Throughout the year, Creative Discovery Museum hosts a free sensory night for families looking for a more accommodating experience of the Museum, including smaller crowds, lower lights and quieter noises. August’s sensory night was sponsored by Lighthouse Kids Centers for Autism, whose mission is to "empower learners on the Autism spectrum to acquire functional skills leading to autonomy, independence, and inclusion to create and live their BEST lives."
Lighthouse Kids Centers for Autism is an ABA therapy company that services children aged two-12 on the Autism spectrum.
Lighthouse Kids currently has six clinic locations in Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga. They also provide in-home and school therapy within a 30-mile radius of the clinic(s).
“At Lighthouse Kids Centers for Autism, we pride ourselves on providing play-based, client-led ABA therapy,” said Maggie Bacon, Outreach & Marketing coordinator for Lighthouse Kids. “Each care plan is cultivated to the individual child, and as the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach hardly works, it certainly doesn’t work when providing services to learners on the Autism spectrum. Lighthouse Kids also works closely with each child’s broader care team, including their pediatrician and interdisciplinary team, to align goals, share insights, and create a unified plan that sets every child up for long-term success.
"We were proud to sponsor Creative Discovery Museum’s Sensory Night, made possible with the support of the Speech Language Reading Center, whose mission is to provide high-quality, individualized communication and reading intervention to children and young adults in the Chattanooga area. It is such a privilege to collaborate with companies whose mission statements and purposes align with ours so seamlessly.”
“We are so blessed to have a partner like Creative Discovery Museum,” said Jeff West, CEO of Lighthouse Kids Centers for Autism. “Their willingness to designate a night dedicated to our learners on the spectrum, their families that we serve, and people with all abilities, shows the commitment they have to the community of children.”
“We are grateful to Lighthouse Kids Centers for Autism for partnering with us to provide this unique opportunity for families to engage with the Museum in a way that is comfortable and accommodating to their needs,” said Tim Sears, president and CEO of CDM.
"CDM is committed to inclusive experiences for all," officials said. "With any visit to the Museum, families can borrow a sensory bag from the Guest Relations team at the front desk, which includes headphones, timers, fidgets and other tools for guests to have their best experience at the Museum."
In addition to sensory nights, CDM offers Club Discovery, an after-hours drop-off playtime for children of all abilities. This program is $25 per five-week session (which means it is $5 a night) on Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Registration is currently open for the upcoming session starting Sept. 9.
CDM’s upcoming inclusive programming includes:
• Club Discovery Fall Session 1 beginning Sept. 9 (five-week session);
• Club Discovery Fall Session 2 beginning Oct. 21 (five-week session);
• Turquoise Trail, an accessible trick-or-treat experience, on Oct. 27 (more information coming soon); and
• Free sensory night on Dec. 4 from 5:30-8 p.m.