About ASPIRE Next

We built the support we once needed.

When our son Himal was diagnosed with autism, our family entered a world we did not yet understand.

We met caring professionals and received valuable recommendations. Then we went home, where meals, transitions, communication, learning, and bedtime continued.

ASPIRE Next brings professional guidance into everyday family life, helping families choose meaningful goals, use practical strategies at home, and adjust the plan based on what they notice.
Himal Bikmal or artwork created by Himal
Himal’s creativity helped us see progress in a fuller, more human way.
Our Family’s Story

Himal changed how we understand progress.

Himal has significant autism and communication needs. When he was young, many of the predictions about his future focused on what he might never do.

Life with Himal taught us to look closer. Progress was not only what could be measured during an appointment. It was finding ways to communicate, take part in family life, build everyday skills, and share more of who he was.

Art became one of the ways Himal expressed himself. His paintings revealed creativity and joy that were not always easy for him to communicate in words. His work later inspired Zenaviv, a social enterprise created to showcase art by autistic and disabled artists.

Every child has more inside them than the world may immediately see.

ASPIRE Next begins with the whole child: their strengths, interests, communication, challenges, and the life their family wants to help them build.

Meet the Founders

Clinical expertise. Lived understanding. A shared mission.

Sandhya and Harish Bikmal built ASPIRE Next from both sides of autism care: years of professional work and the everyday experience of raising their son.

Sandhya Bikmal

Sandhya Bikmal, M.S., BCBA, LBA

Co-Founder & Chief Clinical Officer

Sandhya’s path began at home. Her experience raising an autistic son led her to become a behavior analyst. Over more than 15 years, she has helped more than 100 children and families turn clinical recommendations into practical support for everyday life.

Harish Bikmal

Harish Bikmal

Co-Founder & Business and Innovation Leader

Harish brings experience across healthcare, behavioral health, technology, product development, and disability inclusion. His work has focused on building better systems and creating opportunities for autistic people and their families.

Together, they are building the practical support their family once needed: clear guidance that respects both clinical knowledge and family life.
TEDx Talk by Harish Bikmal

See the story and belief behind the work.

Hear Harish share how his family’s experience shaped his work in autism, inclusion, and creating space for people’s strengths to be seen.

Watch Harish’s TEDx Talk
What Guides Us

Clinical expertise and family knowledge belong together.

A good plan should make sense clinically and work in the middle of real family life. These beliefs guide how we listen, plan, and support families.

The goal is not to turn parents into therapists. It is to help them feel clearer about what to try and why.
01

Every child is more than a diagnosis.

A diagnosis gives us useful information, but it never tells the whole story. We begin with the child’s strengths, interests, communication, needs, and daily life.

02

Parents bring knowledge no appointment can capture.

Families see the early mornings, difficult transitions, small wins, and changing patterns. Their observations help shape the goals and the plan.

03

Progress should make everyday life better.

We focus on communication, participation, routines, safety, and independence in the moments that matter to the child and family.

04

Families deserve support, not blame.

When a strategy does not fit, we look at what needs to change. We adjust the plan rather than judging the child or the people caring for them.

05

Clear boundaries build trust.

We are honest about what ASPIRE Next can provide and when another or additional service may be needed.

Why ASPIRE Next

Families should not be left alone between appointments.

A recommendation can make perfect sense in a professional’s office and still be hard to use at 7:10 in the morning, during a difficult transition, or when everyone is tired at bedtime. ASPIRE Next was built for that gap.

Professional Support

Appointments bring expertise and direction.

Evaluations, therapy, and other services can help families understand their child and identify meaningful areas for support.

Assessment Recommendations Clinical insight
ASPIRE Next helps connect the two.
Everyday Family Life

Real life rarely follows the appointment plan.

Families need help deciding what to try, fitting it into routines they already have, and changing course when something does not work as expected.

Mornings Meals Transitions Bedtime

Parents are not expected to become their child’s therapist. They bring what they know about their child. We bring clinical guidance. The plan is built together.

Support is shaped around the child, the family’s priorities, and the moments they want to make easier.
Your Next Step

You do not need to have the next step figured out.

Start with one conversation. Tell us what is happening, what feels hardest right now, and what you hope could become easier for your child or family.

For Families

Talk with a BCBA about what is happening at home.

Request a free 45-minute virtual consultation. We will listen, answer questions, and help you understand what a useful next step could look like.

Book a Free Consultation
For Professionals

Connect a family with practical support.

Refer a family who may benefit from BCBA-led guidance designed for the moments between professional appointments.

Refer a Family

The consultation is free. There is no pressure to enroll or move forward.