Studies have long suggested that early intervention leads to the best outcomes for children with autism. If your child is not reaching developmental milestones, or is exhibiting possible signs of autism, a parent should immediately have their child tested. For your convenience, Lighthouse Autism Center has a list of these signs on their website.

A child’s brain develops rapidly between birth and three years of age. As a result, the earlier the intervention for your child with autism, the more effective ABA therapy can be. If your suspect your child may have autism, schedule an appointment with your provider to have your child tested. If your child does have autism, you can contact Lighthouse Autism Center and enroll your child at one of our centers. The earlier your child develops a treatment plan with one of our Board Certified Behavior Analysts, the better we can help your child reach his or her fullest potential.

Security and Safety Precautions at Lighthouse Autism Center

One of the most important criteria for choosing an autism therapy center is safety. When working with children who have autism, safety is of the most paramount importance. At Lighthouse Autism Center, we are committed to providing the utmost security for your child, ensuring a safe and educational environment.

There are several safety precautions taken in order to ensure the safety of your child. These include:

Doors – Every singly door in each center is locked. This means that if a child tries to “elope” or run, they cannot exit the building. Each door has a button above the door that must be pressed in order to exit the building. In the six years the centers have been open, a child has never escaped. Furthermore, the doors are also locked from the outside meaning that the only way an individual (besides staff members and parents who have key fobs) to enter the center is for someone inside the building to let them inside.

Staff- All staff members are put through multiple interviews, reference checks, and background checks before being offered a position with the center.

Training- Each staff member is provided with two weeks of training prior to commencing therapy with a child. Not only that, the center provides certification training for each therapist in both CPR as well as Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI).

Emergency Protocols– Each center has emergency protocols for severe weather, fires, and lock downs. Several times throughout the year emergency drills are issued in order to ensure staff members and children know how to react in an emergency situation.

Where to Find our Centers, and Which Age Groups they Serve

No matter which LAC center you walk into, you will receive the same Lighthouse experience: Highly qualified therapists, one-on-one care, beautifully decorated, clean and safe centers, toys for all ages, and a warm and welcoming center. While the centers are similar in many ways, one way the centers differ is in the age groups they serve.

Mishawaka: Mishawaka is the only location that currently has two centers. The first center serves children from birth to five years of age and largely focuses on preparing children for school. The second location focuses on serving children from six to eleven years old (and sometimes older) and involves working on school skills as well as early life skills.

Plymouth: The Plymouth center serves the widest age range of children from two years old to sixteen years old. As a result, there are a wide variety of skills incorporated into therapy at this location depending on the child’s age and skill set.

Warsaw: In Warsaw, the center mainly serves children two to twelve years of age and focuses both on skills used to transition children back to school as well as some early-life skills.

Portage, Michigan: Similar to the Warsaw center, the LAC in Portage also serves children two to twelve years of age and focuses both on school skills as well as early-life skills.

While each center has a primary age group they serve, it’s important to remember that therapy is tailored to your child’s skills and needs and will always be unique to your child in order to help them reach their fullest potential.