Finding a Community Network for Families with Autistic Children

When facing the challenges of parenting a child with autism, it’s important for caregivers to understand they are not alone. With 1 in 61 children diagnosed with autism, there are many parents and caregivers going through the same struggles. At Lighthouse, we understand the importance of these caregivers finding a supportive community with others who are experiencing the same daily tasks, challenges and joys that they are.

LAC encourages families to get to know each other, as no one better understands what you are going through than other families going through the same thing. Parents dropping off and picking up their children often get to know each other, and can get together for play dates, coffee, or even just for a quick conversation before picking their kids up from the center. We pride ourselves on creating an atmosphere where families can support each other and their children.

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.

As a parent, it is our goal to love and protect our children. This means doing everything in our power to make sure our child is loved, happy, and healthy. While it may be difficult to admit your child may have a problem, when it comes to an autism diagnosis, every minute matters. The best thing you could do for your child with autism is identify it early and enroll them in ABA therapy as soon as possible.

Signs that Your Child May be Autistic and What to Do

Autism spectrum disorder is a spectrum of closely related disorders with shared core symptoms. Autism generally appears in infancy and early childhood, causing a delay in basic areas of development such as talking, playing and interacting with others.

As a parent, it is important to look for early signs of autism in your child. Symptoms can appear as early as six months of age and ideally, autism should be identified and treated beginning by 18 months of age. This will provide your child with the best opportunity for treatment.

What are the early signs of autism you should look for in your child and what steps should you take if you think your child has autism?

• Developmental Delays – autism involves a variety of developmental delays including: no social smiling, lack of eye contact, poor visual tracking, unexpected reactions to sounds, lack of social babbling, not responding to name, lack of interest in interacting, not meeting verbal milestones, etc…
• Trust your instinct – as a parent, you know your child best. Sometimes, even well-meaning doctors can miss signs of autism. If your gut is telling you something is wrong, take action and be persistent.
• Don’t “wait and see” – some parents may want to “wait and see” if their child hasn’t reached certain developmental milestones. If you suspect something may be wrong, take action. The best thing you can do for your child with autism is identify the diagnosis early and begin treatment.

Do you suspect your child may have autism?

A Definition of What Applied Behavioural Analysis Means

ABA, or Applied Behavior Analysis, is a specific type of therapy used for children with autism. ABA is endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General for the treatment of autism and involves therapy that develops new skills, shapes and refines previously learned skills and decreases socially significant problem behaviors.

ABA is at the core of Lighthouse Autism Center’s mission. Lighthouse Autism Center uses highly qualified Board Certified Behavior Analysts, or BCBA’s, who directly oversee each child’s therapy. These BCBA’s evaluate each child through a detailed assessment of a child’s skills and preferences and meets with each family to discuss goals for the child as well as the family. Because effective ABA therapy is not a “one size fits all” solution, the BCBA will then use the child’s assessment to create a customized therapy program unique to the child’s abilities, needs and goals. While each therapy program will look different, each involves emphasis on skills that will ultimately allow each child to reach their fullest potential.

Have a child with autism and looking for ABA therapy near you, catered for your child and family goals? Discover the Lighthouse Way.

Anthem Insurance Cos. Inc. will pay almost $1.63 million to end
claims that it violated federal benefit laws by placing certain
caps on the coverage of therapy treatments for children with
severe autism disorders.

Anthem also agrees to stop using guidelines that base coverage
of applied behavior analysis therapy for autism solely on an
individual’s age, according to a motion seeking approval of a
class action settlement filed March 23 in the U.S. District Court
for the Southern District of Indiana.

If approved, the settlement will provide relief for at least 201
children and allow class counsel to seek fees of up to $508,345.
The estimated average payment to class members will be
$5,052, with payments ranging from $2.02 to more than $36,000,
according to court documents.

The proposed deal would end a three-year lawsuit that accused the insurance giant of violating federal mental health parity law when it limited coverage for a 13-year-old boy’s autism treatment to 20 hours per week. The settlement comes one year after a federal judge held that Anthem satisfied Indiana’s autism mandate, which requires insurers to cover treatment for autism spectrum disorder, by covering 20 weekly hours of treatment instead of the 40 hours requested. Anthem joins a growing list of companies that have settled claims over coverage of ABA therapy for autism, including United Healthcare Services Inc., T-Mobile USA Inc., and Applied Materials Inc.

To read the full article, please visit https://bit.ly/2Een9XG

Prenatal multivitamins linked to lower autism risk

A new study suggests prenatal multivitamins may reduce a child’s risk of developing autism. The study analyzed more than a quarter-million mother-child pairs in Sweden and found a link between multivitamin use and risk of the neurological disorder.

It’s estimated that 1 in ever 68 people in the United States has a form of autism, boys more than girls. And since mothers-to-be are already advised to take prenatal vitamins, this could be an added benefit.

“Multivitamin use with or without added iron or folic acid was associated with a lower likelihood of having a child with an intellectual disability, compared with mothers who did not use supplements,” said lead researcher Elizabeth DeVillbiss, a Ph.D. graduate in epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. In fact, the odds of autism in the multivitamin group were 30 percent lower.

Autism, experts believe, is caused by genetic and environmental factors. It most likely starts in the womb, and the mother’s diet during pregnancy might have an influence, said DeVillbiss.

However’, it’s too early to recommend multivitamins specifically for lowering autism risk. The study couldn’t yield definitive cause and effect proof. It was observational and didn’t keep track of specific supplements taken, timing, and the doses. Plus, the results of other studies have been inconsistent.

Even so, it’s recommended that pregnant women take multivitamins- before and after pregnancy while they are still breast-feeding.

To read the full article, please visit https://drexel.edu/news/archive/2017/october/multivitamin-use-during-pregnancy-linked-to-lower-risk-of-autism-with-intellectual-disability