Lighthouse Autism Center plans to take this month to celebrate those with autism through awareness, acceptance and understanding that each individual is as unique and different as each of our fingerprints.
Lighthouse is celebrating through activities that staff and children can participate in such as spirit week, a South Bend Cubs sensory friendly game, a sensory film with Yes Cinema, craft days, friendly center competition with creative autism awareness displays, and so much more!
Autism Awareness and Acceptance
Autism Awareness is special to our Lighthouse team and this month we have committed to celebrating everything that makes autism so wonderfully different.
If you would like to see Lighthouse’s Autism Awareness activities during the month of April, please follow us on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/LighthouseAutismCenter
Lighthouse Autism Center Celebrates Autism Awareness and Acceptance Day
Sunday, April 10, 2022, 2:05PM at Four Winds Field in South Bend, IN
Lighthouse Autism Center and the South Bend Cubs are partnering to host an Autism Awareness Day with the South Bend Cubs. Gate opens at 12pm. First pitch is at 2:05pm. Home Plate Suite will be open as a sensory room.
Congratulations to the t-shirt design winner, Tracy Galicia, Registered Behavioral Therapist!
Checkout Tracy’s design below! This design will be featured on the South Bend Cubs special edition Autism Awareness shirts and hoodies, for the month of April!
Every two years the Association for Behavior Analysis International hosts an international conference during which behavior analysts from all over the world converge to share research and ideas. This year’s conference will be held in Dublin, Ireland. Three Lighthouse Autism Center speech-language pathologists: Samantha Farber, Emily Sears and Janine Shapiro will be in attendance and Lighthouse Autism Centers’ paper was accepted for presentation.
Janine Shapiro will be demonstrating effective behavior analytic speech techniques to address common speech concerns of behavior analysts.
We’re excited to bring our Lighthouse Fusion tricks to an international stage so we can help learners and practitioners near and far!
Janine directs Lighthouse Fusion, an enhanced therapy solution that blends the best practices of ABA and speech therapies into one comprehensive program. Developed by a team of dually certified clinicians at Lighthouse Autism Center, some of only a handful in the entire country, the program brings together experts in the fields of speech and ABA to collaborate on goal development, deliver therapy, and celebrate each child’s progress.
At Lighthouse Autism Center, we offer the highest quality therapy in a beautiful, play-based environment. With Lighthouse Fusion, children make greater progress, faster, all while having fun.
Our very own Janine Shapiro, CCC-SLP, BCBA, Director of Speech/ABA Integration at Lighthouse Autism Center, recently presented at a highly attended Beijing-organized presentation. This was a virtual presentation that was quick to fill at full capacity, with several of China’s behavioral analyst in attendance! The focus of this presentation was behavior analytic techniques to establish and increase vocal communication.
Janine at Lighthouse Fusion
Janine directs Lighthouse Fusion, an initiative to fuse speech-language pathology and behavior analysis at Lighthouse Autism Center. She has practiced as a dually certified behavior analyst and speech-language pathologist for fourteen years and remains one of only a handful of clinicians with both certifications in the world. She speaks at conferences and training events around the world and passionately shares the power of behavior analysis with fellow speech-language pathologists. Janine co-authored research concerning the effectiveness of Social Thinking therapy, which was published in the Journal of Autism and Development Disorders and co-authored a chapter in Essential for Living—a curriculum guide and assessment tool for people with moderate to severe disabilities.
Lighthouse Autism Center could not be more thankful for her passion and dedication to helping our clients reach their unlimited potential. Janine is a phonemical asset to the Lighthouse team. We cannot wait to follow her journey as she continues to educate the world on behavior analytic techniques!
Following the Journey of Nick – delivering 22 years of compassionate care
Featuring Maggie Curry, Program Manager, BCBA
2010
Maggie Curry started working with Nick at an ABA provider in 2010. He was 6 years old at the time. His family moved to Indiana from Nebraska for quality ABA services when Nick was 3 or 4 years old. At this time, Nick’s family was dedicated to his care and fostering his unlimited potential. Even at his early age, Nick’s family would talk about their goals of life readiness and future employment when he was old enough. Nick’s mother wanted to own a coffee shop and employ Nick, so that she could remained involved with his needs.
2013
Nick ended up starting in school and changed ABA providers before beginning at Access which has since been acquired by Lighthouse Autism Center. Maggie started at Access in 2014 and was once again Nick’s therapist for in-home services. As he grew older, he took a liking and interest to the kitchen, always assisting his mom with meals, baking, groceries, and in any way he could. This further fueled the idea to have him work in a restaurant or coffee shop.
