Help us recognize Big Stars for Autism Awareness Month Indiana

Little Star Center is honoring Big Stars for Autism Awareness Month Indiana and we need your help! In the Indiana autism community, we know it truly takes a village to ensure our children receive the care and attention they deserve. Among our Little Star Center team, these friends, neighbors and professionals provide support to our families and our Indiana ABA facilities in Carmel, Bloomington and Lafayette.

Who are your Big Stars? During April’s annual Autism Awareness Month we will recognize these people and their contributions on your behalf by sending an appreciation letter and a small gift.

If you know someone you’d like to recognize during the Big Stars for Little Star campaign, please forward their name, address and reason why to [email protected] by Feb. 13. We’ll be sure they are included and recognized on your behalf.

“Little Star is the only facility we know of where they put the child first…”

By Joanne Kehoe, Little Star Center mom to Anthony

What has been the biggest challenge in finding services for your child?  In the beginning, our biggest challenge was finding out what was possible for Anthony.  He was in First Steps, but he aged out when he was 3 years old. Then, he started at a developmental preschool at our local public school.  We found that, at the public school, there seemed to be very little knowledge about kids with autism, and we were extremely disheartened.  A family friend, a psychiatrist at Riley, mentioned Little Star to me.  We went to Little Star and liked it, and began the process of finding out how we could get insurance to cover it. Since my husband works for the federal government and their insurance plan is self-funded, they do not have to provide coverage for ABA therapy.  A mom at Little Star gave me contact information for her insurance (representative) and we were able to get Anthony his own policy so that he could get his ABA therapy covered.

How did you overcome that challenge?  We were lucky that so many people were willing to share information from their lives to help us move through ours.  If we left it up to the public schools or the state – people who are supposed to help us – we would still be struggling!

How has Little Star Center provided support to your family?  When Anthony started at Little Star, I remember very clearly when his program manager came to our house and asked us what we wanted for Anthony.  We wanted him to be able to attend church and communicate with us so we could help him.  I will never forget sitting at my kitchen table with the program manager and being amazed that these things were possible.

Anthony is the oldest of four children, and his younger sisters Maria and Veronica, ages 6 and 5, have been welcomed at Little Star for sibling play and they love it. It has gone a long way for them to see that Anthony is not the only person they know with autism.

During the last year, when we have been fighting with our insurance company, doctor and, seemingly, everyone about coverage for ABA therapy for Anthony, only the people at Little Star have been there to support us. They have offered financial support so that Anthony could still go to Little Star and not have his schedule disrupted.  The people at Little Star have gone above and beyond what I would expect anyone to do for Anthony and we can’t say how much we appreciate it.

You could have chosen other ABA facilities for your child. What makes Little Star Center stand out from other ABA facilities?  Little Star is the only facility we know of where they put the child first, give him what he needs, and not focus solely on making money and billing.

For what are you most grateful at Little Star Center? We are grateful to have people working with Anthony who not only know what they are doing, but who truly love and care about him.  We know that the (concern) they have for Anthony is at the basis of all of the care they give us and we are forever indebted to them.

 

 

 

A tribute to Santa

Every year when it’s cold and cheery,

When excitement builds for children and parents grow weary,

Planning begins at Little Star Center, where the guest of honor will appear,

It’s Santa, the same jolly gentleman who visits our learners each year.

From the moment he enters Little Star’s doors, Santa is greeted with hugs and even a few

stares;

He knows our learners are beautiful, unique, bright “stars,” so he handles each of them with

special care.

Photos are unpredictable, there could be cries, screams or even fear,

But, our Santa waits for that perfect moment of calm to give the thumbs up for the camera

flash to appear.

He’s seen many of our learners grow into their teens,

They’re much too old for Santa, but give him a handshake, or sneak a moment on

the photo screen.

Yes, our Santa is special to Little Star, a family member we hold dear,

The holidays would not be the same without him because he brings joy and laughter to our

learners year after year!

