Little Star Center to Receive Excellence in Direct Care Award - Official Press Release

Press Release – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Amanda Ryan

Community Outreach & Marketing Director

Little Star Center to Receive Excellence in Direct Care Award

Autism Society of Indiana to Hold 2011 Excellence Awards

CARMEL, IN, July 26, 2011 – Little Star Center, a non-profit center for children with autism, will receive Autism Society of Indiana’s (ASI) Excellence in Direct Care Award. The award is for providers who demonstrate excellence in direct care services to infant, toddlers, children, youth, and adults with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) through their work in medical, educational, therapeutic, recreational or other settings using innovative and scientifically supported best practices in partnership with families and other professionals.

Little Star received nominations from parents, civic leaders and community members.

“We are so honored to receive this award and be recognized by the ASI. It is even more meaningful to be the first center to ever win this award,” says Mary Rosswurm, Executive Director of Little Star Center.

Based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Little Star provides an atmosphere where children, therapists and families can interact, support each other and receive on-going training so that each child can reach their full potential at home and in a variety of settings outside of therapy. After decades of research, the United States Surgeon General has endorsed intensive behavioral intervention for individuals with autism as the treatment of choice. Over 50 years of research documents the efficacy of ABA in reducing inappropriate behavior and increasing communication and learning.

The 2011 Excellence Awards will be held on Saturday, August 20^th, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. at the home of Tim and Kim Earnest in Zionsville. For more information and to buy tickets for the event, please visit www.inautism.org for more information.

About Little Star Center

Little Star Center was founded in 2002 and was the first center in the state of Indiana to serve children with autism. Little Star has two locations, in Carmel and Lafayette. Little Star is a truly unique and special place for children and families living with autism. Little Star allows families to have the best of both worlds – the intense one-on-one personalized therapy that used to only be available in a home program and the community feel of a center based program that allows children with autism access to peers, materials and a beautiful facility. Families are an integral part of their child’s programming along with Little Star’s staff of professionals. Little Star prides itself on having a “family first” philosophy. For more information please call 317.249.2242 or visit us on the web at www.littlestarcenter.org.

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