Introducing Lighthouse Fusion: Bringing Together ABA and Speech Therapy

I can’t say enough positive things about the work that has been done with Garrett. He is a totally different kid now than when he started with Lighthouse in July. I was reluctant in the beginning because 8 hours a day, 5 days a week seemed like so much but it turns out that it was exactly what he needed. When we go to restaurants he orders his own food. At the wedding, not only did he do a fantastic job, he was spoken to by several people he had never met before and he responded appropriately to each person and was able to carry on a conversation.

Everyday we waited to hear from the school that we had to come get our son because they were not equipped to handle him. In fact, I use to take my cellphone in to sales calls because I needed to be available to go get him at a moments notice.
The piece of mind I now take for granted, to an extent, when I drop him off is a true godsend. Everyone their seems genuinely interested in my son and his successes.
I cant say enough for what your staff has done for our son myself and his mother!

In just three short months, Brody has made amazing progress. His communication and language skills have vastly improved, which has resulted in far fewer tantrums since he is better able to communicate with us what he wants or needs. He responds to his name usually on the first or second time we call to him, whereas this summer it sometimes would take us saying his name up to ten times until he faced us. I could go on and on, but the number one thing we want to thank the Lighthouse staff for is loving our child.

LAC has brought to our lives new inspiration. Two years ago, on December 3rd, Lexi began her journey with your team. I was nervous, excited, scared, and hopeful all at the same time. Every question I had about our choice to bring her to you was running wild through my thoughts: Would you understand her? Could you help her grow? Would you recognize her hidden intelligence? Would she be accepted? Would the staff love her and care for her the way we had always envisioned?
Every response is a resounding “YES!”

9 months ago we dropped Ethan off for his first day. We had no idea what to expect. Ethan didn’t interact much. We were all frustrated and lost.
Fast forward these short months and WOW! Ethan is a completely different kid! He expresses what he wants! He plays with his brothers and sister. He even looks for which sibling he wants! (Each one has something different to offer him). He calls for “da” and says “mama”.

The biggest thing I have noticed is that Lighthouse has taught him how to be so much more patient with himself, and to keep trying. A year ago he couldn’t play a video game for 30 seconds without getting frustrated and giving up , always wanting someone else to do it for him. Now when we play Mario, he tries over and over again to jump on something until he gets it, so impressive! They are teaching him to think outside of the box, if you can’t get something to work one way, try it another way

As many of you can recall, prior to coming to the Lighthouse, our Chazzy boy had a permanent knot and scab on his forehead from repeatedly whacking his head out of frustration. He was flying into daily rages and was harming himself and us. Fast forward to today, and we see a completely transformed child. He charges to the front door and makes his daily grand entrance as if to say ” Hi everyone! I’m here!” We never know what he is going to learn next, but we are filled with joy and hopefulness that he will continue to thrive and grow.

The Lighthouse staff has won our hearts, and our gratitude, for the incredible job they do with Chaz and all the kids – it is evident that they love and care for, and find joy in, each one of the children. As you all know, we moved to South Bend from Hawaii just over 5 years ago. In Hawaii, the word “aloha” is commonly used for a friendly greeting and warm farewell, but it is also used to describe the spirit of one who is kind, welcoming, caring, and mindful. The spirit of aloha infuses LACand all that goes on within its walls.

We ask and expect a lot sometimes, so we appreciate your patience. The progress Hunter has made is leaps and bounds from where he was in a year and ½ ago and we have each and every one of you to thank for this. With your help and hard work you see to it that Hunter can achieve his goals and you help him learn new and exciting things every day. Please know that we are so grateful to all of you and appreciate your selfless work.

How have you impacted Adam’s life? There are 3 areas that stand out to us and are in no particular order. Getting Adam to try any new foods outside his “home” foods continues to amaze us and we can’t help but shake our heads in bewilderment . Hands down you guys have gotten him to eat food we never could. Adam’s vocabulary has increased over 150 words when it comes to sign language. He continues to identify actions with words. Transitioning Adam to “big boy” underwear has been nothing short of amazing.