Author: Maggie Gendel

Autism Signs in Infants

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

The Top 9 Signs Your Infant May Have Autism

We take a look at the most common autism symptoms in babies and toddlers, and the importance of getting children diagnosed as early as possible.

The signs and symptoms of autism are unique to every individual, and they vary in intensity from person to person. It’s a difficult disorder to pick up when children are young, but an early diagnosis can significantly impact a child’s quality of life and shape their development. Having an awareness of autism symptoms in babies and toddlers is critical.

Common Autism Characteristics

Although it’s specific to each individual, there are some more common autism characteristics that indicate a child could be autistic. 

1.) Lack of smiling

Children with autism often display a lack of smiling. Does your child smile back at you when you give them a warm, joyful smile? Does your child smile on their own? By the age of six months, your infant should be giving you big smiles or happy expressions.

 

2.) Rare Imitation of Social Cues

Does your child imitate the sounds and movements of others? Do they share expressions back and forth? Infrequent imitation of sounds, smiles, laughter, and facial expressions by nine months of age can be an early indicator of autism in infants.

3.) Delay in Babbling and Cooing

Missed milestones of babbling and cooing can often be a leading indicator of autism in babies. Is your child making “baby talk” and babbling or cooing? Do they do it frequently? Your baby should typically reach this milestone by 12 months.

4.) Unresponsiveness to Name

Is your baby increasingly unresponsive to their name from 6 to 12 months of age? Parents who see this in their child are often concerned it may be hearing loss and are unaware it can be a sign of autism in babies. If you see this behavior in your child, be sure to monitor the signs and consult a doctor. Knowing the signs can be the key to early intervention and getting your child the resources they need to reach better outcomes and live a more independent life in the future.

5.) Poor Eye Contact

Lack of eye contact is a very common sign in those with an autism diagnosis. Does your child make limited eye contact with you and other loved ones? Do they follow objects visually? Severe lack of eye contact as the baby grows can be an early indicator, as it is a form of communication and comprehension.

6.) Infrequently Seeking Attention

Does your child initiate cuddling or make noises to get your attention? Do they reach up toward you to be picked up? Disinterest in seeking a loved one’s attention or bonding with a caregiver is a sign your baby may eventually have difficulty relating to others, which can be a struggle for those on the autism spectrum as they grow up. 

7.) Lack of Gesturing

Does your child gesture at objects or people to communicate? Do they wave goodbye, point, or reach for things? This is a milestone that is typically reached by the time an infant is 9 or 10 months old. Lack of gesturing is a common sign in infants on the autism spectrum.

8.) Repetitive Behaviors

Repetitive behaviors are another highly recognized sign in children with autism. Does your child engage in repetitive behaviors such as stiffening their arms, hands, or legs? Do they display unusual body movements like rotating their hands on their wrists? Do they sit or stand in uncommon postures? This is a form of stimming or self-stimulatory behavior.

9.) Delayed Motor Development

Has your child experienced significant delays in motor development milestones, such as rolling over, pushing themselves up, and crawling? These could be signs of autism in newborns, but they may not be recognized as autism until much later. Early symptoms of autism in babies or toddlers often go unrecognized by parents or caregivers and are often put down as the child simply being a slow learner. 

Why It’s Important to Recognize the Signs of Autism in Infants

One of the most important things you can do for your child after birth is to learn the early signs of the autism spectrum. While most children will start to develop symptoms as newborns, many are only diagnosed when they display the common symptoms of autism in toddlers. 

