The awesomeness of riding a tricycle…or not!

 

By Siovhan Lawrence

In our family, April 2 is not just World Autism Awareness Day. It’s also the two-year anniversary of our son Bradley’s autism diagnosis. So far, we’ve learned many things on this journey. One lesson, in particular, we learned very early is setting realistic goals for Bradley while celebrating every single milestone – both big and small.

After a battery of tests with four-and five-letter acronyms and countless labs, we finally received an autism diagnosis for Bradley. The next step: Setting goals for our newly diagnosed son.  We were asked, “What are your specific goals for Bradley in the next six months?” How do you answer that?  We knew our son was delayed in every aspect and missed milestones. He was developing new interfering behaviors and was also showing regression. We answered with things we thought would be achievable. Roll a ball back and forth during play. Push a toy car around. Say the words “hi”, “bye”, “mommy”, “daddy” and “sissy.” We said we wanted him to wave, smile, respond to his name when called. Also added to our list were eye contact and an expanded food repertoire. WOW! Looking back now, we realize what a tall order that was.

In the following months we learned more about autism and the challenges Bradley would face.  Needless to say, during his next evaluation Bradley had not met any of our goals. Subsequently, we became less specific about our goals and focused more on understanding all of the intricate parts of each of those tasks.

After coming to Little Star Center (nearly 18 months after Bradley’s diagnosis), Brian, one of Bradley’s therapists, casually mentioned he was working on something with our son. He told us it would be a surprise.  At Christmastime, we were asked to come to LSC and receive our “gift.”  With all of the progress, setbacks, therapy and undeniable hard work, we had no idea what to expect. We walked into LSC and in came Bradley, riding around the corner on a tricycle. ALL BY HIMSELF! There he was pedaling, smiling and focusing. He lost a grip on the pedal, but he regained his footing. It was AMAZING! The best Christmas present ever!

As we celebrate Bradley’s progress over the last two years, we have learned to see the development of new skills and goals being met under a whole new light. Each and every moment of dedication from both the LSC staff and Bradley is monumental. Whether he is flashing one of his giant, infectious smiles or communicating one of his needs, we appreciate each moment and it fills our hearts with hope and pride.

Siovhan Lawrence is a mother of two. Her son, Bradley is a learner at Little Star Center.

 

 

 

 

We found our perfect match at Little Star

By Onya Jones

When Kaleigh was 3 years old, we searched for the perfect ABA facility to address her needs. At the time, she wasn’t ready for developmental preschool. She needed more one-on-one assistance.

I began searching for therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and came upon Little Star Center’s website. It was very informative and looked exactly like what Kaleigh needed.  After touring the center and meeting with staff, I knew this was where she needed to be.

Four years later, I remain convinced that Little Star is the best place for Kaleigh. The staff is devoted to Kaleigh’s progress. It’s evident that they want the kids to succeed in life. They work hard to make that happen. It’s clear they love every single one of those kids and, at the same time, provide great support to the parents.

We are truly grateful we found Little Star.

Onya Jones is mom to Kaleigh, a learner at Little Star Center. 

 

 

 

 

 

Updates about the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

By Michele Trivedi, MHA

Citizens who need health coverage to start on Jan. 1 have more time to apply. The federal government has extended the deadline to Dec. 23.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides navigators to assist those who have questions or need help signing up for a plan. To find a local navigator, call 1-800-318-2596 or go to www.healthcare.gov.  Help can also be found at Covering Kids and Families of Indiana.

For more information about how ACA covers autism and developmental disabilities, visit the following websites: The Arc of Indiana,  Autism Society of Indiana,  and Autism Speaks.

Michele Trivedi is The Arc Insurance Project Manager and a member of the Board of Directors at Little Star Center. She is available to answer your questions regarding ACA coverage for individuals with autism. She can be reached at 317-977-2375.

Little Star Center Opening in Bloomington

Little Star Center is expanding services for families and children affected by autism to Bloomington. The new Little Star Center Bloomington will open spring 2014. Center leaders will begin accepting applications for evaluations for learners and staff in January.

Application Process and Open House
Applications will be accepted from families with children affected by autism in January. A parent information meeting and open house is scheduled for:

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014
4 to 8 p.m.
Terry’s Catering, 3116 Canterbury Drive
Interested families can also email or call for more information.

New Hire Process
At least 10 professionals will be hired for the new facility. Available positions for the Bloomington center are for professionals with education or backgrounds in child psychology, special education, education, speech sciences and child development. Experience with autism or ABA is preferred. Interested professionals can email a cover letter and resume

 

 

Great speakers, informative sessions at ASHA convention

By Kasey Philpott, MS, CCC-SLP

I recently attended the annual American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA) convention in Chicago.  With over 12,000 attendees, the ASHA convention provides a plethora of learning opportunities for speech language pathologists and audiologists alike covering a variety of topics, including speech sound disorders, autism, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), hearing loss, swallowing disorders, stroke and language science.

This year’s theme was The Magic of Teamwork: Science and Service Delivery, which offered several opportunities to hear from other professions including behavior analysts!

