Assessment and Resource Center for Autism and Neurodiversity - ARC Frisco

I’m in my late fifties now. and for as long as I can remember, I’ve felt uncomfortable in social settings—awkward, unsure, and constantly masking my feelings. When I turned 50, someone suggested that my social anxiety might actually be rooted in autism. “Autism? Me?” I thought. That question marked the beginning of my self-discovery journey. After doing some research, I chose ARC because of the excellent reviews about Dr. G and her team. Still, I was nervous. Would they understand someone like me? Was it really worth investing my time, energy, and money? And, at my age, was it too late to learn who I really am? It turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made —it was absolutely worth it. Every penny. Every hour. Dr. G and her entire team genuinely care about their patients. Their evaluation was incredibly thorough, and I knew I could trust the results. Dr. G walked me through my diagnosis and offered practical suggestions to help me improve my life. The ARC became the first step in my self-discovery journey, and I’m deeply grateful to Dr. G and her team for cheering me on as I continue moving forward with my life.

Where do I start? This journey with Assessment Resource Center, Dr. Gayoso, Megan, Savannah, and the entire team has been the best decision and life altering investment we could have ever made for our son. Outside of the scientific aspect being fascinating to learn about, but knowing that we are possibly saving our son from a lifetime of different anxiety, depression or ADHD medications is something we can’t put a price on. We know our son will be given the best chance at navigating his mental health, academics and everything else with a much more balanced approach. I was looking for something VERY specific for my 8 year old son, as we were wanting him tested for a possible ADHD diagnosis. My son also has hearing loss and wears hearing aids for support. I needed a very custom, specific because the hearing loss can mimic ADHD or can also exacerbate ADHD symptoms. I needed to find out where the hearing loss trailed off and the ADHD took over, but also where they would overlap. For us as his parents to know how and what to parent, the ADHD or hearing loss, and also how to help him academically. We were also experiencing some strong behavioral changes where the responses didn’t match the situation from where they came. I of course assumed, I would never find something that is EXACTLY what I need. WRONG! Learning about the QEEG (brain mapping) from their website and getting a basic introduction to how it works, I was convinced this was the right decision. Outside of the QEEG, we were able to test our son in every single capacity you could think of, academically, emotionally, socially, IQ tests, cognitive function and more. The answers and results were astonishing and completely accurate at giving us a better understanding of our son we wouldn’t have known without them. Fast forward to the results and treatment. The results blew us away. The PRECISION in which it was able to describe our child, pinpoint the areas of the brain that need attention and tell us why we were noticing an uptick in emotional outbursts was unbelievably accurate. Our entire household changed that day, just from knowing what was responsible for the changes and the opportunity to improve his overall brain function that will be maintained throughout the rest of his life. His treatment consisted of NeuroFeedback therapy along with interactive CBT sessions. The overall change and improvements we have witnessed has been life altering for all of us. He is happier, more confident in his abilities and social development and now has the capacity to continue on his own. Walking into the office and being surrounded by a staff who also works within a spiritual capacity was icing on the cake. We knew from the moment our son was born that he has God given abilities and an enormous capacity for influence throughout his life. Knowing that we were in a place that would be conducive to him not only scientifically, but spiritually gave us the constant reassurance that we were in the right place. They speak life into our child and us as his parents. We cannot thank them enough or express our forever gratitude to Assessment Resource Center staff for providing a place and service for our son to become exactly who God created him to be. I sincerely believe, with everything in me, that this place has the ability to change lives for the long term without the conventional route we’ve become accustomed to with medications and pharmaceuticals.

The overall process was good. The lack of ability to provide an estimate, or even what the potential maximum could be, we found extremely frustrating. After the inital intake fee, which was applied to the 10% we covered out of pocket, we were shocked and disheartened of the total cost. Of course any great parent wants the best for their kids, but when insurance is not accepted, it can cause a hardship on the family. Thankfully, Mickenzie from ARC reached out and was able to contact our son's ISD to get them to pay for about 90% of the total cost. We solely attribute the success of her efforts for allowing us to move forward. The evaluation day was quite long, for our 10th grader (9:30-6:15 with one 30 mins scheduled break for lunch). He was over it all by 1:00 when he had lunch and we really had to encourage him to stick it out and push through. He was fried by the end of all the testing. Our ultimate goal was to finally get results to help our son with his education within a new (to us 2yrs) district. The battery of test confirmed about 75% of what we were previously told by his physicians over the last 8-10 years and most suggested educational accommodations were already in place. We did learn the root of his impulsivity (originally diagnosed with ICD) which is now being addressed by his physician to properly treat. Overall, we gained a vivid explanation on how our son's brain functions and where he required changes to help us help him be the best he can be. The primary reason for 4 vs 5 ☆ is based solely on the lack of up front pricing. We understand it could very for each individual, but we asked for a "worst case scenario" when we scheduled the parental intake appointment and that was off by about $3k. Then there was an issue of cost communicated where we absorbed (ISD wouldn't cover) the 10%. After speaking with Kenny via phone for approximately 30 mins, he promised to make things right and we can attest he did refund the overcharge that same day. The only suggestion we would make to potential clients would be to get everything in writing so you can fully understand the cost. All costs were communicated verbally via various phone calls and there were no hard numbers provided until billed.

I highly recommend the ARC. Dr. G and her staff have been a blessing to our family. My son struggles with anxiety, and like most of you we’ve tried everything or so I thought. The ARC is different because of how they provide comprehensive evaluations, and treatment plans that actually treat the whole person not just a band-aid fix. The brain mapping and therapy sessions address the real issues. The staff have always been welcoming, compassionate, helpful and always professional. My son now utilizes coping strategies he’s learned in therapy and is in a much better place emotionally. I’m so grateful to the ARC.

I highly recommend the ARC! If you or your child are struggling to figure out what is going on with learning, behavior, or trauma, (or other things too!) this is the place to find answers. After testing and brain mapping, Dr. G was able to explain exactly what was going on in our child's brain. This led us to finding exactly the right treatment we need to best help us. I am so thankful that a friend recommended the ARC and now I am sure to tell all my friends about it as well. I hope the ARC can help you find answers just like they did for our family!