Mission report
Autism Care Therapy
From Shaden Kassar's clinics to a franchise system.
Autism Care Therapy (ACT) provides applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy for children with autism. Founder Shaden Kassar opened the first clinics through affiliated companies in January 2021. ACT Franchising Corporation, the franchise company, was formed that September.
- Category
- ABA therapy for children with autism
- Founder
- Shaden Kassar
- Headquarters
- Lombard, Illinois
- Clinics since
- January 2021, through affiliates
- Franchisor
- ACT Franchising Corporation, formed September 2021
Sources: ACT's Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) of April 2026, Items 1 and 13. Founder from ACT. Partnership date from Incubators.
The starting point
Background
Shaden Kassar had built working clinics and a franchise company. Her time belongs in clinical leadership, so the next step was a development engine: a team that finds franchise owners who fit the model and guides each of them to a careful decision.
What we built together
The Partnership
The first three of our four stages, in the order we took them with ACT.
T–3 EvaluateReadiness Review
T–2 PartnerCandidate Journey
The seven steps every candidate takes: Welcome Call, Intro Call, Unit Economics and FDD Review, Territory Mapping and Confirmation Day Prep, Confirmation Day, Decision Call, and Celebration and Brand Welcome.
T–1 ScaleFranchise Development
Led by Gayle Longmore, VP of Franchise Development at Incubators. Candidates and ACT both decide after Confirmation Day, and ACT approves every franchisee.
Dates you can check
Milestones
First clinics open through affiliates
FDD Item 1ACT Franchising Corporation formed in Illinois
FDD Item 1ACT trademark registered
FDD Item 13Partnership with Incubators begins
This page contains no financial performance information. Anyone considering an Autism Care Therapy franchise receives ACT's Franchise Disclosure Document, and financial performance information appears only in its Item 19, the section of the FDD set aside for it.
Also in flight
More Brand Partners
Perfect Filter filed its 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document on July 1, 2026.
Your turn
Brand Evaluation
Every Brand Partner started with one conversation about what the business was ready for. Apply for a Brand Evaluation to start yours, or take the four-minute Franchise Readiness Check first.