Little Star Center 10th Anniversary & Expansion Grand Opening
As Little Star Center commemorates its 10th anniversary this fall, it will also be celebrating the grand opening of expansion space at its Carmel facility with a weekend of festivities! A public open house is scheduled for Saturday, October 20, when friends of Little Star may tour the facility between 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Saturday event at 12650 Hamilton Crossing Blvd. #175 will feature entertainment for children, hot dogs and other refreshments.
“Little Star Center is very excited about its growth and proud to be celebrating its 10th year serving the needs of the autism community in Indiana,” said Mary Rosswurm, executive director of Little Star. “In 2002, Little Star was the first center-based program to offer intensive applied behavior analysis services in the mid-west.
“As Little Star looks back on a decade of service, we can’t help but feel reminiscent about how it all started. Amy and Steele Gudal, founders of Little Star, were parents who, at the time, had few options for their daughter with autism. Credit has to be given to the Gudals for doing something that had never been done before in Indiana; in fact, a private, not-for-profit applied behavior analysis (ABA) center was virtually unheard of at the time.
“One man had an idea. His child inspired him. He invited other people, other parents, who were having the same struggles help him with his vision. Ten years later his dream is a vibrant reality. This one idea changed the entire autism community in the state. While Steele is no longer with us physically, he is with us in spirit. And interestingly, what made him so amazing and inspirational is also what we see in so many of the children we work with – a fierce focus on details, a silly side and a big heart. As we continue to grow, we thank everybody who helped Steele with his dream.”
The expansion space relieves congestion in the current area, gives more legroom and programming opportunities for Middle Star learners (age 12 years and up) and Early Learners (up to five years of age), and provides the chance to accommodate a waiting list.
Little Star Center, Inc. offers a structured, sensory-friendly facility where children with autism receive individualized therapeutic intervention family-focused services. It has centers in Carmel and Lafayette, IN. Based on the fundamental principles of ABA, Little Star enables children, therapists, and families to 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.
Little Star Center is the proud recipient of the 2011 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 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 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.