Getting your child diagnosed as early as possible is the best decision you can make. Firstly, you could get peace of mind if the medical doctor tells you that what you are seeing are signs your baby is not autistic. If they do diagnose autism when your child is an infant, you’ll receive the following benefits:

  • Improved overall development: As parents, our single goal is to ensure our children’s lives are as easy and enjoyable as possible. The same goes for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The bottom line is that infants who receive autism treatment, support, and education at appropriate ages and key developmental stages are far more likely to gain the essential social and reasoning skills needed in society.
  • Diminished distress: Imagine a child at school who can’t talk to their classmates, finds it hard to make friends, gets frustrated at not being able to communicate what they want, and is great at math but can’t articulate that. Undiagnosed autistic children become incredibly distressed in social settings; they don’t know what’s wrong with them, and parents and teachers think they are just acting out. An early diagnosis can diminish this distress hugely.
  • Early understanding and acceptance: For parents, it can be hard to understand their child and accept that they are autistic, and it certainly takes time to get used to a new way of life. Getting your child diagnosed early means that you have more time to understand and accept their disorder and to become an advocate for awareness.

The Type of Therapy to Expect at the Lighthouse Autism Center

At the Lighthouse Autism Center, we use a unique approach to ABA therapy called Lighthouse Fusion™. This is a unique  program for children on the autism spectrum fuses together ABA and speech therapy and helps children make greater progress, faster.  ABA therapy helps children with autism develop new skills, as well as improve the skills that they already have and decrease problem behaviors.

Our therapy programs are tailored to each individual child, and achievable goals are set out for the child to strive for in different areas of skill. Some skills include:

  • Communication (including speech and language skills)
  • Social skills
  • Improve attention, focus, and memory
  • Decrease problem behaviors
  • Self-care (such as showering and using the bathroom)
  • Play and leisure
  • Motor skills
  • Learning and academic skills.

ABA therapy is based on positive reinforcement, and it brings together a number of different disciplines to ensure that each child gets the greatest chance of becoming the best version of themselves.

Contact us at the Lighthouse Autism Center if you want to know more about our treatment programs, and we can create a custom therapy program for your child.

Together, we can unlock your child’s potential

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How Autism Can Help You Land a Job

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

Working With Autism Spectrum Disorder

DUBLIN—Some employers increasingly are viewing autism as an asset and not a deficiency in the workplace.

A Germany-based software company has been actively seeking people with autism for jobs, not because of charitable outreach but because it believes features of autism may make some individuals better at certain jobs than those without autism.

It’s a worthy initiative, according to disability experts, since 85% of adults with autism are estimated to be unemployed.

Piloted in Germany, India and Ireland, the program is also launching in four North

SAP employee Patrick Brophy, right, with his co-worker and coach David Sweeney. Ciaran Dolan for The Wall Street Journal

SAP aims to have up to 1% of its workforce—about 650 people—be employees with autism by 2020, according to Jose Velasco, head of the autism initiative at SAP in the U.S.

People with autism spectrum disorder—characterized by social deficits and repetitive behavior—tend to pay great attention to detail, which may make them well suited as software testers or debuggers, according to Mr. Velasco, who has two children with the condition.

In addition, these people bring a different perspective to the workplace, which may help with efficiency and creativity as well, he said.

 

“They have a very structured nature” and like nonambiguous, precise outcomes, Mr. Velasco said. “We’re looking at those strengths and looking at where those traits would be of value to the organization.”

Autistic employees at SAP take on roles such as identifying software problems, and assigning customer-service queries to members of the team for troubleshooting.

One employee works in “talent marketing,” issuing communications to employees internally. The company is looking for someone to produce videos and is considering an applicant with autism who has experience in media arts.

SAP is also considering other positions, such as writing manuals to give clients very precise instructions on how to install software.

Individuals with autism might excel at going step by step, without skipping details that others may miss, said Mr. Velasco. The business procurement process, such as getting invoices or managing the supply chain, is another area in which an individual with autism might shine, he said.

SAP isn’t the only company to have such a program. In the U.S., mortgage lenderFreddie Mac FMCC -1.12% has offered career-track internships since 2012, including in IT, finance and research.

