Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Tuesday, June 19, 2018
(NEEDMORE) - A sixth location for Head Start will be added at Needmore Elementary School beginning in August.
The Times Mail reports, the Head Start program, which is offered locally through Hoosier Uplands, is a national initiative that promotes school readiness of children ages birth to 5 from low-income families by supporting their development in a comprehensive way. Currently, Hoosier Uplands operates Head Start programs in Bedford, Mitchell, Salem, Paoli and Loogootee. In August, a sixth location will open up inside Needmore Elementary School to serve children in the ever-growing northern portion of Lawrence County.
To fund the new site, Debbie Beeler, director of children's services for Hoosier Uplands, says the program is shifting 17 enrollment slots from Washington County to Lawrence County.
But the addition of a site in Needmore isn't the only change coming to the Head Start program in Lawrence County.
Also in August, Head Start will begin offering an ABA Therapy class for children with autism spectrum disorder.
ABA stands for applied behavior analysis. Behavior analysis focuses on the principles that explain how learning takes place, such as positive reinforcement. When a behavior is followed by some sort of reward, the behavior is more likely to be repeated. Through decades of research, the field of behavior analysis has developed many techniques for increasing useful behaviors and reducing those that may cause harm or interfere with learning, according to the Autism Speaks foundation.
Working with Supportive Community Innovations of Bloomington, Head Start will offer a class open to 10 children, ages 3 to 5.
As children are identified as having autism, they will be referred to the ABA provider, which will do an assessment of the child and team up with the parents to determine what needs will meet that of the child and his family. Through that meeting, if parents want their child in a formal classroom setting, then they'll be assigned a therapist who will work with the child, one on one, in the classroom.
For Head Start enrollment information, call the Bedford Head Start at (812) 275-0052.
Information Times Mail, tmnews.com
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.