OUR STORY

The Heart Behind Carelinks & Why Sam Built It From the Ground Up

Father and daughter at playground selfie.png

When my wife and I were told our 18-month-old daughter would benefit from ABA therapy following her autism diagnosis, we knew she needed support, but we also knew that how that support was delivered mattered deeply.

Much of what I initially encountered felt rigid and impersonal. It didn’t reflect the warmth, dignity, and individuality we saw in our daughter. That search led me to naturalistic ABA, grounded in Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs). This is an approach rooted in relationships, play, communication, and everyday routines, while remaining firmly evidence-based. I realized ABA could be both scientifically rigorous and genuinely compassionate.

With that vision, I partnered with my longtime friend Netanel Hershkop to build Carelinks ABA to create an experience families could truly trust: individualized, child-led, and centered on meaningful progress in daily life.

We became Iowa’s first exclusive in-home ABA provider and the first in the state to focus solely on naturalistic, child-led ABA. As larger providers entered the field, we chose to remain intentionally boutique, prioritizing quality, continuity, and strong collaborative relationships.

Today, we partner closely with families and professionals to deliver individualized, evidence-based ABA that supports real-life skills at home, in school, and in the community. We emphasize clear communication, defined timelines, and transparency. Families deserve confidence, not confusion.

At our core, Carelinks exists for one reason:

To empower children and their families to experience joyful outcomes through individualized, compassionate, and child-led ABA services.

I built Carelinks because I wanted something more personal and better for my own child. I believe every family deserves the same standard of compassionate care.

Our Core Focus

Empowering children and their families to experience joyful outcomes by providing individualized, compassionate, child-led ABA services.

At Carelinks ABA, empowerment means helping children build skills that increase independence, connection, and confidence in their everyday lives, at home, in school, and in their communities. We believe progress should feel meaningful, not forced. That growth should honor a child’s personality, strengths, and pace. We feel that families deserve clarity, partnership, and support, not confusion or overwhelm.

Joyful outcomes are not accidental. They are intentionally built through individualized plans, compassionate care, and child-led strategies grounded in therapeutic evidence.

Our Three Priorities

1. Individualized

No two children are the same. Every therapy plan is thoughtfully designed around the child’s unique strengths, needs, communication style, and developmental stage. Goals are functional, relevant, and centered on real-life success.

2. Compassionate

We lead with empathy and respect, which is at the heart of what we do. Behavior is communication, and we approach it with curiosity, not control. Our care prioritizes dignity, emotional safety, and trust, because children learn best in environments where they feel secure and understood.

3. Child-Led

We follow the child’s interests to build engagement and motivation. By integrating learning into play, relationships, and everyday routines, progress becomes natural and sustainable. This approach fosters joyful outcomes, not forced or compliance-driven results.

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