The lender hired its first full-time employee from the program in January, according to a Freddie Mac spokeswoman. In IT, the company has found that interns often perform well in testing and data-modeling jobs that require great attention to detail and focus as well as a way of seeing things that might not have been anticipated by the developers.

 

“Harnessing the unique skills of people on the autism spectrum has the potential to strengthen our business and make us more competitive,” according to the lender’s policy.

To be sure, as with any group, people with autism have a range of interests and abilities. SAP is working with a Danish autism-focused training and consultancy firm, Specialisterne, which carefully screens and interviews the candidates to find the appropriate matches before sending them to SAP to evaluate.

Patrick Brophy, 29 years old, has a bachelor’s degree in computer science in software systems and a master’s in multimedia systems, which includes website development and editing. Mr. Brophy says he has Asperger’s, a term commonly used to describe a milder form of autism spectrum disorder.

He had been looking for full-tine work for a few years but said that in the handful of interviews he went to, he would sometimes stutter or misinterpret questions, which he felt reflected poorly on him in the interviews.

When he arrived at SAP for the screening day, however, he had the technical qualifications and he appeared to have skills to work in a corporate setting, according to Peter Brabazon, Specialisterne program manager. Mr. Brophy was hired by the quality assurance department in July, where he identifies glitches in software prior to it being issued to clients.

“Four weeks before joining, I was steadily more and more nervous,” said Mr. Brophy, who worried about his adjustment to a new environment. “Within a month, [the work] was second nature. I had found myself.”

Mr. Brophy said there have been challenges with his job, particularly when he has to revamp how he does a certain task.

From a social standpoint, he found it easy to integrate into his team, said both Mr. Brophy and David Sweeney, a colleague assigned to be his mentor.

About 1% of the population in the U.S.—or some three million people—is thought to have an autism-spectrum disorder. The latest figures issued Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that one in 68 children have been identified with an autism-spectrum disorder.

Their lifetime employment rate is extremely low even though many want to work, said disability experts. Among young adults between 21 and 25 years old, only half have ever held a paid job outside the home, according to a study published last year in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Though many people with autism go on to higher education and are qualified for employment, they may have trouble getting in the door of a workplace because of difficulties with networking or interviews, according to Wendy Harbour, executive director of the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education, at Syracuse University.

There are a number of companies and outreach efforts that aim to hire people with autism, seeking to tailor work to their abilities.

But SAP and employers like Freddie Mac said their effort is specifically a business decision to take advantage of what they see as unique skill sets.

SAP said that individuals being considered to work there usually have had at least some higher education.

In Dublin, the candidates arrive at the company’s software design center, dubbed the “AppHaus,” which features open spaces, movable desks and whimsical furniture. They are asked to work in pairs on a task building a motorized robot. Candidates are given the instruction manual and brief instructions.

Assessors from Specialisterne look to see if the candidates listen to instructions and pick up on cues, and how they react to challenges such as how the colors of the pieces to the robot look different from the instruction manual. “I want to see how they work together and their technical skills,” said Debbie Merrigan, one of the assessors for Specialisterne.

She wants them to be meticulous, she says. If they aren’t it doesn’t mean they aren’t employable, but they may not be a good fit for working at SAP. Sometimes candidates get overwhelmed and simply leave.

After Specialisterne identifies a candidate as being a good fit, SAP then conducts further interviews, as they would with any other applicant, says Kristen Doran, a program manager in human resources at SAP Dublin. At this facility, 15 candidates were screened and interviewed in order to hire the three who are currently placed as contractors. Mr. Brophy works in the quality assurance department while the other two individuals are in the troubleshooting division.

The candidates are paid market rate and if they succeed on the job, they will be hired as full-time employees after a year, said Liam Ryan, managing director of SAP Labs Ireland.

Difficulties with social interaction and inflexibility can sometimes pose significant problems for individuals with autism, and SAP has a mentoring system and in some cases has made changes to the work schedule to accommodate these new employees. The company also conducts a month of employee-adaptation training to increase employees’ comfort level at working with the team as well as another month or more of job training.