I had the pleasure of attending many sessions discussing autism treatment specific to AAC, social skills, feeding/swallowing and others. I also had the opportunity to see a few familiar faces, including Oliver Wendt, Ph.D, from Purdue University, who presented a case study on Experimental Evaluation of a Parent-Implemented AAC Intervention Protocol for Children with Severe Autism. Thomas Zane Ph.D., a Little Star Center advisory board member. He presented a poster session that looked at the evaluation of efficiency and preference for communication modalities.

Overall it was a great experience!  I’m looking forward to next year’s convention in Orlando, Fla.!

Kasey is a speech language pathologist & director of related services at Little Star Center.

 

Young student is a fan of Little Star Center

William, the 10 year-old son of Tim Courtney, research and training director at Little Star Center, wrote the following letter to his school to request a grant for Little Star Center. This is a great reminder that our learners  success is important to even our youngest citizens.

Did you know one out of every 88 kids has autism? It’s for that reason I think we should choose Little Star Center for one of our lollipop drop charities.

Little Star Center is right here in our community helping kids with autism. Little Star is 100 percent non-profit. With the money we raise for (the school), it would be able to purchase therapy supplies for the kids who go there. The supplies would help the kids in learning to communicate and be independent.

I think it’s important to help everyone as much as we can, and it’s a great feeling to be able to help kids in our very own community. My dad is one of the directors at Little Star Center. I know the work they do is changing kid’s lives, and I hope we can assist them in continuing to do that.

Emma is autistic. And Emma is awesome.

 

By Kerry Blankenship

I knew before the diagnosis came in. Someone gently suggested having Emma evaluated for autism, and I started researching. I knew when I read the list of common characteristics that I was reading about my 3-year-old daughter.

When the diagnosis confirmed what I knew, I thought, in those first days, that everything had changed. That “autistic” meant strictly defined limitations and endless struggles, that one word could tell me what her future would (or wouldn’t) be. I was scared of what I imagined to be a long, lonely road, and I wondered whether I’d be “mom enough” to shepherd her down it.

I know better now.

Emma is as she always was. She loves penguins and quesadillas, she seeks thrills and she brings sunshine to everyone that knows her. And she is autistic.

It’s not a word I’m afraid of anymore. She processes the world in a way that I can’t—and her perspective is beautiful. Sure, there are challenges, but there are also amazing milestones and a whole lot of joy.

Emma has taught me to rejoice in the little things, like the voice from the backseat piping up with a request for “donut!” every time we drive past Target. That she can tell me what she wants is always cause for celebration.

The diagnosis gave us resources and a community. It didn’t change my daughter or her potential.

Emma is autistic. And Emma is awesome.

Kerry Blankenship is a mom of one beautiful girl. Her daughter, Emma, is a learner at Little Star Center. 

Science, Fads, and Applied Behavior Analysis

By Thomas Zane, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Institute for Behavioral Studies at The Van Loan School of Graduate and Professional Studies, Endicott College, 376 Hale Street, Beverly, Massachusetts
Little Star Center Advisory Board member

Autism is known as a “fad magnet” because of the plethora of treatments available to treat the condition (Jacobson, Foxx, & Mulick, 2005).  Because of the varying levels of believability and evidence supporting many of these treatments, there is a need to be skeptical about any particular autism intervention until some minimal level of quality evidence exists showing that the particular treatment has demonstrated positive results. Most professionals adhere to the methods of science and scientific inquiry as the standards against which the quality of treatment evidence is judged.

Ideally, by universally adhering to common criteria for acceptable empirical evidence, professionals across disciplines would study a phenomenon and all arrive at the same conclusion as to its “truthfulness” or veracity. A conclusion about, say, the efficacy of an autism treatment would be that much more powerful given the adherence to the scientific method by professionals from varying disciplines all examining the same treatment from different perspectives.

Such a professional model is illustrated by Auditory Integration Therapy (AIT) and how professionals from different disciplines examined it and made a judgment about whether AIT should be promoted to consumers.

CLICK HERE to read on for the complete syndicated column

Governor Appoints Little Star Center Builder to Commission

Little Star congratulates Patrick Richard who was appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels before he left office as a member of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission. Patrick is working with Little Star – Lafayette on renovating several areas including the playground. He is a residential and commercial builder in Lafayette and a member of the Builders Association (BA) of Greater Lafayette. He serves as an Area Vice President and State Director for Indiana Builders Association (IBA), and is former president of the Builders Association of Greater Lafayette.

The Commission adopts the code of building and fire safety laws that affect all buildings classified as Class 1 or Class 2 structures in the state of Indiana. The Commission also reviews applications for variances, appeals of state and local orders, and reviews local building ordinances.

“I was one of six people that IBA asked to submit a resume to the Governor for consideration,” said Patrick.  “I’m not sure how many other groups had an opportunity to submit folks from their association to be considered, but I am honored!  It was a surprise because a couple of months passed without any noise about the position…and then, BAM, I got the call.  I am filling a term being vacated and the appointment is only until the end of June of 2013. I hope to be reappointed.  Thank you, Little Star,  for your support, business and friendship over the years.”

Traveling Decorating Contest Trophy

Little Star Center has started a new tradition, presenting a traveling trophy to the therapists who best decorate their area for the holiday season, as determined by volunteer judges.  Middle Star Center won the 2012 Decorating Contest award for their Dr. Seuss’ Grinch Who Stole Christmas theme.  Congratulations to everyone for their hard work and to Middle Star staff for winning the honor.