What Applied Behavior Center for Autism does

Applied Behavior Center for Autism (ABC) is an Indianapolis-headquartered, privately held provider of clinic-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and related therapies for children with autism spectrum disorder, founded in 1997 by Sherry Michael after her son's diagnosis. ABC operates 21+ dedicated center locations across Indiana (Indianapolis metro plus Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville, Greenwood, Fort Wayne, Evansville, Terre Haute, Lafayette, Richmond, Jasper, Vincennes, Crawfordsville, Monticello, Frankfort, Cloverdale, and Lebanon), making it the densest single-state ABA platform in Indiana.

The company's core product is center-based ABA therapy delivered one-on-one by Registered Behavior Technicians under BCBA supervision, augmented by integrated Speech-Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy, Social Skills services, and in-house Diagnostic Testing performed by a licensed Clinical Psychologist. Additional offerings include the L.I.F.E. (Learning in Functional Environments) program for adolescents ages 10+ focused on adult daily living skills, a HIPAA-compliant Physician Referral intake system, School Partnership wrap-service contracts, an internal Research Department (Journal Club, EIBI outcomes, CEU provision), and an online billing portal. Underlying clinical methodology is standard evidence-based ABA endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General and American Academy of Pediatrics, with an electronic data collection system providing parents daily progress visibility; no proprietary AI/ML systems are disclosed.

Revenue is generated through recurring insurance and Medicaid reimbursements (monthly billing cadence) for one-on-one therapy hours, supplemented by diagnostic evaluation fees billed through insurance/Medicaid and B2B school contracts. Direct family enrollment via website inquiry and phone, plus physician and school referrals, feed the enrollment funnel. ABC handles all insurance processing on behalf of families at no charge and accepts most major insurers plus Indiana Medicaid programs (Hoosier Care Connect, Traditional Medicaid, MHS, CareSource, UHC/Optum), but is out of network with Anthem Medicaid, MDWise, Tricare, Illinois Medicaid, and Kentucky Medicaid. In 2023 ABC resolved a $2M Medicaid billing settlement, and in May 2024 it took over operations of the failed competitor Piece by Piece Autism Centers.

Name

Applied Behavior Center for Autism

Legal name

Applied Behavior Center for Autism

Website

https://appliedbehaviorcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Applied Behavior Center for Autism is a privately held, Indianapolis-headquartered ABA therapy provider operating 21+ center locations across Indiana, delivering one-on-one ABA therapy alongside speech, occupational, and diagnostic services to children with autism spectrum disorder since 1997.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autism Therapy Services

NAICS

Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists (62134), Educational Support Services (611710), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

ABA Therapy Providers (School-Based) (EDAKAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Autism Early Intervention (Educational) (EDAKAKAB), Autism Diagnostic & Educational Assessment Services (EDAKAKAA), Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language) (EDAKAKAG), Parent/Caregiver Training & Family Consultation (ABA) (EDAKAHAG)

Keywords

• Applied behavior analysis
• Aba therapy services
• Autism diagnostic testing
• Speech language pathology
• Occupational therapy services

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Center-Based ABA Therapy Services: One-on-one ABA therapy sessions provided in structured clinic settings, billed through insurance or Medicaid. Full-time and part-time program options available.
2. Speech Therapy Services: In-house Speech-Language Pathology services working alongside ABA teams. Sessions offered weekly, typically 30-45 minutes per session. Most insurance providers cover 20-50+ one-hour sessions annually.
3. Occupational Therapy Services: Occupational therapy services blended with ABA therapy to support sensory processing, fine motor skills, and daily living activities.
4. Diagnostic Testing Services: In-house autism diagnostic evaluations conducted by licensed Clinical Psychologist. Billed through insurance provider or Medicaid, including report writing time.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Applied Behavior Center for Autism provides center-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy as its core offering, supplemented by in-house speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, social skills services, and diagnostic testing by licensed Clinical Psychologists. All services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team of BCBAs, BCaBAs, RBTs, SLPs, and OTs across 21+ Indiana clinic locations, billed through insurance and Indiana Medicaid programs. The company also operates the specialized L.I.F.E. Program for teens and young adults focusing on functional daily living skills.