Happy Halloween

Kids with autism can enjoy Halloween

 

It’s that time again when little ghosts and goblins roam our neighborhoods and homes are decorated with spider webs, skeletons and all things scary. It’s Halloween, which could be an overwhelming time for our children with autism.

Here are tips from Autism Speaks to make Halloween fun for your child with autism:

Before Halloween:

  • Create a visual story about what Halloween may be like for your child using pictures or drawings. This will help your child prepare for the day’s activities.
  • Try on costumes before Halloween. If the costume is uncomfortable or doesn’t fit right, it may cause unnecessary distress and ruin their fun.
  • If your child does not like their costume, don’t make them wear it.
  • Instead, talk about the situation and try to uncover the reason why they don’t like it. After you talk with your child, they may gradually get used to the costume. Have them wear it for short periods of time and at increasing intervals over time.
  • Consider a Halloween costume that fits over your child’s regular clothes, such as butterfly wings or capes.
  • Practice going to a neighbor’s door, ringing the bell or knocking on the door to receive candy.

Halloween Day:

  • Know your child’s limits and do only what he or she can handle. For example, if your child is not comfortable trick-or-treating for long periods, start by going to three houses.
  • Take your child to an activity in the community, such as a school festival or a neighborhood party, where the child is already comfortable and knows people. Partner with family and friends that your child likes.
  • If you are giving out candy at your home, give your child the option to also give a piece of candy. During the day, practice greeting people and giving out candy. If your child is afraid of going out at night, plan indoor or daytime Halloween activities.
  • Remember, Halloween is supposed to be fun. Don’t let it stress out your child or you!

If you have additional questions about preparing your child for Halloween, please contact your child’s Little Star Center program manager. Families not enrolled at Little Star should contact Vince LaMarca, BCBA, Little Star Center clinical director.

LittleStar Logomark

Thank you, Little Star Center for quality ABA services in Bloomington, Indiana

The following comments are from a mom with a newly enrolled learner at our Bloomington location.

As a parent of a child recently enrolled in the Little Star program, I would describe my experience in this process as nothing short of exceptional!

Enrolling your child in an intense therapy program can be extremely stressful for your child, as well as for yourself as the parent, and the other members of your family. Little Star’s staff removed these stresses for all of us.

The staff was professional, knowledgeable, organized, efficient, and, above all, compassionate throughout every phase of this process. They look at your child and their family as individual entities with specific needs and they work with you in order to make it possible for your child to receive these much-needed services.

I had many concerns from previous experiences with other centers and the many challenges facing me as a parent in trying to seek out ABA services for my son. They have worked with me tirelessly and patiently to facilitate services and to meet every need of my son and our family. They are genuinely compassionate and committed to providing the best services to the children and their families! We are forever indebted to this wonderful organization!

Children on the swings at the playground

Make play dates fun, interactive for kids with autism

By Vince LaMarca, BCBA

The guiding principles of quality play dates are to keep it simple and make it fun by focusing on activities that are already familiar to a child with autism and quitting while you’re ahead.  Making it fun includes focusing on play activities that both children enjoy and allowing choices throughout the play date.

Here are tips for planning a successful play date for your child:

Plan ahead – Setting up for a play date should start with the question, “What play skills does my child with autism already possess?”  Starting with activities in which a child with autism is already familiar will help keep play dates successful because he/she will already be familiar with the basic structure of that play. Also, don’t forget that the peer coming over to play will have his own preferences.  Make sure to find out in advance what activities that child likes to play and have some of those available as well.

Keep it short and simple – It’s better for a play date to start short so that both children are interested in coming back for more rather than trying to keep children engaged for prolonged periods of time.  Initial play dates that lasts 30 minutes to an hour are more likely to be successful than longer play dates. For a one hour play date, having four to six activities is often enough.  For example, you might include 10 minutes of free play inside where children do whatever they want, 10 minutes of facilitated play inside where you attempt to have each child interact with each other, 15 minutes for a snack, 10 minutes of structured activities like a board game or hide and seek, and a final 15 minutes playing outside, facilitating interactions when possible.

