SPOTLIGHT
Children’s Autism Clinic Tears immediately well up in Icela Williams’s eyes when she begins to describe the past struggles with her 4-year-old son, Addis. “I started to feel crazy. Everyone kept telling me, ‘don’t worry, he’s fine,’ but I knew something wasn’t right.” Addis was recently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This developmental disorder affects communication and behavior in one out of every 54 children in the United States. While ASD is common and symptoms can usually be detected around age 2, it can be difficult to diagnose. Like so many children and their families, Addis’s journey to receive a diagnosis was challenging. “Around the 8- to 10-month mark is when I first noticed the differences between Addis and other children. He was still crawling on his belly while other children were pulling up,” Icela shared. Around age 1, Addis’s parents met with their pediatrician, who referred them for autism screening, however every clinic they called had at least an eight-month waitlist. But Icela didn’t let that stop her from trying to do everything possible to help Addis. Icela began searching online, reading everything she could find on ASD in an attempt to treat her son herself. Addis eventually began receiving speech and occupational therapy services around age 2. “(The sessions) were too short, expensive, and I felt like it wasn’t helping him a lot,” Addis’s father, Shalom Sahlie, said. “He needed more of it. Two months later, we’re still doing the “I started to feel crazy. same thing.”
Everyone kept telling me, ‘don’t worry, he’s fine,’ but I knew something wasn’t right.”
As Addis grew older, his problems persisted, and the differences between him and his peers became more evident. “Walking up or down a curb was like climbing a mountain for him,” Icela said. “He choked a lot because he would put whole pieces of food — Icela Williams, in his mouth.” Addis also struggled mother of Addis behaviorally at daycare, screaming and acting out and eventually being asked to leave. Icela and Shalom remember that time as especially tough and challenging. “I thought, what am I doing wrong? Why can’t I help my child?” Icela reflected on their journey. The parents were at their wit’s end. In order to authorize any ASD therapy, their medical insurance would require an official medical diagnosis.
There was hope for Addis to receive a diagnosis at the LSU Health Shreveport Children’s Center located within the School of Allied Health Professions. Icela and Shalom requested an evaluation and shortly after his third birthday in March of 2020, Icela and Shalom were contacted by the Children’s Center to begin the process. However, the Children’s Center, like the entire world, was affected by shutdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Michelle
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