There are 1.5 million children with autism in America, and the United States is the largest market for autism treatment programs. This is a long-term growth market. The combination of demand outpacing the supply of therapists and centers, more favorable insurance reimbursement, private equity investment, more widespread awareness of the condition and advocacy efforts by dozens of organizations, plus the rising incidence of autism among children, all points to sustained growth over the long term.
ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) treatment programs are considered to be the most effective and widely used programs for autistic children, but providers are being scrutinized more carefully about outcomes data and billing. A therapist shortage, plus uncertainty over funding from the Trump Administration are the two main headwinds.
At least 1,622 non-profit and for-profit autism treatment centers and schools with ABA programs are operating in the U.S. today.
Top Things to Know About the Autism Treatment Market
- Market value & growth: The U.S. autism treatment market is estimated to be valued at $4.4 billion as of 2024. Marketdata forecasts 3.8% annual revenue growth for the market to 2028.
- Treatment center revenues: A groundbreaking analysis by Marketdata, of non-profit programs, based on IRS 990 tax forms, finds that the non-profit treatment centers had revenues estimated at $2.9 billion in 2024, while the 13 largest for-profit chains had revenues of $1.06 billion.
- Demand: There are an estimated 1.5 million autistic children in the U.S., with 961,000 of them receiving treatment via a program. Many are left without care.
- Private equity activity: Private equity investors have been very active in this market, backing eight major for-profit chains. Changes to U.S. federal and state laws now compel insurance companies to reimburse autism treatments, making the field attractive to investors. Private equity firms, including Blackstone and KKR, have invested billions into the ABA/autism treatment industry.
- Huge demand for therapists: There are basically three types of ABA program providers: brick & mortar centers, community providers, and in-home therapists. There is a shortage of ABA therapists — only 33,000 are certified. The per capita supply of certified ABA facilities falls below the benchmark in 49 states.
- The top for-profit chains: Thirteen large multi-site ABA program providers operate an estimated 892 brick & mortar centers and are aggressively acquiring competing centers and building new ones. Together, they accounted for at least $1.06 billion in revenues in 2024.
Where to Learn More
For more information, be sure to read Marketdata LLC’s groundbreaking new report The U.S. Autism Treatment Centers Market, which covers:
- Dollar value & growth of the market from 2009 to 2024, with 2025 & 2028 forecasts
- Key metrics of treatment centers
- Types of autism and typical therapies used
- How ABA programs work and key operating metrics
- Insurance coverage and patient demographics
- Analysis of the market for drugs to treat autism
- Market growth drivers
- The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on operations and recovery since then
- Analysis of for-profit vs. non-profit treatment centers
- Discussion of the role of private equity
- Ranking of the top for-profit treatment center chains and their revenues
About the Author: John LaRosa is the President of Marketdata LLC and is the author of 100+ industry and market studies. His research appears in top media outlets including ABC, CNN, Fox, Forbes, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and a variety of trade journals.