Reward interactive play – Children often begin with parallel play. Parallel play allows for opportunities for interactive play.  Adults do not have to force every parallel play situation into interactive play. Adults must watch for both extremes: no interactions occurring between the children and all interactions being contrived by an adult which then cease when the adult is not present.  By encouraging interactions on occasion, rewarding the children when the interactions occur, and helping to bridge the gap between interactions, adults can help keep the play between children positive.

Let Batman do the dishes! – Adults often have a hard time remembering how children play.  During one play date with a peer, the adult was attempting to encourage a peer to come over and play with a child with autism who was pretending with a kitchen set.  The peer was busy putting on a Batman costume.  The adult said, “We can play Batman later, first we need to put our food in the refrigerator before it gets cold and do the dishes.”  To which the peer responded, “Batman can do the dishes!”  The purpose of play dates is to help your child with autism navigate the creative, spontaneous world of play.  Don’t allow your preconceptions as an adult to halt the interactions that may be right in front of your eyes.

Vince LaMarca, BCBA, is clinical director at Little Star Center. See more of Vince’s tips about play dates in the September issue of Indy’s Child (page 36). Read it here.

Silhouette of a child sitting on an adult's shoulders with arms outstretched

The gift of communicating with my son

By Brett Eastwick

I have been asked many times if it is harder being a parent to a child who has autism. It is not an easy question to answer. Having the perspective of raising children who are more typically developing and functioning, you would think it would be easy to determine how difficult or easy it is. It just isn’t.

There are areas that, of course, are easier. Communication stands out as a major area that is easier as a parent (until they become teenagers, that is. After that, good luck). Being able to communicate directly and effectively makes life easier for your child and you. Simple things like hearing “I’m hungry,” “I’m thirsty,” or “I’m happy” allow those around a child to take care of his needs and wants. Now, imagine not having that ability. Imagine that part of your brain being shut off, or only able to speak French around people who do not, or, perhaps even worse, being mute. And your hands won’t move. That is what it can be like for a person with autism.

Teaching a child how to communicate is, to say the least, a challenge. I have learners find echoics, whether just words or phrases, difficult to repeat or even aversive. Prolonged eye contact may also be a challenge for them. So much time and effort may result in being just as frustrating for both parties. I have asked myself, “Why can’t I teach my son to speak?” He can make sounds, imitate them, show you a person or item if you ask him to do so. Why can’t he speak?? The answer is easy. He has autism. He is unable to communicate the same way I do, the same way his mother and siblings do. The solution then, is clear. We have to learn how to communicate in a way in which HE is able to learn.

My son, Wyatt, uses ASL(American Sign Language)to make and maintain contact with the verbal world. It is what allows those around him to access his world. ASL is as real a language as English, Spanish or any spoken language. This is what he was able to learn to communicate with us. Why wouldn’t we use it to communicate with him? Some people ask me if I wish Wyatt could speak, if I wish he could just say, “I love you, Dad.” He does that every day. His hands are graceful and fluent. His communication is direct. Wyatt means what he says. Sign language allows his means of communication to be all that much more effective.

Brett is a therapist at Little Star Center.

LSC therapists unite to raise money for our centers

 

Pizza anyone? How about taking the family out to dinner to support a great cause? Our Little Star Center therapists have been busy this month hosting a variety of events in the Indianapolis and Lafayette areas to raise money for our non-profit organization.  Several businesses, including Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Sky Zone and Hot Box Pizza, have hosted special events to raise funds for Little Star!

There’s still time to show your support for Little Star. Here’s the remaining list of fundraising events:

  • Carmel – All Little Star directors have volunteered to take a pie to the face – to benefit Little Star! Raffle tickets are available for $1 at Little Star-Carmel. Our directors will take the pies to the face at our Independence Day Celebration on July 3.
  • Lafayette – Buffalo Wild Wings, 2715 S. Creasy Lane, Friday, June 27. Present your Little Star Coupon and 15 percent of your ticket will go to LSC.
  • Lafayette – Knickerbocker, 113 N 5th St., Saturday, June 28, is hosting a benefit concert, starting at 9 a.m. This event features two bands, a silent auction and raffle. All proceeds go to Little Star.
  • Sentsy online fundraiser ends Saturday, June 28. To participate, click here
  • Westfield – Big Hoffa’s BBQ, 800 E. Main St., Monday, June 30, dine and donate to Little Star.