“It’s hard to go into a corporate space if you prefer order to disorder,” says Thorkil Sonne, founder of Specialisterne. “Our biggest effort is to work with them…to define and strengthen their comfort zone,” said Mr. Sonne, who has a son with autism.

Together, we can unlock your child’s potential

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Lighthouse Autism Center Announces New Location in Noblesville, Indiana

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

New Location Center Opens in Noblesville, Indiana

Lighthouse Autism Center has some exciting news to share with you! This fall, Lighthouse Autism Center will open a new location in Noblesville, Indiana! The newest center will be part of the Access Together with Lighthouse Autism Center region and will be located at 15755 North Point Blvd.

The design of the Noblesville center will be consistent with other Access Together with Lighthouse Autism Center centers and will include curated materials and inspired spaces to promote language and learning.  The space will feature therapeutic areas to enhance skill acquisition in older learners without intensive behavioral needs.  Most importantly, the new clinic will house talented practitioners trained in typical speech and language development in addition to behavior analysis.

With an abundance of natural light, high ceilings, a gated outside play area, and plenty of parking, we have no doubt this center will be a beautiful and warm space where children are able to learn and thrive!

Find a Center Near You

Interested in finding an autism center near you? Click Find a Center below to view a full list of current autism therapy centers.

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2021 Autism Awareness Scholarship Winner!

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

In 2020, Lighthouse Autism Center established the Lighthouse Autism Center Autism Awareness scholarship. This scholarship is intended to provide financial assistance to an individual enrolled at a college or university as an undergraduate student in their junior or senior year, preferably in an area that we currently serve. While we had many impressive applications, Kaveh  Moaddeli was selected as the awardee for this scholarship.

Scholarship Winner
Kaveh is studying pre-med at Monmouth College and hopes to be an EMT where he can practice exceptional patient care.

Kaveh currently attends Monmouth College where he is studying pre-med and plays water polo. Originally from California, Kaveh has a rather unique upbringing that has led him to where he is today.

The son of immigrants, Kaveh grew up  living on a small boat in the harbor when his family could not afford a home. With a passion for water polo, he would travel into shore each day at 5:00 am to attend practices. His perseverance and commitment to his education and his team led him to Monmouth where he now studies pre-med and hopes to be an EMT.

During the summers, Kaveh returns home to California to teach surf lessons to children in his community. This past summer, he had the opportunity to connect with a boy who has autism who wanted to learn to surf. While he had never worked with a child who had an autism diagnosis before, Kaveh says it was one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences he has had teaching.

Congratulations, Kaveh!

The Lighthouse Autism Center Autism Awareness Scholarship is open to junior or senior students enrolled full-time at a college or university. Preference will be given to those who reside in the areas that we serve (please click here to view a full list of center location). Preference will also be given to students studying psychology, special education or a related field.

Who may apply?

The Lighthouse Autism Center Autism Awareness Scholarship is open to junior or senior students enrolled full-time at a college or university. Preference will be given to those who reside in the areas that we serve (please click here to view a full list of center location). Preference will also be given to students studying psychology, special education or a related field.

Requirements:

Part 1:  Submit a one-page personal statement. This should include information about any work experience, internships, or volunteer activities you may have participated in. If applicable, please include any experience you may have with special needs families.

Part 2: Submit a one-page essay discussing your goals and plans following graduation

Learn more about the Autism Awareness Scholarship

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Lighthouse Autism Center Celebrates 9 Year Anniversary

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

On May 21, 2012, Lighthouse Autism Center opened its very first center in Mishawaka, Indiana. With a handful of clients and a small team of clinicians, we began providing ABA therapy services to the Michiana community. Since then, we have opened centers all over northern Indiana and southwest Michigan and recently expanded into central Indiana. To think we stated with just one center, and have no grown to over twenty centers is truly incredible.

