Cr-written by Brandon Dillishaw.
The journey of being an autism parent is a winding road, with twists and turns that demand a unique balance of strength, wisdom, and unconditional love. Each turn represents a setback, a victory, or a moment of profound understanding. As parents travel this road, they often uncover unexpected insights, perspectives, and nuances of their child’s life.
As demanding as autism parenthood can be, it frequently fosters an unparalleled knack for innovative problem-solving. For Nichole Daher, the founder of Success On The Spectrum (SOS), these experiences not only molded her family dynamics but also paved the way for her professional pursuits.
When Nichole, a former nuclear medicine technologist, fell in love with her new step daughter, she couldn’t have predicted the change her life was about to go through.
Becoming a mother was not something Nichole had anticipated, but as it goes— love works in mysterious ways. Despite the challenges that came along, Nichole welcomed them with an open heart. The mother-daughter bond became one of the most transformative experiences of her life, shedding a brand-new light on Nichole’s understanding of love and patience.
“I knew nothing about autism before meeting my stepdaughter. I admit I was initially nervous, afraid I’d let her down,” Nichole confesses.
Watching her then-husband interact with their daughter, Nichole was captivated by how he intuitively understood their little girl’s needs. His interactions became a source of growth and connection for Nichole, who imitated his approach to strengthen the bond with her new stepdaughter.
But, seeking to equip herself with knowledge further, Nichole enrolled in a ABA parent training class where she learned to better respond to her daughter’s behaviors, viewing them not as challenges but as forms of communication.
The classes Nichole took were transformative in one other way. As she watched the practices of the existing clinics and their relationship with the other children’s parents, she discovered a flaw that left her restless.
“The center my daughter attended was severely lacking in communication and transparency. Of course, as a parent taking classes personally, I found them extremely helpful, but as for my daughter, I became increasingly worried about the quality of care she was receiving,” Nichole shares. “As parents, we had no idea what was happening behind closed doors. They wouldn’t even let us inside the clinic. And I wanted to change that.”
The concern for her daughter’s well-being and the understanding of what the ABA industry lacked motivated Nichole to embark on her own entrepreneurial journey. The desire to make a more profound contribution to the industry and to the autism parent community resulted in the establishment of SOS, Nichole’s first ABA center.
SOS has set quite a benchmark in the ABA industry. Not only has it become the industry’s first franchise, but it has redefined the quality of care and the ABA teaching methods that have so far been seen in the sector. Transparency, open communication with the parents, and immersive learning are the main pillars that support the foundations of Nichole’s clinics.
“Parents have full access to what we do and how we do it. We have cameras installed in each room, allowing them to watch our therapists interact with the children.” Nichole explains. “This fosters trust in our methods and allows the parents to learn and replicate our strategies at home.”
A feature that makes SOS stand out is that private equity groups do not own the centers. Instead, each clinic is managed by individual owners (mostly autism parents) that SOS Franchising trains in business management, ensuring that children’s well-being, rather than profit, remains a top priority.
Truly, life has a funny way of taking us places we never thought we’d go. Nichole’s journey from autism parenthood to running a genuinely transformative venture is the perfect example.
But, most importantly, her personal and professional life are a gentle reminder that entrepreneurship isn’t about profit margins but about human connections, empathy, and finding ways to turn roadblocks into stepping stones for success.
As Nichole says, “The true measure of success is not the profit you earn, but the hearts you touch and the change you inspire.”
