What Autism Commission on Quality does

Autism Commission on Quality (ACQ) is a nonprofit accreditation body that evaluates and certifies organizations providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Founded in 2022 by the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) as a single-member LLC domiciled in Massachusetts and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, ACQ operates a single accreditation program built on a nine-domain Standards and Guide (Business Operations, Human Resources, Financial Operations, Risk Management, Clinical Personnel, Clinical Operations, Patient Protections, Quality Assurance, and Ethics). The review process is multi-step, spanning desktop document review, leadership interviews, clinical observations, employee surveys, and patient/family surveys, and culminates in a two-year accreditation cycle. ACQ's governance is structured to be independent of any single organization through volunteer Standards, Accreditation, and Appeals Committees with no majority control permitted.

ACQ's core product surface consists of the ACQ Applied Behavior Analysis Accreditation Program, the ACQ Portal (acqportal.org) that serves as the system of record for applications, document submission, surveys, and review status tracking, and a public Accreditation Directory. The company employs 15+ staff including an Executive Director, VP of Standards and Quality, Director of Accreditation, Director of Business Development, Client Service Manager, Accreditation Review Manager, six Accreditation Reviewers (all BCBA-credentialed with 8-25+ years of experience), a Business Development Associate, an Accreditation Advisor, a CISO, and a Web Developer. The go-to-market is sales-led: representatives schedule meetings with prospective provider organizations, walk them through the six-step application, and provide customized pricing quotes.

ACQ monetizes through accreditation application fees, with a published minimum of $4,500 for smaller organizations and pricing that scales up based on the number of reimbursable service hours offered. The company does not publicly disclose revenue and operates as a disregarded LLC that inherits CASP's nonprofit tax-exempt status. As of 2026, 50+ organizations have been accredited, and ACQ's strategic position was materially strengthened when the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration announced in March 2026 that ACQ (or BHCOE) accreditation is now required for ABA providers participating in Indiana Medicaid, with additional states actively considering similar mandates.

Name

Autism Commission on Quality

Legal name

Autism Commission on Quality, LLC

Website

https://autismcommission.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Autism Commission on Quality (ACQ) is a nonprofit accreditation body, founded in 2022 by the Council of Autism Service Providers, that evaluates and certifies Applied Behavior Analysis provider organizations serving individuals with autism across the United States against a nine-domain Standards and Guide on a two-year cycle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Behavioral Health Accreditation

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

ABA Supervision, Clinical Oversight & BCBA Consulting (EDAKAHAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

ABA Therapy Providers (Clinic-Based) (EDAKAHAA)

Keywords

• ABA accreditation services
• Behavioral health accreditation
• Quality standards assessment
• Nonprofit accreditation body
• Autism provider certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Accreditation Application Fees: ACQ charges organizations fees to apply for accreditation. The pricing is specific to each applicant and determined by the scope of services provided. Application pricing starts with a minimum fee of $4,500 for smaller organizations and scales up depending on the number of reimbursable service hours offered by the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ACQ operates a nonprofit accreditation program for applied behavior analysis (ABA) provider organizations serving individuals with autism. Organizations undergo a multi-step review (desktop review, leadership interviews, clinical observations, employee surveys, and patient surveys) against nine operational and clinical standards domains, receiving a two-year accreditation upon successful completion.

Product overview

The Autism Commission on Quality (ACQ) operates a single nonprofit accreditation program—the ACQ Applied Behavior Analysis Accreditation Program—designed for organizations providing ABA services to individuals with autism. The core offering consists of the Standards and Guide (version 1.0) covering nine operational and clinical domains, accessed through the ACQ Portal platform. ACQ's accreditation review process involves a multi-step evaluation including desktop review, leadership interviews, clinical observations, and satisfaction surveys, resulting in a two-year accreditation cycle. An Accreditation Directory provides public visibility into accredited providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACQ Applied Behavior Analysis Accreditation Program

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025BHCOE was acquired by CASP in December 2025 and is no longer accepting new accreditation applications. Preexisting BHCOE accreditations will be honored by Indiana Medicaid. ACQ is recognized alongside BHCOE as an approved accreditation body for Indiana Medicaid ABA providers.
• Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022CASP is a nonprofit trade association representing 300+ provider organizations serving 100,000 individuals with autism. In 2019, CASP began exploring the development of an accreditation program. In 2022, CASP founded ACQ as a single-member LLC subsidiary. ACQ receives financial and in-kind support from CASP but maintains firewalls protecting the integrity of its essential accreditation activities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA): NCQA is a leading healthcare quality accreditation and standards body with programs across managed care, provider networks, and behavioral health. It operates as a broad incumbent whose reach into payer-recognized standards overlaps with ACQ's positioning.
• Joint Commission: The largest US healthcare accreditation body, offering behavioral health and human services accreditation as part of a broader portfolio. It is a broader incumbent that could credibly move into the ABA accreditation space ACQ currently dominates.

Direct peers

• Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC): ACHC provides accreditation for behavioral health, home health, and other human services, including programs applicable to ABA providers. It is a direct peer in healthcare accreditation with comparable independent standards-development processes.
• URAC: URAC is an independent, nonprofit healthcare accreditation organization with programs in behavioral health, integrated care, and case management. It is a direct peer offering third-party accreditation relevant to ABA and human services providers.
• CARF International: CARF accredits behavioral health, child and youth services, and human service programs, including ABA-related providers, using independent peer-driven standards. It is the most established accreditation peer operating in the same service categories that ACQ targets.
• Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE): BHCOE was a direct competitor in ABA and behavioral health accreditation until it was acquired by ACQ's parent CASP in December 2025. Preexisting BHCOE accreditations are honored by Indiana Medicaid alongside ACQ, making it the most directly comparable accreditation body in the same product category.

Emerging players

• Community Health Accreditation Partner (CHAP): CHAP accredits community-based health and human services organizations with growing focus on behavioral health. It is an emerging peer expanding into adjacent accreditation categories where ACQ also operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/autismcommission

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Autism Commission on Quality