When Gregg and Sandy Maggioli pursued their dream of providing the highest quality autism therapy services to families in Mishawaka, I don’t think they could have imagined just how big and how far that dream would come nine years later. Through a passionate team of individuals dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families with autism, Lighthouse Autism Center has impacted hundreds of clients and thousands of individuals across the state of Indiana and Michigan serving as not only an ABA provider, but an advocate and support for special needs families.

We are grateful to all of those clients, families, employees and individuals who have been a part of the Lighthouse family for the past nine years, and look forward to what another year will bring!

Together, we can unlock your child’s potential

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Staff Spotlight: Meet Alexis

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

Meet Alexis: Mishawaka Center

Meet Alexis! Alexis is a Registered Behavioral Technician at our Mishawaka center, where she has worked for a year. She is a graduate of Indiana University and holds a degree in Psychology. As an RBT with Lighthouse Autism Center, Alexis is responsible for working one-on-one with children with autism and implementing therapy programs designed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts. She helps children work on refining previously learned skills and helps them develop new communication, social, living skills and more!

ABA Therapist

What made you want to apply to work at Lighthouse?

I wanted to work somewhere where I could help kiddos live their best life.  I knew I could do that at Lighthouse Autism Center.

Tell us about your favorite part of working with your team at Lighthouse.

Honestly, my favorite part of working with my team is being able to be myself around them, inside or outside of work. Whether it’s making jokes or needing support, they are always there.

Can you share a favorite part or memory about working with the Lighthouse kiddos?

My favorite memory is hearing one of our non-verbal kiddos finding their voice. The list words he knows went from zero to almost 30 seemingly overnight. I may have shed a tear or two hearing him talk.

How would you describe your Lighthouse experience?

It’s been the most supportive environment I’ve ever worked in. The staff, the seniors, and our PM’s are just all so friendly and easy to get to know.

In her free time, Alexis enjoys painting to help her relax.  She paints on canvas and on miniatures, which are only one inch tall!

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Staff Spotlight: Meet Katie Beth

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

Meet Lighthouse Autism Center’s Staff Spotlight of the Month: Katie Beth

Meet Katie Beth! Katie Beth is a Registered Behavioral Technician at our Granger center, where she has worked for a year and a half. She also has a degree in ministry and theology from Atlanta Bible College. As an RBT with Lighthouse Autism Center, Katie Beth is responsible for working one-on-one with children with autism and implementing therapy programs designed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts. She helps children work on refining previously learned skills and helps them develop new communication, social, living skills and more!

autism therapist

Tell us about why you applied for a position with Lighthouse.

I have always had a passion for working with kiddos and helping people.  Since I knew that I wanted to be able to make a bigger impact in the lives of children with special needs, Lighthouse seemed like a natural fit! My aunt has Down Syndrome and she has been an inspiration in pursuing a career in this field.

Can you share a favorite part or memory about working with your Lighthouse teammates?

I love how supportive and encouraging my teammates are.  Coming to work is easy when you have such a wonderful group of people to share the day with.  I would not be able to do what I do without each of them!

Can you share a favorite part or memory about working with the Lighthouse kiddos?

The best feeling in the world is when you look back on when a child first started and see just how much they have achieved in their time with us.  It is such a joy to be a part of their lives and help them grow!

Outside of work, Katie Beth enjoys spending time with her husband and their rescue dog Sage.  She also enjoys photography and hiking. 

Ready for a career where you can make a difference?

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Staff Spotlight: Meet Tiffaney

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

Meet Tiffaney! Tiffaney is a Registered Behavioral Technician at our South Bend center, where she has worked for two and a half years. Tiffaney also has a degree in Psychology from Indiana University South Bend. As an RBT with Lighthouse Autism Center, Tiffaney is responsible for working one-on-one with children with autism and implementing therapy programs designed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts. She helps children work on refining previously learned skills and helps them develop new communication, social, living skills and more!

