Selma, AL: Autism diagnostic clinic opening to provide local serve

July 11, 2025, Blackbelt News: New Selma clinic to provide services to children with autism in the Black Belt 

A new clinic coming to Selma will improve the lives of local children with autism spectrum disorder.  

The Physician Assisted Autism Diagnostic Clinic will bring to Selma services that families have had to travel hours to receive, according to Michelle Creekmore, the early childhood program director for The Arc of Madison County.  

The clinic will be offered at the YMCA in Selma four to six days a month and will test kids from ages 2 through 5, she said.  

 “Our little ones were either driving to Birmingham or Nashville for autism diagnostic services,” Creekmore said. “On top of that, there is about a two year wait list for those services.”  

At the PAAD clinic, Creekmore said the testing is done in the morning, and the reports are written in the afternoon. The time frame a family learns the diagnosis is cut from years to days, she said. 

“If we can get the kids tested earlier, we can get them services earlier,” Creekmore said. “You know the outcome of that child’s life could be totally different.” 

The Selma clinic is offered by The Arc of Madison County and Auburn University, who are also working together to run a similar clinic in Lee County. The Arc of Madison County has partnered with “some of the best programs in the state” to facilitate the testing throughout the state, according to Creekmore.  

“We have almost got it where no family in our state will have to drive more than 45 minutes for testing,” she said.