New Location Center Opens in South Bend, Indiana

Lighthouse Autism Center, an ABA therapy center for children with autism, has announced it will open its newest center in South Bend, Indiana this summer. This will be the eighth location for Lighthouse Autism Center, which opened its first center in Mishawaka in 2012.

After a brief shut down in March and April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Lighthouse Autism Center locations are now open and preparations to open the newest South Bend center are moving forward. Lighthouse has implemented new policies and procedures in order to protect the health and safety of children while continuing to provide the highest quality autism therapy services to clients. These procedures include:

-Masks worn by staff at all times
-Temperature checks for all children and staff prior to entering a building
-No group activities such as eating together in the kitchen or group classes
-Extra staff on site to perform sanitation of surfaces multiple times each day
-COVID-19 testing available to all staff and clients who show symptoms or may have been exposed to someone who tests positive for COVID-19

Gregg and Sandy Maggioli, founders of Lighthouse Autism Center, and parents to a child with autism, are confident these new procedures will allow the organization to continue to operate safely. “I’m not sure that anyone could have imagined we would be facing a pandemic in our lifetime. While this can be a scary and uncertain time, especially for parents, I am confident that Lighthouse has the policies and procedures in place to keep our children, families and staff safe. We also recognize that now more than ever, the kids and families we serve need us. Parents need our support and children need the stability and routine our therapy offers. We are proud to continue to offer autism services to our families and excited to be able to expand our services to the South Bend community,” said Gregg Maggioli, CEO of Lighthouse Autism Center.

Lighthouse Autism Center is now enrolling children at their newest location. To learn more and schedule a tour, call 574-387-4313

It’s hard to believe it has been eight years since Lighthouse Autism Center first opened its doors. From humble beginnings of just serving four families in Mishawaka, Lighthouse Autism Center now provides autism services to over 100 families across Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan.

While Lighthouse Autism Center may have grown, the quality ABA therapy and values upon which the center was founded have not changed. As parents of a child with autism, Gregg and Sandy started Lighthouse Autism Center with the goal of providing the best ABA therapy to communities in need. Now, eight years later, Lighthouse is doing just that in Mishawaka, Granger, Elkhart, Plymouth, Warsaw and Portage, MI.

While we may not have imagined we would ever be in a place where our staff are wearing masks and children are having their temperatures checked multiple times a day, we are adapting to these new challenges so that we can continue to provide the same quality ABA therapy we have always provided.

We are proud to serve families with autism in Northern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan, and we look forward to another year of working with the families and team that bring us so much joy.

Seven Lighthouse Autism Centers re-open after Covid-19 Outbreak Peak

After nearly 6 weeks of being closed, Lighthouse Autism Center is excited to reopen each of it’s seven centers and begin offering ABA services to our families. While Lighthouse Autism Center is an essential service, we felt it was in the best interest of our families and employees to remain closed during the peak of COVID-19 outbreak. Now, with COVID-19 cases on the decline, and with new enhanced health and safety measures in place,  we are prepared to resume offering the highest quality ABA therapy services to our families.

So, what does the “new normal” look like at Lighthouse Autism Center?

Social Distancing

Each center has been modified to include only one child per room or two children in very large rooms. We believe this will be necessary for several weeks in order to comply with recommended social distancing practices.

Temperature and Symptom Checks

All employees and children have their temperatures taken before entering a building and two additional times throughout the day. Any individuals who have a temperature of 99.5 or higher, or show any symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough, or shortness of breath, will not be permitted to enter a center until they are tested for COVID-19 and receive a negative test result.

Masks

All employees must have a mask on before entering a building. Masks will be worn all day until someone exits a center. We have special clear masks to be used by therapists who offer speech therapy services to Lighthouse kiddos.

Program Modification

Children will no longer eat together in the lunchroom and some group programs will temporarily be eliminated (like group time). Instead, children they will eat in their room at their desks and social programs will be done with a therapist as opposed to with other children. This will ensure minimal contact in group spaces.

Extra Sanitation

Extra employees are on site at each building sanitizing all common surfaces (door knobs, handles, bathrooms, kitchens, etc…) multiple times a day.

The Lighthouse Autism Center Team will continue to meet weekly and provide regular updates to parents and the greater community. We know these extra precautions will not need to be in place forever, but for the time being, they will aid in keeping our children, employees and families safe.

For questions or to learn more about Lighthouse Autism Center, please call 574-387-4313.