Specialisterne: leveraging the unique skills of Autistics at competitive market terms

[Visionary7903]

A recent post mentioned the Sonya Ansari Autism Learning Center at Logan, which is partly located in Granger, Indiana.

The Little Star Center is another structured, sensory-friendly centre based on Applied Behavior Analysis principles. The nonprofit, which was founded in Carmel, Indiana, opened its second location in Lafayette, Indiana in March of 2011…

…The Carmel Tree Stars program, held at Little Star Center in Carmel, included a day of interactive environmental ‘tree touching’ experiences for students who have autism. The project helps the children of Little Star Center learn life skills and give back to the local ecosystem with a lasting gift. …Trees Indiana is providing individualized curriculum for the children that include such concepts as the benefits of trees, a tree’s life cycle, and tree biology, prior to the tree planting in an indoor group enrichment environment. Planting the trees near the Little Star Center allows the children to provide continued care for the trees and to observe their cycle of life with each season.
“This project implemented in September 2009 is very deserving. By forming partnerships with RICOH, Trees Indiana, and others, the city, volunteers, and Tree Star staff spent a day planting trees, sharing nature and urban forestry with students at Little Star Center. This project enabled the City of Carmel, its partners, and the Urban Forestry Committee to utilize urban forestry to link to a new audience in a special way,” said Louks…

If [young girl on the Autism Spectrum,] Logan Melin could talk, she’d have a lot to say about her six years on Earth.
…Teresa threw herself into caring for Logan and a third daughter, Blake, who does not have autism. Rob started working extra shifts as an electrician to pay for Logan’s therapy. …Then they organized a fundraiser that raised $5,000 for the Indiana Resource Center for Autism.
…The couple decided to leave Monticello, where they had lived most of their lives. They bought a house in Lafayette and an additional insurance plan to cover intensive treatment for Logan at Little Star Center Inc., a nonprofit autism treatment center that provides Applied Behavior Analysis therapy.
The idea behind the system is to motivate children to learn, communicate and reduce unwanted behaviors through positive reinforcement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls ABA a “notable treatment” that’s become widely accepted among health care professionals.
“Every child’s program is based 100 percent on their individual needs,” said Mary Rosswurm, executive director at the Lafayette and Carmel centers. “ABA works because it is data-driven. Every single thing the child does, we take data on, and it helps us learn how the child needs to be taught.”
Within weeks, the Melins saw improvement in Logan’s behavior.
When she makes steps in learning new skills, Logan is re- warded with favorite toys, including a trampoline and a swing. Her blue eyes often are fixed to the pages of a magazine — not to read but to watch her hands play with the pages. Therapists also are helping Logan learn not to take off or chew on her clothes.
Her most remarkable achievement, after potty-training, was learning to use an iPad to communicate. She clicks on symbols that indicate what she wants, and the iPad reads them aloud. “I want book.” “I want popcorn.” “I want a hug.”…

Here is a link to a video on the Little Star Center: Little Stories - YouTube

(source: Carmel, Indiana News - Carmel Chamber of Commerce; http://www.jessicacontrera.com/autism-shapes-familys-life-love.html)