Second Autism Center Opens in Mishawaka, Indiana

As you know, the prevalence of Autism and need for Autism care in our community is significant and overwhelmingly underserved. Because of the growing need
throughout the Michiana area, Lighthouse will open its second center, located in Mishawaka, in April – in honor of National Autism Awareness Month. “Opening a new center in Mishawaka has allowed us to create the Early Learner Program – a program aimed at even more focused therapy for our youngest age group – the two- to six year-old group that’s so crucial to reach,” said Gregg Maggioli, Executive Director. “This program is 100% designed to best meet the needs of our children and help facilitate transition into a school program. We see the goals of the new Mishawaka center and the ELP program as one in the same – to help children reach their full potential.” The ELP program is completely individualized and targets the youngest age groups because of
the documented studies that show a higher success rate. “The earlier we can provide therapy for this age group, the best chance we have of helping them reach their full potential,” said Maggioli. “There’s a danger in waiting. You can never get that time back. Parents and physicians should never take a wait-and-see approach. What is a limitation later on could have been an obstacle avoided if we could only have intervened with therapy.”

Want to read more? To view the entire April 2014 edition of The Lighthouse Beacon click here.

Welcome to Lighthouse – the Autism treatment leader in Indiana. We’re pleased to provide you with The Autism Beacon newsletter – a quarterly publication dedicated
to keeping you up to date with relevant news on Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders
and extending information on the available resources at our Mishawaka and Warsaw centers for your patients in need. Lighthouse is 100% focused on Autism and, specifically, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) – the only therapy that has been vetted by the medical and higher education communities. ABA therapy is endorsed by the U.S. Surgeon General as an approach to teaching social, motor, and verbal behaviors as well as reasoning skills. Over 30 years of research has proven ABA to result in very positive outcomes when used as an early-intervention tool for Autism. Lighthouse is the only center in Michiana with an award-winning management team who are also parents to a child with Autism. Gregg Maggioli, Executive Director, and wife, Sandy, founded Lighthouse because they understand the frustration and feeling of helplessness when parents are told their child has Autism. “Lighthouse cares for children and their parents as though they are part of its extended family – this is the type of environment we experienced with our son in Carmel, Indiana. As time went on, we discovered an unmet need in this area and are now exceedingly proud and fulfilled to provide the same foundation for kids in this community,” said Gregg Maggioli, Executive Director. “Our therapists love, care for, and find joy in each one of the children. No one cares about the kids and their families as much as Lighthouse. We are dedicated to providing the best therapy while addressing the needs of the family as well.”

Want to read more? To view the entire April 2014 edition of The Lighthouse Beacon click here.

On Saturday, April 26 from 10:00am-12:00pm, ADEC will be hosting an Autism Awareness event in downtown Elkhart. There will activities for children, a sensory table, coffee and donuts. The ADEC bell choir will also be there to perform. This event is a great opportunity for families to meet, network, and explore community resources. Lighthouse will also have a table there so stop on by and say hello!  For more information on the event you can click here to see the Light the Way 2014 flyer.

April 2014- As stated in our mission, and evidenced by the many successes and heartfelt testimonials of our parents, it is our privilege and calling to provide quality ABA therapy where it is needed. As the only center in Michiana for Autism with an award-winning management team, we know it is our child-focused and family-focused philosophy that helps us achieve enduring success. It is our understanding, having been in their shoes, that helps them stay strong and positive amidst daily challenges. We make every effort to help families of children with Autism through the use of Verbal Behavior ABA Therapy – and I know it works when I can see, with my own eyes, transformations like that of an 11-year-old child who used the restroom on their own for the first time, or transitioning a 5-year old back to school after getting behaviors under control. As a father of an Autistic child, I know how marvelous and longed for these moments are for parents. Please keep us in mind when your patients and parents are in need of our services – we can’t wait to help them achieve these incredibly memorable steps in their children’s lives.

Want to read more? To view the entire April 2014 edition of The Lighthouse Beacon click here.

On Saturday, April 16 from 10:00am to 12:00pm ADEC  will be holding an autism awareness event at 319 S. Main St in downtown Elkhart. There will be materials there for you to decorate your own balloon to hang along the downtown sidewalk. These balloons will honor our loved one’s who are on the autism spectrum. There will also be activities for children, a sensory table with ideas, coffee and donuts. The ADEC bell choir will perform and representatives from local groups will be available to answer questions. ! This is a great opportunity for families to meet, network, exchange information and explore community resources.