Tell us about why you applied for a position with Lighthouse.

I wanted to apply to work at Lighthouse because I wanted to be able to use my degree to impact lives and know I am a part of something bigger.

Tell us about your favorite part of working with your team at Lighthouse.

One of my specific favorite memories was during a transition to school day with one of our kids. We were in a completely new environment and without any help they were able to communicate their needs. It reminded me how hard these kids work every day and how what we all work on is implemented into their daily lives.

How would you describe your Lighthouse experience?

I would describe my Lighthouse experience as life changing. The kids that I have worked with over the years have taught me so much. I have experienced growth in my own life, and I have the privilege to see the growth in the kids’ lives as well.

In her spare time, Tiffaney enjoys taking care of her six pet bunnies and writing.

Ready for a career where you can make a difference?

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Staff Spotlight: Meet Caitlin

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

Caitlin Tells Us About Working with Children with Autism

Meet Caitlin! Caitlin is a Registered Behavioral Technician at our Elkhart North center, where she has worked since August. As an RBT with Lighthouse Autism Center, Caitlin is responsible for working one-on-one with children with autism and implementing therapy programs designed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts. She helps children work on refining previously learned skills and helps them develop new communication, social, living skills and more!

autism therapist

Tell us about why you applied for a position with Lighthouse.

I honestly had never really thought of working with children with autism before. I had always known I wanted to work in pediatrics but wasn’t sure where. Then Covid hit and I was laid off. I was looking for something different and figured I would give it a try. It was the best decision I could have made!

Tell us about your favorite part of working with your team at Lighthouse.

I absolutely love how encouraging and helpful every one of my teammates are.  We are constantly building each other up.

What is your favorite part of working with the Lighthouse kiddos?

I love everything about the kiddos I work with. They bring a smile to my face and melt my heart. Seeing their progress and growth is so rewarding.

How would you describe your Lighthouse experience?

I love working for LAC! I don’t dread waking up in the morning to go to work. I come in excited for the day and excited to see the kiddos that have stolen my heart.  This job has truly changed my life in such a short time!

Caitlin has three children, ages 8, 4 and 7 months. She loves going to rock concerts and going camping with her family.

Ready for a career where you can make a difference?

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Staff Spotlight: Meet Alexis

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

Meet Alexis: A Registered Behavioral Technician at LAC Avon

Meet Alexis! Alexis is a Registered Behavioral Technician at our Avon center, where she has worked for one year. As an RBT with Lighthouse Autism Center, Alexis is responsible for working one-on-one with children with autism and implementing therapy programs designed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts. She helps children work on refining previously learned skills and helps them develop new communication, social, living skills and more!

autism therapist

Tell us about why you applied for a position with Lighthouse.

I applied to Lighthouse Autism Center because I wanted the opportunity to provide meaningful services to children in an urban setting.

Tell us about your favorite part of working with your team at Lighthouse.

My favorite part of working with my Lighthouse teammates is being able to leave work every day knowing we are making positive differences in the lives of our kiddos and having the most fun while doing it!

How would you describe your Lighthouse experience?

My “Lighthouse experience” has been great! No two days are alike, and I have been able to learn a lot about myself as an employee and as a therapist while working for Lighthouse! Everyone I have had the opportunity to work with has been team-driven with shared goals, and the unwavering support for each other is incredible!

Alexis is the oldest of seven kids and has a pet bunny named Ice Cube.  She is a graduate of Indiana University Kokomo, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Spanish.

Ready for a career where you can make a difference?

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Staff Spotlight: Meet Kait

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

Meet Kait: New Castle Center

Kait’s Lighthouse Story

Meet Kait! Kait is a Senior Therapist at our New Castle center, where she has worked for a one year. As a Senior Therapist, Kait serves as a lead therapist and works closely with the BCBA’s on her team as well as provides support to the RBT’s working one-on-one with clients.

autism therapist
Kait is a Senior Therapist at Lighthouse in New Castle, IN.

