InTucker Magazine

Business of the Month – Success on the Spectrum

After spending years in corporate America, Andres Dargent wanted to start a venture he could call his own. In his search, Dargent attended a franchise fair featuring numerous companies with franchise opportunities. Dargent, who had a godson with autism, visited the Success On The Spectrum (SOS) booth and thought to himself that this could be a good company that can help people and be truly meaningful.

SOS helps individuals with autism, assisting them with social skills and physical skills. The organization also hosts events for its clients and offers Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy.

Dargent did not expect to find an organization that would bring him purpose and fulfillment, but that one fair led to him becoming the franchise owner of the SOS location serving the Tucker community.

Dargent noted that one of the requirements of being an SOS franchise owner is that the owner must be the operator of the franchise, remaining involved and hands-on. SOS wants owners to know the clients and their families on a personal level. Dargent completely agrees with that sentiment and enjoys it.

“I personally want to know all the kids, I want to know all the families so we can have conversations and get to know each other at a human level,” Dargent said.

He become a franchise owner in 2023 and has thoroughly enjoyed running SOS. His clients and their families enjoy it too.

One aspect of the operation families enjoy is the observation room, a space where parents can see their children on screens while they are having their therapy sessions. Dargent said parents love this feature because some parents are not comfortable leaving their children alone, especially for the first time.

Clients also appreciate the convenience that SOS provides. SOS has Board Certified Behavior Analysts onsite, along with speech and occupational therapists who come in to work with some children. Because some of the children are there all day, this makes life easier for parents who no longer have to pick up their children and take them to a specialty therapist.

Dargent believes that his franchise makes a positive difference in families’ lives. SOS has seen its clients improve their lives, which is incredibly rewarding for Dargent.

One of Dargent’s favorite moments occurred when a boy with physical limitations was at the facility. The boy had a hard time moving around, and they had a therapist work with him to improve his mobility. One day, while working in his office, Dargent heard a scream. He came out of his office to see what the commotion was all about. The child, who previously had a hard time going on a slide by himself, went down completely on his own, causing the therapist to scream in excitement.

When Dargent found out what happened, he was overwhelmed and had tears of joy. The boy showed off to everybody there, doing it over and over again, and he showed off to his parents when they arrived. That day was incredibly special for Dargent. For him, days like those make being an SOS owner deeply fulfilling.