Episode #118: From Diagnosis to Intervention- A Conversation With Zulekha Williams

Don’t Wait! That’s the advice from Zulekha Williams when it comes to taking action for concerns with your child’s development. I met Zulekha over on TikTok; she is a great mom who is fighting for the needs of her children and sharing her journey along the way.

As a member of the helping profession, Zulekha wasted no time when it came to getting support for her son when she started noticing early signs of autism. Before his diagnosis, she was seeing signs like delayed motor skills, no eye tracking, limited awareness, no sense of danger, and no speech. She immediately started speech and other therapies before completing the M-CHAT on her own and bringing it to her doctor.

Alongside speech therapy for her speech delayed 2 year old, Zulekha has quite the journey securing the right therapy and services for her sons. Between ABA therapy, speech therapy, telehealth, school, and even issues with allowing AAC in the school, she had to seek out the help of another TikTok creator, The IEP Strategist. If you’re having similar experiences when it comes to speech services or AAC, check out the Communication Bill of Rights on ASHA.

During our conversation, you can hear the passion Zulekha has for her children. Her story and tips for services and creating communication with your children are such an inspiration for any family!

#autism #speechtherapy

Today’s Guest:

Zulekha Williams is the mother of an autistic 4yr old, Maddox, and a speech delayed 2yr old, Gus. She homeschools both boys. Maddox was in school but was removed because of his self injurious behavior. Zulekha has a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling but is unable to work right now because her high needs autistic son needs her help in the home. Zulekah uses TikTok as an outlet since she is not able to help people through therapy.  She posts resources and describes how she helps her autistic son gain important skills. She also shares their family’s journey with autism.  

What’s Inside:

• A TikTok Mom sharing her family’s Autism and Therapy journey.
• Noticing early signs of autism and developmental delays.
• Advocating for therapy and other services.
• Using AAC and other communication tools in the home.
• Therapy services in a small town, navigating in home therapy and telehealth.
• Can you get your Speech and ABA therapists to collaborate?

Mentioned In This Episode

—Communication Bill of Rights
—Zulekha Williams on TikTok
—ABA Speech: Learn About Current ASHA and ACE CEUs
—Thank you to our sponsor LINGGO. For more information, visit www.linggo.com or contact info@linggo.com 

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