Tell us about why you applied for a position with Lighthouse.

I had a friend that always posted on social media about how much she loved what she did and how rewarding it was (She was so right!). So, I decided to give it a try and ended up falling in love with ABA and what I do now. This job has taught me so much in the short amount of time I have been here, and I want to share a couple of strong key points I have taken away from this amazing opportunity. There is a career out there that isn’t just “another job” or dragging your feet to get up in the morning to push yourself in to work a Monday-Friday job. You will find what you love to do as long as you take those leaps and go beyond your own comfort zones to get there. Waking up and going to work is easy for me, because I love what I do, the company that I work for and most importantly I love working with every single one of my kiddos. ABA isn’t easy and some days you feel so exhausted and defeated but seeing the progress that these kiddos make in such a short time goes beyond words and makes all of that incredibly rewarding.

Tell us about your favorite part of working with your team at Lighthouse.

There is no one favorite memory I have because it’s all been amazing. The team we have at New Castle is always striving to be the best team we can be every single day. We lift each other up, celebrate one another and cheer each other on every single day. Some days are harder than others but working with such a positive team that continuously uplifts each other makes it so much easier. I am so proud to be a part of a team that inspires each other every day to be better and to work together with ease. Not only are we a dedicated and strong team, but we are an even better family. I’m grateful for these people who have motivated me to grow as a person, a friend and an even better RBT.

What is your favorite part of working with the Lighthouse kiddos?

My favorite part about working with all of these kiddos would definitely be seeing their progress from where they started and where they are now. It’s always such a joy knowing you made a difference in their lives and all that of that hard work is showing amazing results. Pairing with these kids and building that connection with them is another favorite part of mine because you get to see their face light up when you’re around and it makes you feel valued and important which is just another reminder to get up and do what I do every day.

How would you describe your Lighthouse experience?

So far, I have had an amazing experience with Lighthouse. They have given me so many more resources to become a better trainer and more importantly they have given me multiple opportunities to grow as a person. I have met two of my biggest inspirations here who have continued to push me out of my own comforts to become a better person and to grow more than I ever could have imagined and I will forever be grateful for that. This company goes above and beyond to make sure their clients and staff are well taken care of and that alone shows how amazing it is to be a part of this team.

Kait is a dog mom to a Pitbull named Cosmo and enjoys traveling to new places in her free time.

Ready for a career where you can make a difference?

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Staff Spotlight: Meet Dacia

Posted on by Maggie Gendel

Meet Dacia! Dacia is a Registered Behavioral Technician at our Anderson center, where she has worked for two years. As an RBT with Lighthouse Autism Center, Dacia is responsible for working one-on-one with children with autism and implementing therapy programs designed by Board Certified Behavior Analysts. She helps children work on refining previously learned skills and helps them develop new communication, social, living skills and more!

autism therapist
Dacia is an RBT at Lighthouse Autism Center in Anderson.

Tell us about why you applied for a position with Lighthouse.

I have always loved helping other people. Before coming to Lighthouse, I worked with adults with special needs. While I enjoyed that, I was looking for a change, and and for a while I was working with adults. I then decided that I wanted to start working with kids and I have loved every minute of it.

Tell us about your favorite part of working with your team at Lighthouse.

My favorite part about working with my teammates is that no matter how hard your day is, there are always people around you who support you and always can put a smile on your face.

What is your favorite part of working with the Lighthouse kiddos?

My favorite part is being able to spend time with the kids and watch as they make so much progress. It’s so rewarding!

How would you describe your Lighthouse experience?

My experience with Lighthouse has been nothing short of amazing! The team is so supportive and everyone really cares!

In her free time, Davis enjoys spending time with her six year old daughter, cat and dog and shopping.

Ready for a career where you can make a difference?

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