates Step Up Academy—a professional development platform with four tracks (Spark, Grow, Excel, Shine) that guides clinicians from Behavioral Technician through BCBA certification, plus a Fellowship Program for BCBA certification. The company also provides a CAST Autism Screening Tool for parents. The company operates 35 clinics across 14 states and accepts most major commercial insurance plans and Medicaid.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Step Up Academy: Golden Steps' comprehensive clinical leadership and learning institute — an academy-style development pathway for ABA clinicians from BT/RBT through BCBA certification and mentorship.

Products and services

• At Home ABA Therapy In-home ABA therapy services delivered by Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) and supervised by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) in the comfort of the child's home, focusing on communication, daily routines, family interactions, and life skills. Available across all 14-15 states served.
• In-Clinic ABA Therapy Center-based ABA therapy at 35 Golden Steps clinics offering 1:1 therapy, social skills groups, communication development, and school readiness programs in small groups of children of similar age and skill level.
• In-School ABA Therapy School-based ABA therapy services where clinical teams work directly with teachers and school staff to support children's social skills, behavior management, and academic success in real classroom settings. Currently supporting 40+ schools across service areas.
• Autism Screening & Diagnosis Comprehensive autism diagnostic services including developmental history review, behavioral observations, and ADOS-2 (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition) evaluations conducted by trained professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 4.90 parent rating based on family feedback
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Pediatricians, Neurologists, and PsychologistscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealthcare providers who refer patients to Golden Steps ABA for evaluation and therapy services. The company maintains collaborative relationships with physicians, pediatricians, neurologists, and psychologists who identify children with autism and connect families with their services through a dedicated referral pathway on their website.
• Insurance Providers (Medicaid, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Aetna, etc.)coreOthersGolden Steps ABA works with most major insurance providers including Medicaid across their 14+ state service area. Insurance partners include Medicaid, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Aetna, United Healthcare, Optum, Anthem, Kaiser Permanente, and many regional Medicaid managed care plans. The company handles all insurance verification and billing on behalf of families.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Acorn Health: PE-backed (Concentric Equity Partners) multi-state ABA provider offering center- and home-based services. Comparable scale, payer mix, and clinical model, with overlapping geographies in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic.
• Hopebridge: Multi-state ABA therapy provider offering center-based, in-home, and telehealth services for children with autism. Direct competitor with similar tri-modal delivery, similar scale (~70+ clinics), and overlapping payer mix including Medicaid.
• Centria Autism: One of the largest U.S. ABA therapy providers, owned by Shore Capital Partners-backed Centria Healthcare. Operates a clinic-, home-, and school-based model across many of the same states as Golden Steps, serving as a directly comparable scaled competitor.
• Autism Learning Partners: PE-backed (Serent Capital) ABA provider with a multi-state footprint and home- and center-based delivery. Directly comparable in business model, payer mix, and target patient population.
• Behavioral Innovations: Multi-state ABA provider operating home- and center-based services across the South and Midwest. Overlaps with Golden Steps on geography (TX, OK, MO, NE, TN) and shares the same evidence-based ABA methodology and Medicaid/commercial payer model.
• Proud Moments ABA: ABA therapy provider with a home- and center-based model serving children with autism across multiple states. Comparable operating model, patient demographic, and payer relationships to Golden Steps.
• Kyo Autism Therapy: ABA therapy provider with center, home, and school-based delivery for children with autism. Operates across multiple western and central U.S. states with comparable clinical and payer model to Golden Steps.
• Cortica: Integrated pediatric autism care provider combining diagnostic services (ADOS-2), ABA therapy, and related therapies. Directly comparable to Golden Steps on the diagnosis-plus-therapy bundled model, though Cortica operates in fewer, higher-density markets.
• BlueSpring ABA: ABA therapy provider serving children with autism through home- and center-based programs. Comparable operating model and patient demographic, with overlap on payer relationships and clinical methodology.
• Lighthouse Autism Center: ABA therapy provider operating multiple centers across the Midwest (Indiana, Michigan, etc.), overlapping directly with Golden Steps' Indiana footprint. Comparable clinical model and Medicaid-heavy payer mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@GoldenStepsABA
• Facebookfacebook.com/GoldenStepsABA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/goldenstepsaba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Golden Steps ABA