I recently had the pleasure of visiting Tots N Teens Pediatrics at their newly relocated office in Plano, Texas, where I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Ahmad Kayass, the physician and founder behind the practice.
And I have to say, this was one of those visits I really enjoyed!
Dr. Kayass welcomed me into his office, and what I expected to be a relatively brief introduction turned into nearly an hour of conversation.
We talked about healthcare, the challenges of running a medical practice, our experiences building organizations that serve children and families, and even some of our personal backgrounds.
But what really stood out to me wasn’t any particular topic we discussed. It was Dr. Kayass himself.
A Doctor Who Makes You Feel Right at Home
One of the first things I noticed about Dr. Kayass was just how incredibly warm, hospitable, and down-to-earth he was.
He’s the kind of person you can sit down with and immediately feel comfortable talking to.
Sometimes when you meet a physician, particularly someone who owns and operates a growing medical practice, there’s a certain formality to the interaction.
Not with Dr. Kayass!
He was friendly, easygoing, and genuinely enjoyable to speak with. There was none of that overly formal atmosphere you might expect.
We ended up chatting for nearly an hour, and the conversation flowed so naturally that it hardly felt like a scheduled meeting.
I think that’s a wonderful quality in a pediatrician.
As parents, we want our children’s doctors to be knowledgeable and experienced, of course. But we also want someone we can comfortably approach with questions, concerns, and all the little things that come up when raising children.
And while I was meeting Dr. Kayass as a fellow healthcare business owner rather than as a patient, his warmth and approachability certainly left an impression on me.
From Syria to Building a Pediatric Practice in North Texas
Dr. Kayass has a fascinating background.
Originally from Syria, he had the opportunity to come to the United States and build a new life, pursuing opportunities that weren’t as readily available in his home country.
And he certainly made the most of those opportunities!
He pursued a career in medicine, eventually becoming board-certified in both pediatrics and sleep medicine. He completed his pediatric residency at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge before continuing his training in sleep medicine through UT Southwestern and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.
Around 15 years ago, he founded Tots N Teens Pediatrics, which has since grown into an independent practice serving families across multiple North Texas communities.
During our conversation, I shared something I’ve always admired about people who leave their home countries and build new lives in America.
It takes tremendous determination to start over somewhere new, pursue a career, and build something meaningful. And I have a great deal of respect for people who embrace those opportunities and put in the work to make their dreams a reality.
Dr. Kayass shared a funny story that made me smile.
His brother, who also lives in the United States, once asked his son to mow the lawn.
His son’s response?
“Why don’t we just hire someone to do it?”
Dr. Kayass laughed as he told me the story, reflecting on how differently children sometimes see the world from their parents, especially when they’ve grown up with opportunities and conveniences their parents didn’t always have.
It’s a funny little example of something many parents can relate to, regardless of where they grew up: wanting to give your children a comfortable life while also teaching them the value of hard work.
And I think that conversation gave me an even greater appreciation for Dr. Kayass.
Here is someone who built a career in medicine, established his own pediatric practice, and spent years growing it into an organization serving families throughout North Texas.
Yet despite everything he’s accomplished, he’s still incredibly warm, humble, and down-to-earth.
I really enjoyed getting to know that side of him.
A Welcoming New Office in Plano
I visited the Plano location, which Dr. Kayass told me they had recently moved into.
The office was really nice, welcoming, and comfortable. It had a pleasant atmosphere, and I could certainly see families feeling comfortable bringing their children there for appointments.
Today, Tots N Teens has three locations across North Texas:
- Plano
- Mesquite
- Forney
It’s impressive seeing how the practice has grown over the years, expanding its reach to serve families across several North Texas communities.
And his patients share my positive impression as well! Tots N Teens has excellent online Google reviews, with the Plano location earning 4.7 stars from 91 reviews, and the Forney and Mesquite locations each earning 4.3 stars. I particularly enjoyed seeing parents describe Dr. Kayass and his team as welcoming, knowledgeable, and great with children. It’s always nice when the feedback from families reflects the same warmth I experienced firsthand!
