New Autism Therapy Aims to Ease Treatment Access

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A new autism therapy center in our area is aiming to improve treatment options for children.

The Lighthouse Kids Centers opened their first space in Franklin, Tennessee last September and have since expanded to the Tennessee Valley.

Jeff West, the CEO for Lighthouse Kids said, “I had the idea that I wanted to get into this space about a year and a half ago.”

They recently opened an office along Northpoint Boulevard in Hixson, their first in the News 12 area.

Later this summer, they will be opening a second office in Ooltewah along Little Debbie Parkway.

Their offices are designed with child development in mind.

Morgan Sanford, the Chief Clinical Officer for Lighthouse Kids said, “We have sensory rooms. We have active play rooms which is kinda like indoor recess. We have trampolines and jungle gyms. They’ve got table time rooms where they might go in to do some focused learning, things that are a little more difficult. We’ve got a messy playroom for arts and crafts and like water play and shaving cream and glitter and all that stuff.”

Students at these center will be getting specialized attention as they look to streamline Applied Behavioral Analysis, or ABA Therapy.

ABA Therapy simplified is the practice of analyzing behavior in specific situations and creating learning goals based on observations, making this an individualistic approach to treatment.

Cathie Welch, the Chief Marketing Officer for Lighthouse Kids said has experience applying this with her own son who is autistic.

Welch said, “He learned to ride a horse using ABA skills. He learned to play a trombone in the middle school band, using those skills.”

The center sees children aged 2 to 12, and each will have a unique experience.

Sanford said, “They’re paired with an one on one tech, a person is who their life tutor. That one on one person is teaching them communication skills, socialization skills, play, leisure skills. Learning daily living skills like how to dress yourself, how to feed yourself, toilet training.”

Lighthouse now feels this is the time to really expand autism therapy services as Tennessee was the last state to approve coverage for this treatment through Medicare three years ago.

They say their goal for Autism Awareness Month is to let families who might need this service know it is out there and only going to expand.

West said, “Be aware more than anything, especially this month but every month. Be aware that kids that are on the spectrum are special. They’re special just like any other child, but even more special in that they just have a different way, and they have a different way to process information. So the public needs to be patient and to recognize when a child is on the spectrum.”