Outside Capital Isn’t the Problem in Autism Therapy. A Lack of Accountability Is.
By Chris Larson | October 1, 2026
Image by Adam Radosavljevic from Pixabay | CC0
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This is an exclusive BHB+ story
I’ve always loved the pop-punk band MxPx, especially their single, “Responsibility.” It’s about putting off accountability and clinging to youth just a little longer. We have all been there.
The track popped up on my shuffle recently, and it got me thinking about responsibility — and its close cousin, accountability.
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In more ways than one, the autism therapy industry is growing up and facing so much more accountability from all sides. This is a good thing. Much of the industry-level reputation damage has happened because the industry lacked robust oversight from the several entities that could have provided it. Regulators and payers are now establishing or reworking industry standards, but autism therapy providers still bear the duty to police themselves. Bringing outside capital partners — such as private equity firms or family offices — does precisely that.
Outside capital does not guarantee ethical conduct or strong clinical quality. However, when investors establish and maintain capable governance, they can add controls that founder-led organizations may lack. They also inject the capital required to build serious compliance infrastructure — systems young providers can’t afford — to stop misconduct before it starts and clean it up the moment it appears.
Taking on outside capital brings tradeoffs. Funnily enough, so does growing up. In exchange for surrendering our carefree independence, we grow in capability, hopefully becoming a positive force for good for someone, somewhere. Similarly, autism therapy is trading in the Wild West marketplace, where everyone has their own definition of good, for an industry with clearer, more rigorous standards.
In this week’s BHB+ Update, I will:
- Highlight the lack of external accountability in many of the major autism therapy industry scandals
- Explain why going it alone is almost always a bad idea
- The special importance that clinician leaders play in all of this