More Than Just Routine Pediatric Visits
Another thing worth knowing about Tots N Teens is that they offer quite a broad range of pediatric services.
Of course, they provide the regular care you’d expect from a pediatrician, including well-child checkups, vaccinations, sick visits, and annual physicals.
But they also offer several additional services that families might not realize are available through their pediatrician.
These include:
- ADHD evaluations and management: Helping families address concerns related to attention, focus, and hyperactivity.
- Pediatric sleep medicine: An area in which Dr. Kayass has specialized training and experience.
- Allergy testing: Helping families identify and manage allergies.
- Sports physicals: For children participating in school and recreational sports.
- Tongue-tie evaluations and treatment: Including frenotomy procedures when appropriate.
Their website also mentions that same-day sick visits are often available, which can be a tremendous convenience for busy parents.
For families who want a pediatrician who can address a variety of their children’s healthcare needs, having access to these services within one practice is certainly appealing.
You can explore their services at TotsNTeens.net.
An Independent Pediatric Practice That Accepts Commercial Insurance
Something I think is particularly worth highlighting about Tots N Teens is that it’s an independent, physician-owned pediatric practice.
After hearing about Dr. Kayass’s journey and the work he’s put into building his organization, I think this is an important part of what makes the practice interesting.
Today, many families receive their pediatric care through large hospital systems or corporate medical groups. And while those organizations certainly have their advantages, they’re not the only option.
Independent practices like Tots N Teens give families another choice: receiving care from a physician who has personally built and invested in the practice.
And here’s something I particularly want parents to know:
Tots N Teens accepts major commercial health insurance plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and Cigna.
I think this is worth emphasizing because families with commercial insurance sometimes naturally gravitate toward larger healthcare organizations without realizing that independently owned pediatric practices may also accept their coverage.
If you have health insurance through your employer or a private plan, you may have the option of choosing a practice like Tots N Teens while still using your existing insurance benefits.
And after meeting Dr. Kayass, I can certainly appreciate the appeal.
Here you have a physician with extensive medical experience, specialized training in sleep medicine, and a genuinely warm, approachable personality, who has also spent years building his own pediatric practice.
Of course, being independently owned doesn’t automatically make a practice better than a larger healthcare system. But for families who appreciate the idea of a more personal, physician-owned practice, I think Tots N Teens is well worth considering.
So if you’re a family with BCBS, Aetna, Cigna, or another commercial insurance plan in Plano, Frisco, Allen, Richardson, Mesquite, Forney, or the surrounding communities, I’d definitely encourage you to take a closer look at Tots N Teens Pediatrics.
Whether you’re choosing a pediatrician for a newborn, recently moved to the area, or are simply considering a change, this is a practice worth exploring.
They also accept Medicaid, making their services available to families with different types of coverage.
As always, you’ll want to contact the office to confirm that your specific insurance plan is accepted and that they’re accepting new patients.
Helping Families Find Autism Evaluations and Services
As the founder of Bright Pathways ABA, one of the reasons I enjoy visiting pediatric offices is the opportunity to learn how different practices support children with autism and other developmental needs.
During my conversation with Dr. Kayass, we discussed some of the challenges families face when trying to find comprehensive autism evaluations.
Dr. Kayass explained that his practice doesn’t conduct these evaluations itself, and he was interested in learning about psychologists and evaluation centers where he could refer families.
I was happy to tell him about two providers I’ve gotten to know through my own outreach efforts.
Lifespan Psychological Services, based in Frisco, provides comprehensive autism evaluations and other psychological assessment services. I’ve had the opportunity to learn about their approach and the work of Dr. Kristen Belloni and her team.
You can read more about Lifespan in my North Dallas provider article.
