Today we’d like to introduce you to Cathie Welch
Hi Cathie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My story begins in February, 2000 when my almost 3 year old son was diagnosed with autism. Autism. My beautiful little boy with all of my dreams and my heart was all of a sudden a stranger. He needed me like never before, and I did not have many options, outside of trusting that speech therapy 2 times per week for 30 minutes, and some occupational therapy could be the answer. I quickly discovered that I was not alone in this journey with family, particularly my Mother, who desired nothing more than Bryant’s full potential be attained. Bryant was smart. He needed more. I decided to write goals and hire college students from Vanderbilt to come and help me execute this plan. At age 7, Bryant began this homegrown ABA program that gave him LIFE! He began to forge gaps almost instantly in all concerns of his life: behaviorally, academically, socially, self-determination and self-advocacy. With the help of 2 Vanderbilt students that worked with him each over the course of their undergraduate and graduate programs, we saw small and large goals become mastered skills. One of our Vandy gals was an exceptional horsewoman and had played in her middle and high school marching bands. Thus, teaching our son to play the trombone at 11 brought in yet another Vandy student, who became part of our “home team.” Bryant stayed with the trombone all the way through high school concert band. He rode horses in a therapeutic program, from age 8 to 21 and became a Path International Rider of the Year in his final riding program. He has since graduated from Lipscomb University’s IDEAL program in 2022 and drives a big Ford F150. The mega goal of getting his license became reality with the help of his high school teaching assistant who encouraged and challenged him to learn to drive. I helped to craft a bill that the Tennessee General Assembly passed named the Precious Cargo Act. This law provides for a review of the license plate, prior to the officer going to the window of the vehicle. In this critical step, an officer will know that the driver has a communications disability and may need help in navigating conversation and will be anxious about the situation. The yellow dot folder helps my son to present his communication needs and provides necessary information needed by the officer. Danger of misunderstanding is diminished and eroded. Bryant is working, has become a successful amateur photographer and volunteers in his church and community weekly! It is from this heart-place that my sincerest interest in the venture of Lighthouse Kids Centers for ABA came to fruition. Our mission is providing these small stepping stones to achieve now and well beyond their time with Lighthouse. Each person is unique. We celebrate them; teach them; guide them; and love them to life! Joining other “Bryants” and their families on their journey means everything to me.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The autism road is like a leap into outer space. What or who will ground me in this path? Many times I questioned what would happen to my son as he became an adult. The lens is intensely opaque, but the light comes in tiny rays of hope! There are challenges, like loud noises and often the unexplainable fear of ordinary (I don’t know what will happen to me at the dentist) and extraordinary (rides at a theme park) that make your life often calculated to avoid disaster. But the “tool box of ABA” surfaces to help us through situations. What do we do? Count to 3 or take a break and walk away from situations that could become overwhelming. There are options thanks to ABA. Daily, I see those small steps have turned into executive functioning. My advice to parents and caregivers is to try everything. When you do, you see what works for your child. We have found natural and holistic alternatives along the way. At 7, my son would not touch a vegetable, but literally took 21 supplements from Vitamin A to Zinc every day to give him nutrients that his 4 foods (chicken nuggets, hamburgers, peanut butter and potatoes could not.) We could not even boast a food group, just “this food or nothing” food group! Fortunately, as an adult, this challenge has become almost extinct as he has learned to cook and that empowerment has expanded the former narrow reality of eating. Yet another boost in his life provided by his Lipscomb IDEAL program that taught him so much about independent living.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Lighthouse Kids Centers for Autism?
Lighthouse Kids is a Tennessee-owned and operated company. Initially begun by myself and 3 other gentlemen who knew my story, we have grown from an idea to 6 ABA centers and In-Home therapy across middle, Southern and East TN in less than 3 years! Our team of nearly 200 is clinically the best in our industry, supported by administrative powerhouses in every area of business savvy. Our management seeks to be part of the fabric of our learners experience. Our quarterly center meetings will find all of us, CEO, COO, CFO and CMO learning how to be an RBT (Registered Behavior Technicians who work one-on-one with our Learners). We want to learn from our staff! They are the changemakers in the lives of our Learners. We want the culture of our company to be positive, supportive and that means learning from each other from top to bottom. Our training program is without any reservation, the BEST anywhere! As our company grows, we get tremendous feedback from our staff so that we make investments in their ideas and their creativity. As the Chief Marketing Officer, I am the liaison to referring providers, pediatricians, psychologists, nurse practitioners, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, community members and autism professionals. I enjoy the relationships with families that we serve and knowing that connections we share will guide them outside just the Lighthouse experience. I am extremely proud of our team for all of ways we can serve our families. We may clock out, but the family is 24/7, all in! We are investing our knowledge, training, and teaching for our learner’s skill attainment and parent/caregiver training is high priority because everyday matters in that child’s development!
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was the 3rd child in a family of 4. My 2 older siblings were teenagers when I was born. So I was much like an “oldest” child. I loved to read and thought school was the greatest opportunity to prove myself. My parents instilled in me a great work ethic. I even visited college at age 5 because I knew I was going to be there someday. Initially, I wanted to be an attorney, but then decided on accounting. I got an MBA with a taxation emphasis and passed the CPA exam. I spent several years as an auditor and worked part-time accounting jobs while my children were little. Ultimately, life had a different idea as I reinvented myself to this entrepreneurial task and embraced the challenge. I love my job! Now I enjoy watching my children as adults. I am their biggest cheerleader! They are the 2 nicest people you will ever meet! I still am an avid reader, exercise enthusiast and volunteer for organizations that elevate the autism community.
Pricing:
- Lighthouse participates with all TennCare insurances.
- Lighthouse accepts all commercial insurance except Cigna.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lighthousekids.net
- Instagram: @lighthousekidsTN
- Facebook: lighthousekidscentersforautism
