South Shore Autism Center

What South Shore Autism Center does

South Shore Autism Center (SSAC) is a clinician-owned, privately held provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy founded in 2016 and headquartered in Norwell, Massachusetts. The company delivers naturalistic, child-led ABA therapy across three purpose-built centers in Norwell, Quincy, and West Bridgewater, supplemented by in-home services across 22+ South Shore municipalities and contracted services to public school districts. Its core technology is the naturalistic teaching methodology developed by BCBA-certified clinicians, structured through weekly supervision meetings and data collection and progress monitoring systems that evaluate behavioral interventions, with no disclosed software platform, AI/ML capabilities, or proprietary digital product.

The service portfolio spans four primary lines: Early Intervention ABA for children from birth to age 3, Center-Based ABA for children 18 months through kindergarten (offering mornings, afternoons, full-day, and partial-week schedules), In-Home ABA with flexible family-aligned scheduling, and Counseling Services for children ages 6+ and adults. Add-on Speech Therapy and Feeding Therapy are available for center-based clients contingent on insurance and clinical needs. Revenue is generated almost entirely through insurance reimbursement from in-network contracts with Blue Cross Blue Shield, MassHealth, Tufts, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, Optum, Allways, United Healthcare, GIC Unicare, Fallon Health, and BMC Healthnet, plus professional-services contracts with school districts for in-classroom support, behavior planning, consultation, and professional development. Per-session economics depend on payer mix, deductibles, copays, and secondary insurance coverage.

SSAC serves children with autism and Down syndrome and their families, with secondary segments including school districts (for IEP-related behavioral support), older children and teens needing counseling, and adults seeking counseling services. The go-to-market is sales-led and referral-driven, channeled through physician referrals, school referrals, Early Intervention agencies, and word-of-mouth, supported by a content blog, an active Facebook presence, and nonprofit community partnerships. Customer acquisition is facilitated by insurance-driven affordability and a multi-channel intake process with translation support. The company operates with 51-100 employees under a leadership team that includes doctorate-level BCBAs and a CDO role explicitly chartered to expand centers and school-district contracts.

Name

South Shore Autism Center

Legal name

South Shore Autism Center

Website

https://ssautismcenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

South Shore Autism Center is a clinician-owned provider of naturalistic, child-led Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy serving children with autism from birth through kindergarten across three Massachusetts centers and 22+ South Shore municipalities. Revenue is generated primarily through insurance reimbursement with supplemental school-district contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autism Therapy Services (Applied Behavior Analysis)

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Child and Youth Services (624110), Child Care Services (62441)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAKAKAB

Autism Early Intervention (Educational)

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Autism Support Services (Educational)

SECONDARYEDAKAAAA

Autism-Specific Schools & Programs

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Special Education Schools & Programs

SECONDARYEDAKAKAC

Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource)

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Autism Support Services (Educational)

SECONDARYEDAKAHAG

Parent/Caregiver Training & Family Consultation (ABA)

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Behavioral Intervention & Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

SECONDARYEDAKAKAG

Autism Communication Support (AAC, Pragmatics & Language)

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Autism Support Services (Educational)

Keywords

• Applied behavior analysis
• ABA therapy
• Early intervention services
• Autism therapy
• Behavioral counseling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. ABA Therapy Services: SSAC generates revenue through providing ABA therapy services billed to health insurance. Services include center-based ABA, in-home ABA, and early intervention ABA. The organization is in-network with major insurance providers including Blue Cross Blue Shield, MassHealth, Tufts, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, Optum, Allways, United Healthcare, and others. Families may be responsible for deductibles and co-payments, with secondary insurance potentially covering these costs.
2. Counseling Services: Child, teen, and adult counseling services provided and billed through insurance coverage.
3. School District Contract Services: SSAC provides ABA services to school districts under contract, collaborating with school teams to support student behavior, engagement, and IEP progress through in-classroom support, behavior planning, consultation, and professional development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

South Shore Autism Center is a clinician-owned provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism and Down syndrome, delivered in centers, homes, and community settings. It also offers counseling services, early intervention, and contracted ABA services for school districts.

