#263: SLP, OT and ABA Under One Roof with Nafisa Obi

In today’s episode, I sat down with Nafisa Obi to talk about what it really looks like to bring speech therapy, occupational therapy, and ABA together under one roof. Nafisa shared her journey from starting a small speech therapy practice to co-founding Essential Speech and ABA Therapy, which has grown into a nationwide franchise model focused on early intervention and true interdisciplinary collaboration.

We talked honestly about the realities of private practice ownership, the challenges of adding ABA to an existing SLP practice, and why understanding your “why” matters so much when you’re building services that impact families. Nafisa walked us through how her team recognized a gap in care, leaned into collaboration instead of competition, and built a model that prioritizes children, families, and ethical growth.

This conversation is especially powerful if you’re an SLP, OT, BCBA, or practice owner who feels the pull to do more for your clients but isn’t sure where to start. Nafisa’s story is a reminder that thoughtful, family-centered care and sustainable business practices can exist together, and that collaboration truly changes outcomes.

#autism #speechtherapy

What’s Inside:

• How Essential Speech and ABA Therapy evolved from a speech-only clinic into a fully collaborative SLP, OT, and ABA model
• What SLPs need to consider when adding ABA services, from staffing and billing to company culture
• Why true interdisciplinary collaboration improves outcomes for autistic children and their families
• How franchising became a way to responsibly expand access to ethical, high-quality autism care

Mentioned In This Episode:

Essential Speech and ABA Therapy
Nafisa Obi on LinkedIn
Join the ABA Speech Connection 
ABA Speech: Home