Product overview

Applied Behavior Center for Autism is a multi-service autism therapy provider offering a coordinated portfolio of evidence-based services centered on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy. The core offering includes Center-Based ABA Therapy as the primary platform, supplemented by integrated Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Social Skills Services delivered by a multidisciplinary team of BCBAs, SLPs, OTs, and RBTs. The company also provides Diagnostic Testing with in-house evaluation capabilities, and operates specialized programming including the L.I.F.E. Program for teens and specialized toilet training and desensitization programs. Supporting services include Physician Referrals, School Referrals, an online billing portal, and an internal Research Department. All services are coordinated through over 21 Indiana center locations with individualized treatment plans and family involvement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• L.I.F.E. Program: Learning in Functional Environments program designed for children and teens ages 10 and older, focusing on adult daily living skills including hygiene, food preparation, and functional language.
• LIFE Program

Products and services

• Diagnostic Testing In-house autism spectrum disorder diagnostic evaluation and testing conducted by a licensed Clinical Psychologist, with little to no wait time and same-day verbal diagnosis options available. Billed through insurance or Medicaid.
• Center-Based ABA Therapy Structured clinic-based Applied Behavior Analysis therapy programs with full-time and part-time options, delivered one-on-one by Behavior Technicians and supervised by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). Billed through insurance or Medicaid.
• Occupational Therapy Occupational therapy services integrated with ABA therapy to help children build practical skills for sensory processing, fine motor skills, self-care, and daily living activities. Delivered by licensed OTs.
• Speech Therapy In-house speech-language pathology services delivered by Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) working alongside clinical ABA teams to address speech, language, and communication deficits. Sessions typically weekly, 30-45 minutes each.
• L.I.F.E. Program (Learning in Functional Environments) Evidence-based functional and adult daily living skills program for children and teens ages 10 and older, focusing on hygiene, food preparation, functional language, and social skills development.
• Social Skills Services Structured social skills sessions helping children build peer interaction skills, emotional understanding, conversation skills, and confidence in group settings.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Piece by Piece Autism CentersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Operations taken over by Applied Behavior Center for Autism following shutdown of Piece by Piece Autism Centers due to Medicaid billing investigation by Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. ABC assumed operations of affected patients and families.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• LEARN Behavioral: National ABA provider operating center-based programs for children with autism, including diagnostic and related therapy services. Directly comparable in clinical staffing, center footprint strategy, and payer mix.
• Hopebridge: Multi-state center-based ABA therapy provider offering ABA, speech, and occupational therapy for children with autism. Operates a comparable center-based clinical model with multidisciplinary services, directly competing for similar patient populations and payer contracts.
• Autism Learning Partners: ABA therapy provider offering center-based and home-based services for children with autism across multiple states. Directly comparable clinical model and patient demographic, with similar payer mix considerations.
• BlueSprig Pediatrics: Large center-based ABA therapy provider serving children with autism across multiple states. Closely comparable in service mix (ABA plus adjacent therapies), clinic-based delivery model, and payer-driven reimbursement strategy.
• Centria Autism: National ABA and behavioral health provider delivering center-based and home-based services to children with autism. Competes directly on multi-disciplinary clinical staffing and payer mix, including Medicaid-heavy revenue.
• Acorn Health: Multi-state ABA therapy provider operating center-based clinics for children with autism, with integrated diagnostic services. Comparable in service portfolio, center-based delivery, and Medicaid/insurance reimbursement strategy.
• Kadiant: Center-based ABA therapy provider serving children with autism across multiple states, with comparable multidisciplinary staffing and clinic footprint strategy.
• Behavior Frontiers: ABA therapy provider offering center-based and home-based services with a focus on insurance-driven reimbursement. Comparable in clinical model, staffing approach, and payer mix dynamics.

Regional players

• Lighthouse Autism Center: Indiana-headquartered ABA therapy provider with multiple center locations across the state. Directly overlaps with ABC's Indiana footprint and competes head-to-head for the same patient population, payers, and referral networks.

Broad incumbents

• Catalight: Large autism services platform encompassing ABA therapy, diagnostic services, and family support across multiple states. Overlaps with ABC's multi-disciplinary approach but operates at greater scale and broader geographic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ABCforAutism
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abcforautism
• Instagraminstagram.com/abcforautism

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Applied Behavior Center for Autism