Little Star Center family shares their journey to Indiana ABA center in documentary

“We are proud to share our story”

 

By Siovhan Lawrence

In February 2012, upon much research and many discoveries about ABA therapy and insurance mandates, I came across an article about Ryan’s Law, also known as the South Carolina Autism Insurance Reform Law. The law requires insurance companies to cover treatments for autism.

In researching the law, I began to read about the bill’s author, Lorri Unumb, a former law professor and mother of a son with autism. Although she could afford care, she realized others could not, unless something changed. After it became very clear we needed to move from North Carolina to get adequate services for our son, Bradley, I reached out to Lorri on her Facebook page. I basically begged for her guidance, as we were so lost on what to do. I didn’t chat with her or hear from her again until much later when she messaged me about a documentary filmmaker looking to interview families who were moving to other states due to lack of insurance coverage where they lived. About a month or so before our move, we were contacted by the filmmaker, John Block. John and his film crew visited our home in July 2013 as we were packing to move to Indiana.

Nearly six months later, “Sounding the Alarm” which features our family and several others discussing autism issues, debuted in Massachusetts. After several screenings across the country, “Sounding the Alarm” was shown at the Tribeca Film Festival in April in New York City. We were invited to attend and were greeted by John and other families who participated in the documentary. We also met Bob and Suzanne Wright, co-founders of Autism Speaks. Many people asked us questions and said how touched they were by our story. As we left the screening, we chatted briefly with actor Robert De Niro, a founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, who has a son diagnosed with autism. He asked how Indiana was treating us. We spoke for a moment about our children and future plans.

It was a unique experience.  We hope that, in some way, our story helps others to realize (until insurance companies, lawmakers, and the health care system do) that you do have options and there is hope.

The Lawrence family moved to Indiana in 2013 to receive ABA therapy for their son, Bradley, now a learner at Little Star Center. They are 12 families chronicled in the documentary “Sounding the Alarm,” which examines the challenges and opportunities of individuals diagnosed with autism. The film will be available in July on iTunes, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Click here for a preview.

Technology & the autism community – Little Star Center, Indiana ABA therapy

 

By Tim Courtney, MS, BCBA

We live in a very exciting time, where technology is rapidly changing the world around us. For individuals with autism and language/communication deficits, technology has had a sudden and dramatic effect. Individuals with autism that are non-vocal account for about 25% of this population, based upon recent research.  Technology has assisted this population with communicating, either via exchange of pictures, text to voice output, and speech generating devices.

Speech generating devices have changed dramatically from devices larger than most current laptops to devices like the iPad, iPad mini, or iPods that can achieve the exact same thing, and more, all while looking very typical. Look around most areas and all of us are using our devices to navigate and access our real and virtual social communities. Individuals with autism are not being left out.

The beauty of the recent tablet devices is the ease at which we can expand their functionality. Most everything we could ever want a device to do is available in an app. As of October 2013, the iOS app market now includes 1,000,000 apps. Fortunately, there is help with finding the right app to help individuals with autism. AutismSpeaks offers very helpful information for navigating the app store. The webpage even allows for searching the Android play store.

I can’t wait to see what the future brings. We are currently getting a glimpse into some of the possibilities. The Enable Talk glove which enables ASL signers to speak through a Bluetooth enabled phone, or the Hapifork that collects data and encourages either slower or faster eating through tactile feedback. Virtual reality through headsets like the Oculus Rift could provide for interesting ways to teach social skills, community skills, and even desensitization from situations that have evoked fear.

Tim Courtney is research and training director at Little Star Center, Indiana’s first ABA facility.