Product overview

South Shore Autism Center (SSAC) is a clinician-owned provider of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy services serving South Shore families since 2016. The company offers a coordinated suite of services including Early Intervention ABA (birth-3 years), Center-Based ABA (18 months-kindergarten), and In-Home ABA (18 months-kindergarten), complemented by Counseling Services (ages 6+). SSAC also provides School District Services for educational settings, as well as limited Speech Therapy and Feeding Therapy for center-based clients. The organization operates three facilities in Norwell, Quincy, and West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, serving over 20 surrounding communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Early Intervention ABA ABA therapy services for children from birth through 3 years of age, providing early intervention support to develop communication, social, and daily living skills.
• Center-Based ABA ABA therapy delivered at SSAC facilities in Norwell, Quincy, and West Bridgewater for children ages 18 months to kindergarten, offering structured classroom environments with peer socialization opportunities.
• In-Home ABA ABA therapy provided in the child's home environment for children ages 18 months to kindergarten, allowing therapy to occur in familiar settings and involving family members in the intervention process. Covers 22+ South Shore municipalities.
• Counseling Services Therapeutic counseling services available for children ages 6 and older, teens, and adults, providing mental health support for children with autism and their families.
• School District Services Comprehensive ABA services for school districts including in-classroom student support, behavior planning and intervention, school team consultation, professional development, data collection and progress monitoring, and program evaluation.
• Speech Therapy (Limited) Limited speech therapy services offered for preschool children participating in center-based services, available depending on insurance provider and clinical needs.
• Feeding Therapy Feeding therapy services available at the center for children with feeding challenges, offered depending on insurance provider and clinical needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Children develop communication, social engagement, play, imitation, independence, and classroom readiness skills while reducing challenging behaviors

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Leading Therapy HomecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPediatric and adult speech therapy and pediatric occupational therapy private practice serving the entire South Shore area. Provides early intervention services to geriatric support in home, community, or online settings. Collaboration rooted in CARE values.
• Sing Explore CreatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic therapy and creative arts wellness programs supporting growth, development, and well-being across the lifespan. Dedicated to using arts to improve lives of community members. Team members meet regularly to discuss evidence-based practice in music therapy and education.
• Little Bee YogaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraveling yoga company for children ages 2.9-10 years. Brings yoga to preschools, daycares, recreational facilities, birthday parties, and more.
• Evan Henry Foundation for AutismcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit organization established in memory of Evan Henry, an 11-year-old from Norwell, MA who was diagnosed with autism and accidentally drowned in 2000. Goals include funding programs benefiting individuals with autism and their families, and promoting awareness and education.
• Raising HartscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit dedicated to supporting families with Autistic and neurodiverse children through mentorship, workshops, and inclusive programs. SSAC staff attended the annual Raising Harts Autism Gala celebrating advocacy and inclusion.
• Simmons UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for SSAC's BCBA Mentoring Program. Mentees can complete fieldwork hours onsite through structured supervision aligned with academic and certification requirements following BACB standards.
• Regis CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for SSAC's BCBA Mentoring Program. Partners with local universities including Regis College to align program with academic and certification requirements following BACB standards.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Centria Healthcare: National ABA and pediatric home health provider offering center-based ABA, in-home ABA, and school-based services. Comparable across the full SSAC service portfolio and at larger geographic scale.
• Autism Learning Partners: ABA provider offering center-based, in-home, and school-based services across multiple states. Direct comparable on service mix and demographic focus (children with autism).
• Acorn Health: Multi-state center-based and home-based ABA provider for children with autism. Comparable on early intervention focus, in-network payor strategy, and multi-modality service delivery model.
• Lighthouse Autism Center: Center-based ABA provider in the Midwest operating early intervention and full-day ABA programs for children with autism. Comparable on the center-led, naturalistic ABA model and focus on the early-childhood segment.
• Cortica: Integrated pediatric autism therapy provider combining ABA with speech, occupational, and developmental care. Comparable on the therapy services side and on the integrated multi-modality care delivery model SSAC touches on with its limited speech and feeding add-ons.
• May Institute: Multi-state ABA and behavioral health provider serving children and adults with autism and developmental disabilities. Highly comparable because SSAC's Executive Director Dr. Michelle Sullivan served as Clinical Director at May Institute, indicating directly overlapping clinical models and patient population.
• LEARN Behavioral: National ABA therapy provider operating center-based, in-home, and school-based programs for children with autism. Direct competitor with the same center-plus-home-plus-school portfolio SSAC offers.
• Hopebridge Autism Therapy Centers: Center-based and in-home ABA therapy provider for children with autism across multiple states. Closely comparable operating model to SSAC (multi-center, naturalistic ABA, in-home, and school-age services) but at considerably larger scale.
• Behavioral Innovations: Multi-state center-based ABA provider offering early intervention, center-based, and in-home services. Highly comparable on service mix (early intervention through kindergarten) and operational scale per center.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD): One of the largest U.S. providers of ABA services with extensive geographic footprint. Comparable on core ABA therapy delivery but operates at substantially greater scale and breadth than SSAC's regional presence.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/southshoreautismcenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-shore-autism-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 South Shore Autism Center