I also shared information about Comprehensive Psychological Services of Texas (CPST), another organization providing autism evaluations and psychological services to families across North Texas.
You can read about CPST in that same article.
Dr. Kayass was particularly interested in understanding which evaluation providers accept Medicaid, since insurance coverage can make finding the right evaluation provider challenging for some families.
I appreciated his interest in having additional resources available to help families navigate that process.
It’s something we encounter frequently in our own work, and I think there’s tremendous value in pediatricians, psychologists, and therapy providers knowing about one another and helping families connect with the services they need.
Of course, families should confirm insurance acceptance and evaluation availability directly with each provider.
A Little About Bright Pathways ABA
During my visit, I also had the opportunity to introduce Dr. Kayass to Bright Pathways ABA and share what we’re doing to make high-quality ABA therapy more accessible to families throughout North Texas.
At Bright Pathways, we provide personalized, one-on-one ABA therapy for children with autism, primarily in the comfort of their own homes.
We serve families throughout Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Prosper, and surrounding Dallas–Fort Worth communities.
Our therapy focuses on helping children develop meaningful skills in communication, social interaction, independence, and everyday living.
Each child’s treatment plan is tailored to their individual needs, with experienced Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) overseeing therapy and working closely with families.
One of the things I particularly love about our home-based approach is that children get to learn and practice skills in the environment where they actually use them.
Whether it’s communicating their needs, getting dressed independently, managing challenging behaviors, or interacting with family members, we’re helping children build skills that can make a real difference in their everyday lives.
Another advantage of our home-based model is that we’re not limited by the number of rooms or available spaces in a therapy center.
Instead, we can expand our services by bringing qualified therapists directly to families in their communities. This flexibility allows us to generally avoid the lengthy waiting lists that families sometimes encounter when looking for ABA therapy.
We currently have no waitlists for families with BCBS commercial, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare/Optum/UMR. However, we work particularly closely with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), allowing us to move through the process and get families started the fastest with BCBS commercial insurance.
We also work with Texas Medicaid and other insurance plans, although families with Medicaid should generally expect a longer wait due to the more time-consuming insurance approval process.
Our team helps families navigate every step, from verifying benefits and scheduling assessments to securing authorizations and coordinating their therapy team.
If you’re looking for ABA therapy for your child, you can learn more or get started at BrightPathwaysABA.com.
It was great getting to introduce Dr. Kayass to our services while also learning more about the families his practice supports.
How to Contact Tots N Teens Pediatrics
If you’re interested in learning more about Tots N Teens or scheduling an appointment for your child, the practice has three locations across North Texas.
Plano — The Location I Visited
4100 W. 15th Street, Suite 100
Plano, TX 75093
Phone: 972-867-6880
Mesquite
1650 Republic Parkway, Suite 120
Mesquite, TX 75150
Phone: 972-285-0838
Forney
757 E. US Hwy 80, Suite 240
Forney, TX 75126
Phone: 469-290-4592
Website: www.totsnteens.net
You can also contact the practice through its website to ask about appointments, insurance coverage, and available services.
A Really Enjoyable Visit!
I really enjoyed my time visiting Tots N Teens Pediatrics and getting to know Dr. Kayass.
Between his impressive medical background, his journey from Syria to building his own pediatric practice, and his genuinely warm and welcoming personality, there was a lot to appreciate.
What I found particularly refreshing was meeting someone who has spent so many years building and growing a medical practice while remaining so approachable and down-to-earth.
And I think there’s something especially nice about families having access to independent, physician-owned practices like Tots N Teens alongside the larger healthcare systems in their communities.
For parents in Plano and the surrounding North Texas communities, especially those looking for an independent pediatric practice that works with their commercial health insurance, I would encourage you to take a closer look at Tots N Teens.
And Dr. Kayass, if you’re reading this, thank you again for taking the time to sit down and chat. I really enjoyed our conversation!
