The public was able to tour the new location of Lighthouse Autism Center, 109 E. Winona Ave., Warsaw, during a four-hour open house Thursday.
Cora Meeks, family outreach coordinator, said the center handles children on the autism spectrum from ages 2 to 17. Right now, there are eight students at the Winona Avenue location and it will eventually hold 28.
There specifically has to be a diagnosis of autism spectrum for a child to be taken care of at the Lighthouse. Meeks said a child can have multiple diagnoses, as long as one of them is autism.
Some of the things done at the center include applied behavior analysis, which a type of treatment plan for those on the autism spectrum that focuses on behavior and learning, she said.
The center works a lot on early learning skills, which helps a lot of the children there. It is designated to help children obtain all the skills needed for them to be successful.
One of the rooms at the Lighthouse deals with learned skills, such as how to make a bed. Another room helps children deal with sensory problems such as going to the hair stylist or the dentist. Another room helps with language development.
There are also groups for reading and art.
Meeks said Lighthouse is working on an outdoor playground. They are currently working on the mulch.
The center has an indoor play area with designated play stations, which gives children lots of learning opportunities, she said.
The center has been open for about three weeks and is the second location in the Warsaw area. It was decided to open the new location to cut down on the “pretty extensive” wait list the center had, Meeks said. Most of the families that go to the center are from Warsaw, but as long as the parents can make the drive to the center, Lighthouse will be available to them.
Meeks said the center bills health insurance. If there is anything left over after insurance is billed, payment plans can be set up.
Therapy hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.