Tears immediately well up in Icela Williams’s eyes when she begins to describe the past struggles with her four-year-old son, Addis. “I started to feel crazy,” she said, “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 1 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,” shared Icela. 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 8-month waitlist. But Icela didn’t let that stop her from trying to do everything possible to help Addis. Icela began Googling, searching YouTube, and 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,” shared Addis’s father, Shalom Sahlie. “He needed more of it. 2 months later, we’re still doing the same thing.”

But Dr. Yetman did see Addis’s behavioral issues, and diagnosed him with Autism Spectrum Disorder, making him the first case diagnosed via telehealth at the LSU Health Shreveport Children’s Center. Icela and Shalom were elated to finally have a diagnosis and for Addis to begin treatment.

Once the clinic reopened for patients in August 2020, Addis began Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) Therapy at the Children’s Center for half a day, five days a week. ABA therapy is an intensive therapy for children with ASD designed to increase language and communication skills, improve attention, focus, social skills, memory, and academics, and decrease problem behaviors. “ABA therapy is a highly effective, evidence-based treatment for ASD with 30 years of research behind it,” said Dr. Yetman. After just two weeks of therapy, Addis’s parents could see a tremendous improvement. “(The Children’s Center) was the first place Addis went where I wasn’t constantly worrying about him struggling or acting out,” said Icela. “We went from having tantrums all the time to hardly at all very quickly.”

How it began

The ABA therapy clinic is the most recent addition to the Children’s Center due to a generous gift from the Q-Petersen Family Foundation. The family’s gift established the ABA therapy clinic at the Children’s Center, allowing Addis and other children diagnosed with ASD to benefit for years to come. In fact, Addis was the first child to begin receiving ABA therapy at the Children’s Clinic.

“My family knew we wanted to do something to positively impact the lives of children here in our community,” said Jon Q-Petersen. “I was already familiar with the standard of care through the School of Allied Health Professions at LSU Health Shreveport and knew that supporting the Children’s Center would allow it to become a self-sustaining resource for children and their families in this community.”

The Q-Petersen family was struck with tragedy in 2014 when they lost their granddaughter to Trisomy 13, a rare genetic disease, at her birth. Through their grief the family felt clearly called to support a children’s initiative. “As a family, that really shook us to our core,” said Mr. Q-Petersen. “We wanted to do something to honor her.” Additionally, one of Mr. Q-Petersen’s grandsons began showing signs of developmental delays. “We became shockingly aware of how few resources there are for children and their families in Shreveport.”, said Mr. Q-Petersen. The Q-Petersen family hopes to eliminate the gap in high-quality healthcare for children who cannot travel or have limited resources in the Shreveport community. “We are excited to see this program launch.”, said Mr. Q-Petersen. “There are so many children right here in Shreveport who need this kind of care.”

With Addis recently turning four years old in March, he will be off to preschool in the Fall of 2021, confident and prepared. “The future is so bright for him,” said Icela. “We truly did not know where to turn for Addis, so we are thankful for the phenomenal care he has received at the LSU Health Shreveport Children’s Center.” To other families who may be struggling with a child with ASD, Icela says simply to “Just keep pushing on. Have persistence and it will pay off.”