Lighthouse Autism Center will also have a table there so please stop by and see us!

For more information call 574-294-6197 x 3104 or e-mail blakesleev@adecinc.com.

If there is one thing at Lighthouse that we are most proud of it is our continued effort to reach further to ensure that we are constantly and consistently providing the best therapy to our kids, we are excited to announce our partnership with Western Michigan University’s graduate program in behavior analysis.

The reason we decided to work with Western Michigan University is because they are known worldwide as one of the best ABA universities producing world class practitioners. Again, this allows us to be confident in our pursuit of helping each child achieve his or her fullest potential.

We are working closely with Dr. Richard Malott, a professor of psychology and member of the behavior analysis faculty at WMU. Dr. Malott is considered a leader in the field of ABA. He has won 2 Fulbright Senior Scholar Awards as well as the ABAI’s Award for Public Service in Behavior Analysis. His active involvement in the Association for Behavior Analysis International ensures that he stays in touch with ABA best practices. Dr. Malott is also responsible for developing the Behavior Analysis Training System at WMU. The BATS system is considered one of the most prominent ABA graduate programs in the United States and we are thankful to consider him part of our team.

If you have any questions about WMU, Dr. Malott or how Lighthouse can help you please give us a call. We will continue to strive to exceed expectations and offer Lighthouse families and the community the best ABA therapy available.

President John Kennedy once said, “To those whom much is given, much is expected.”

The definition of much is relative depending on the circumstances that one comes from, sometimes it is simply being able to give the necessities, such as a hot meal and being able to share it with others.

Recently our staff took part in Feed the Hungry with Hope Ministries in South Bend. (Pictured above is Gregg Maggioli, Leila Allen, Emily Renee Parsons and Torri Larkins.)

The families we served were very thankful and the experience was a gratifying one for all of us. Lighthouse will continue to support Hope Ministries with volunteer efforts and purchasing food for the mission.

If you would like to help us and Hope help the community please take a look at their list of Urgently Needed Items  and donate what you can today. They also are always in need of volunteers, find out more about volunteering here.

Some may say it was a perfect day for a race…

What started out as an event organized by two Adams High School students sprung from the love they have for their aunt turned into a rallying of the community on a personal and professional level.

Enrolment Now Open for Lighthouse Autism Center Warsaw, Indiana

The Warsaw center will be located at 1535 Provident Drive, Warsaw, IN 46580 in the Bowen Center Building.

Lighthouse Autism Center (LAC) utilizes Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), an intensive therapy that focuses on the principles and techniques of learning theory to help improve social behavior. ABA therapy helps to develop new skills, shape and refine previously learned skills, and decrease socially significant problem behaviors. Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) is the only Autism therapy that is endorsed by the US Surgeon General because of the decades of research supporting it.

ABA therapy at Lighthouse is conducted in a 1:1 setting (1 therapist working with 1 child). Each child goes through an in depth assessment conducted by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and other clinical team members to determine their current skill set and what skills might need to be improved upon.

Give us a call today at 574-387-4313 to see how Lighthouse Autism Center can help your child with Autism reach his or her fullest potential.

Part of our efforts to raise awareness during the month of April included two spots on WNDU’s Moms Everday. Take a moment and listen to what Lisa DelPrete (LAC Family Outreach Coordinator) and Sandy Maggioli (co-founder) had to say about the importance of early intervention and signs and symptoms of autism.

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MISHAWAKA, Ind. — Some studies say as many as 1 in 50 children have autism. The Lighthouse Autism Center on Edison Lakes Parkway in Mishawaka is working to educate parents on the early signs of autism. Early intervention can mean a better outcome for the child.

When Lisa Del Prete, a mother of six, heard the word autism she says she was in denial.

She noticed her fifth child just wasn’t acting like the others, but she told herself to just “wait and see.”

Now she wishes she had taken action much earlier.

“I was scared. I didn’t want to tell anyone. I didn’t know what it meant. I didn’t even know who to call,” said Lisa Del Prete.

If you find yourself in this situation, please visit our Early Intervention page to learn about what signs to look for and what steps to take.