In the midst of developmental uncertainties surrounding his son, Adam, Youness El Fehdi discovered a lifeline at Integrated Brain Health in Oklahoma City, where an autism diagnosis gave way to groundbreaking therapy, unveiling a voice for Adam and hope for his family.
The quest for answers
When Youness El Fehdi’s son, Adam, was around 2 and a half years old, he and his wife began to have concerns about Adam’s behavior. Adam wasn’t speaking, he avoided eye contact and he wasn’t reaching other developmental milestones.
Worried there was something wrong, El Fehdi sought help from a local resource but was told Adam was fine. Around this time, El Fehdi noticed the sign for Integrated Brain Health (IBH) while driving in Oklahoma City.
“We decided to try Integrated Brain Health because we were still noticing these behaviors but we didn’t know the cause,” said El Fehdi. “Once we met with IBH and Adam was evaluated, we received the diagnosis that Adam had autism.”
At IBH, a multidisciplinary team offers a comprehensive and holistic approach to addressing children’s brain health through diagnostic tools and evidence-based treatment plans. Services provided include ABA treatment, counseling, occupational therapy and interventional services.
With no prior knowledge of autism, the El Fehdi family began a new journey with IBH and Adam started therapy.
“IBH was like a savior for us,” said El Fehdi. “Adam had regular therapy and every month we would meet with the IBH therapists to discuss our goals, review what progress he was making and learn how we, as parents, could help him reach those goals.”
One of the most impactful changes after beginning therapy was that Adam began to speak.
“Before IBH, Adam was unable to communicate and ask for basic needs,” said El Fehdi. “He couldn’t ask for a drink of water or tell us when he was hungry. He would only grab our hands and cry. It was really tough not knowing what was wrong or what he needed. But, after a few months of therapy, he was able to say things like, ‘Momma, I want water,’ and ask for things he wanted — which was life-changing for us, and still is, even though Adam is unable to speak contextually.”
Beyond diagnoses
The El Fehdi family’s story is a familiar one for Leesa Lacey, founder and CEO of IBH.
“In Oklahoma, there’s still a general lack of knowledge and understanding of neurodiversities and families struggle to receive the support they need for their neurodiverse children,” said Lacey. “It’s one of the reasons I developed the assessment tool we use at IBH, a Diagnostic Matrix that assesses multiple domains of the brain, whether it’s auditory, visual, memory, behavior, emotional regulation, social skills, etc.”
To understand a child and meet their needs, Lacey believes it is critical to recognize that any child who has any type of diagnosis experiences that diagnosis differently. For instance, one child diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may do well socially, while another child with ADHD may have poor social skills.
“We focus on the individual child and how their particular diagnosis affects their lives and their family, and then [we] work as a team to make the greatest positive impact,” said Lacey. “We want to empower parents. After a diagnosis, parents are typically overwhelmed, maybe in shock and often feel completely lost — so we come alongside and work closely with them, their child and the entire family. It can be difficult for a neurotypical sibling to have a brother or sister who is neurodiverse because that child requires and receives more attention. However, we’ve also found that as our parents complete our Diagnostic Matrix, they may begin to recognize neurodiversities in their other children.”
Lacey recalls the story of a child who was experiencing moments of extreme aggression. After discovering he was interested in Japanese anime and other cultures, his therapists developed a treatment plan that led to desired progress.
“This student recently gave me a schematic of our building identifying all of the outlets that needed to be converted to 220v for European compatibility — it was amazing,” said Lacey. “He’s brilliant and he’s going to do great things. We just have to find a way to channel it. These children are so gifted, but you have to unwrap that gift. Once they feel good about themselves and that they belong, it changes the whole game.”
This level of commitment to the health and wellness of her patients and families has led to a flexible mindset and outside-the-box thinking.
“Our core values are flexibility and fun,” said Lacey. “Our industry is known for being clinical and rigid, so we want to bring laughter and encouragement to the serious work we do each day.”
Lacey is always challenging herself by asking the question, “How can we do this better?” This frame of mind led her to design IBH like a school.
“It’s a naturalistic environment that helps our kids experience real-life settings,” said Lacey. “We recently graduated multiple learners who will be transitioning into a school environment and one of the many ways we’ve prepared them for that transition is through our building’s design.”
Moving forward
For the El Fehdi family, caring for Adam is a continual learning process. He is now 8 years old, and while some of his autism symptoms are mild, he struggles with a severe case of food aversion, which puts him at risk of nutrient deficiencies. Recently, the El Fehdis moved to North Carolina and say they have yet to find a place like IBH. But what they learned from IBH remains top of mind and even inspired El Fehdi to write a book to help other parents navigating an autism diagnosis for a child, called Dominate the Challenges of Autism.
“At IBH you feel like your child is truly loved and wanted,” said El Fehdi. “They are so family-oriented and genuinely care. They are committed to meeting the needs of your child and your family.”
For parents who suspect their child may be exhibiting signs of autism, El Fehdi encourages them to seek therapy as soon as possible.
“We’re so glad we took Adam to IBH as early as we did,” said El Fehdi. “It really helped him.”
Find out more about the services offered by Integrated Brain Health at ibhealth.co.
