Nichole Daher is founder and CEO of SOS Franchising, which operates Success On The Spectrum, the first comprehensive autism treatment franchise in the United States. A trained medical professional and the mother of a child on the autism spectrum, she opened the first SOS location in Houston in 2015 after growing frustrated with the limited therapy options available, and that location reached full capacity within six months.
Recognizing that only about a third of children who need applied behavior analysis therapy actually have access to it, Daher built SOS Franchising to scale high-quality autism treatment centers across the country. The network grew from two locations to more than 22 Success On The Spectrum centers by 2021, earning rare BHCOE Accreditation along the way as well as recognitions including the 2021 Top 100 HealthCare Leaders award and CV Magazine's Best Behavioral Therapy Franchise designation in 2020.
Daher describes her approach as profit with a purpose, prioritizing treatment quality over rapid, uncontrolled growth, and she has built the franchise model in part to support women entrepreneurs, especially mothers of autistic children, in opening their own centers. SOS also runs community outreach programs, including an annual Autism Prom and Autism Festival.