Maggie was promoted to a trainer position while attending school to become a Board Certified Behavior Analysist and remained involved with Nick’s programming for supervision and training his therapists. Once she was certified, Maggie became Nick’s BCBA.
2021
Nick’s parents made the decision to invest in a coffee shop franchise based out of Nebraska and open one here in Indiana. They are a very close family and often travel back to Nebraska to visit and spend holidays there as well, in addition to much of their family from Nebraska coming to Indiana to visit often – some have even moved here permanently!
2022
It’s a long process for Nick and his family and they are working on finding the perfect location and hope to have a shop opened within the next year. By then, Nick will be 18 years of age and will be their first employee! They are also hoping to hire a few other employees with special needs and offer a safe and accepting environment for them to continue to grow and gain independence.
“It’s been amazing to work with Nick and his family for so long and watch this dream unfold. I’ve worked with them for 12 years, and while I’ll be sad not to work with Nick any longer, I cannot wait to go to Scooter’s and order a cup of coffee!” Maggie Curry, Program Manager, BCBA
Lighthouse Autism Center Opening in Anderson, Indiana!
Lighthouse Autism Center (LAC) continues to expand, with a network of centers in now, three states – quite a journey from its humble beginnings serving four families in one building to now serving hundreds of families across three states for nearly a decade, it’s truly amazing.
Our newest state-of-the-art facility is slated to open on Monday February 14, 2022. This new, cutting-edge facility will operate in place of the existing Anderson center location, providing autism services to 35 children and their families and create over 15 new jobs in the area. To learn or more or inquire about enrollment, visit www.lighthouseautismcenter.com.
Center for Learning and Autism Support Services
With a mission of providing the highest quality autism services to children and families through our facilities, LAC has sought to do just that in Anderson, IN. As the need for ABA services continues to grow, LAC seeks to fill that need by expanding into facilities that can accommodate a larger capacity of learners, helping more families and children with autism, reach their goals.
Lighthouse Autism Center provides a unique ABA therapy model called Lighthouse Fusion that fuses together the sciences of ABA and speech therapy. By blending multiple research-proven therapies into one comprehensive program, and integrating highly trained, compassionate staff, Lighthouse Autism Center offers families the most enhanced and effective approach to autism treatment available.
Autism Center for Speech and Language
Our center-based therapy is overseen by Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA). BCBA’s are given small caseloads to provide individual and personalized attention and programming for each child. All therapy is 1:1 and most children receive 40 hours of therapy per week at our centers.
To learn more about Lighthouse Autism Center or enroll your child, contact our Family Outreach Coordinator at (317)-222-1242
New Anderson Center Contact Information
7311 Quality Circle Anderson, Indiana 46013
Family Outreach Phone: (317)-222-1242
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
Madison Clark Selected as Awardee for Autism Awareness Scholarship
Earlier this year, 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 an area that we currently serve. While we had many impressive applications, Madison Clark was selected as the awardee for this scholarship.
Madison is a graduate of Northfield Jr. Sr. High School and is currently enrolled at Indiana State University in the Applied Medicine and Occupational Therapy program. Madison has experience interning in a special education classroom as well as with an occupational therapist. In her free time, she has volunteered for Joni and Friends, Lighthouse Mission Thrift store and the Church Coffee Bar.
Madison has spent time volunteering with special needs families and hopes to pursue a career in Occupational Therapy or Special Education. She has a passion for making a difference, especially for special needs families in her community.
We could not be more excited to award this scholarship to Madison. Congratulations!
Opening of Three ABA Centers in SouthBend, Elkhart
Lighthouse Autism Center is preparing to open three new ABA therapy centers this summer to meet growing demand in northern Indiana and southwestern Michigan. Each center will serve nearly twenty families and create a combined 120 additional jobs in these areas. The newest center in South Bend, Indiana is located on Ireland Road and will open in July. In addition to serving as an ABA therapy center, it will also serve as the administrative headquarters for Lighthouse Autism Center.
“Lighthouse Autism Center is excited to continue our mission of brining the highest quality ABA therapy services to areas in need. With our newest centers in South Bend, Elkhart and Kalamzoo, we will be able to provide crucial therapy services to an additional 60-70 families who might otherwise not be able to access this therapy for their children,” said CEO and Founder of Lighthouse Autism Center, Gregg Maggioli. While the South Bend and Elkhart centers are slated to open in July of 2020, the Kalamazoo center will not open until August.
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.
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
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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Lighthouse Autism Center offers ABA therapy for children with autism. Contact us to learn how our innovative clinical model can help your child make greater progress, faster, all while having fun.
