Client Overview
Dr. Abeer Aloush spent 15 years building an accomplished academic career, earning four master’s degrees and a PhD. She held positions at respected institutions, including Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Rollins College. Her research focused on immigration, trauma, resilience, and the challenges faced by adolescents.
Her professional journey took an unexpected turn when her husband became seriously ill. Dr. Aloush stepped away from her academic career to care for him full-time for two and a half years, remaining by his side until his passing.
As she navigated grief and an uncertain future, Dr. Aloush began searching for a new direction. As the mother of a daughter with autism, she also had a personal understanding of the challenges families face when seeking quality therapy and support for their children.
In 2023, she opened a Success On The Spectrum franchise in Matawan, New Jersey, beginning a new chapter that combined her personal experiences with a commitment to helping children with autism and their families.
The Starting Point
From Academic Excellence to a New Beginning
Before entering the franchise industry, Dr. Aloush had established herself as an accomplished academic professional. Her years in higher education and research developed her understanding of human resilience, trauma, and the experiences of individuals and families facing difficult circumstances.
However, caring for her seriously ill husband required her to put her career on hold. Following his passing, she faced the challenge of rebuilding her life and finding a new sense of purpose.
Her experience as a mother of a daughter with autism also influenced her next steps. She wanted to build something that reflected her personal values while making a meaningful difference in the lives of other families
Sos Franchising offered an opportunity to combine her academic background, personal experiences, and desire to serve the autism community through business ownership.
The Challenge
Transitioning From Academia to Business Ownership
Although Dr. Aloush had extensive academic credentials, she had never owned or operated a business. Establishing an ABA therapy center required her to learn new skills and navigate responsibilities beyond her previous professional experience.
She needed to adapt to the operational demands of entrepreneurship while building a business that could serve children with autism and their families.
Key priorities included:
- Learning business operations: Moving from academia into business ownership required developing skills in employee management, finances, and day-to-day operations.
- Establishing an ABA therapy center: Building a center meant navigating the operational requirements of a specialized healthcare service while maintaining a focus on client and family needs.
- Rebuilding professional confidence: Starting a new career after personal loss required Dr. Aloush to embrace unfamiliar responsibilities and develop a new professional identity.
- Balancing purpose with growth: She wanted to build a financially sustainable business while remaining committed to supporting children with autism and their families.
Approach
Building on an Established Franchise Model
With no prior business ownership experience, Dr. Aloush needed a framework that could help her transition into entrepreneurship. The Success On The Spectrum model provided an established business structure and operational guidance for launching her center.
This support offered a starting point for learning the practical aspects of running an ABA therapy business while drawing on the skills and experience she had developed throughout her academic career.
Reflecting on her decision to move forward, Dr. Aloush expressed confidence in the model:
“I am going to make it. With the technical model provided by Sos Franchising, I can be equipped to launch this new journey.”
Turning Personal Experience Into Purpose
Dr. Aloush’s connection to the autism community was personal. As a mother of a daughter with autism, she understood some of the challenges families encounter when seeking appropriate services and support.
That experience helped shape her motivation to open an SOS center. Rather than pursuing business ownership solely as a financial opportunity, she chose a path that aligned with her desire to help children reach their full potential and support the families caring for them.
Growing Through a New Professional Identity
Transitioning from academia to entrepreneurship required Dr. Aloush to take on responsibilities she had never managed before. By launching SOS Matawan in 2023, she began applying her knowledge and personal commitment in a new setting.
The center’s revenue growth in 2024 and 2025 marked significant progress in her transition to business ownership. With a second location planned for 2027, her journey is continuing beyond the success of her first center.
Timeline
Results — Revenue Growth
Operational Impact
Building a Business Without Previous Ownership Experience
Dr. Aloush entered the franchise industry without having owned or operated a business before. Through the SOS franchising model, she launched a center in Matawan and developed a new professional path beyond academia.
Achieving Significant Revenue Growth
SOS Matawan generated $889,383 in gross revenue in 2024 before reaching $2,223,199 in 2025. The approximately 150% year-over-year increase marked a substantial business milestone.
Connecting Personal Experience With a Professional Mission
As a mother of a daughter with autism, Dr. Aloush brought a personal connection to the challenges faced by families seeking therapy and support. This experience helped inform her decision to enter the ABA therapy industry.
Establishing a Foundation for Expansion
With a second location planned for Tinton Falls in 2027, Dr. Aloush is preparing to build on the progress of her first center and continue developing her business within the SOS franchise network.
CEO Perspective
Dr. Abeer Aloush’s journey demonstrates that a new professional chapter can emerge after profound personal loss.
After spending 15 years building an academic career, she stepped away from her profession to care for her husband during his illness. Following his passing, she faced the difficult task of rebuilding her life and discovering a new direction.
Her experience as a mother of a daughter with autism helped guide her toward Success On The Spectrum, where she could connect her personal experiences with a mission to support children and families.
Despite having no prior business ownership experience, Dr. Aloush opened SOS Matawan in 2023 and grew the center to more than $2.2 million in annual gross revenue by 2025. Her plans to open a second location in 2027 mark the next stage of that journey.
Her story illustrates how resilience, personal purpose, and an established franchise model can come together to support a new entrepreneurial path.
Watch Their Story
Takeaway
Dr. Abeer Aloush’s journey shows how personal adversity can become the starting point for a new professional purpose.
After 15 years in academia and a period devoted to caring for her husband, she chose to rebuild her life through entrepreneurship. Her experience as a mother of a daughter with autism helped shape her decision to open Success On The Spectrum in Matawan, New Jersey.
With no previous business ownership experience, she built a center that generated $2,223,199 in annual gross revenue in 2025, representing approximately 150% year-over-year growth. Her planned expansion into Tinton Falls in 2027 signals the next chapter of her business journey.
Through Sos Franchising, Dr. Aloush has found a way to combine a new entrepreneurial opportunity with a mission that is personally meaningful to her. Her story reflects the possibility of beginning again, building a business around a meaningful purpose, and creating opportunities for continued growth.
Client Profile
Background & Ownership
Investment & Complexity
