Our Story: The History of Circle City ABA | Autism Therapy

It Started With a Mom Who Wanted Better for Her Son

Long before Circle City ABA opened its doors, our story began with a mother advocating for her son with autism.

More than 30 years ago, she found herself struggling with the organization providing services to her son. She knew he deserved better. After countless conversations and attempts to improve his care, she made a decision that would eventually impact far more than her own family.

If she could not find the kind of support she wanted for her son, she would help create it.

As a registered nurse with a home healthcare administrative license, she had the experience to turn her frustration into action. She saw what was missing and believed families and people with special needs deserved better.

So she built an agency of her own.

What began with one mother’s love for her child became a commitment to advocating for other people with special needs and the families who loved them.

A Family Mission Begins to Grow

Over the years, that commitment became a family mission.

When her second son returned home after serving in the Air Force, he joined the family business. Together, they helped the organization grow while holding onto the reason it began in the first place: families deserve quality care from people who genuinely care about the people they serve.

As the family continued working alongside people with special needs, they saw another need they couldn’t ignore. More children with autism needed access to ABA therapy designed specifically around their needs. The family knew they could build on decades of experience, advocacy, and service to create something specifically for those children and their families.

That idea became Circle City ABA.

In 2017, Circle City ABA Opened Its Doors

Circle City ABA began in 2017 with two centers in Indiana. But in many ways, our story had been building for decades.

We carried forward the same passion that began with a mother advocating for her son. We wanted parents to know that someone would listen to their concerns, recognize their child’s strengths, and work alongside their family.

We wanted children to have a place where they could learn, play, connect, and build skills that could make everyday life more manageable and meaningful. And we wanted families to feel what every parent should feel when trusting someone with their child: that their child is seen as a child first.

From Two Indiana Centers to 27 Locations

Families began trusting Circle City ABA to become part of their children’s journeys, and our community continued to grow. Our first two centers in Indiana eventually became 27 locations across Indiana, Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, and Nebraska. The numbers tell us how much Circle City ABA has grown. They do not tell us why that growth matters.

That story is found in the everyday moments. A child finds a new way to communicate what they need. A parent watches their child complete a routine more independently. A teenager gains confidence in a skill they can use at home or in the community. A therapist gets to celebrate a milestone alongside a family who knows just how much work went into reaching it.

Those moments are why we grow.

The Heart of Our Story Has Never Changed

Circle City ABA may have been founded in 2017, but the values behind it started with a mother who loved her son, advocated for what he needed, and believed families deserved better. More than 30 years later, that belief still matters.

We know parents want more than a provider. You want people who will get to know your child, listen to your family, celebrate progress with you, and recognize that meaningful progress looks different for every child.

That is the kind of support our family wanted all those years ago. It is the kind of support we continue working to provide today.

One Family’s Advocacy Became a Mission to Serve More Families

Our story began with one mom asking for better. Her advocacy grew into a family business. That family business revealed another need. And in 2017, that need inspired the creation of Circle City ABA. Today, our footprint stretches across five states, but our purpose remains deeply personal.

Behind every location is a child with their own personality, strengths, interests, and possibilities. Behind every child is a family hoping to help them build a life with greater communication, connection, confidence, and independence. That is who we were built to serve.

And as Circle City ABA continues to grow, we carry the same idea that started this story more than 30 years ago: When you believe children and families deserve better, you do everything you can to build it.