Our Autism and Behavior Services consist of an interdisciplinary team of clinicians, including licensed psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, board-certified behavior analysts and registered behavior technicians, who provide diagnostic and behavior intervention services for those with autism.

Program Goals

Our goal is to provide client centered, family focused services to those who need this service. Since 2012, we have been offering autism and behavior services for families with children who range in age from toddlers to young adults. Our staff members go above and beyond to serve our families and we partner with them to provide services that meet individual family goals.

Who Benefits from Autism and Behavior Services

We know that families and individuals who are living with autism benefit from this program. In a broader sense, we also know that central Indiana benefits from our ability to provide resources and assistance to schools, families, businesses, partner organizations and the community as a whole.

How Families Access this Service

Diagnostic appointments must be referred by a physician. Individuals who participate in ABA services must have diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Individuals interested in services can reach out to our admissions specialist regarding services. Our services are not limited to individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

What Makes this Program Unique in our Community

Easterseals Crossroads has the unique ability to offer a variety of services within the agency. Families who use our autism services often find that their child might benefit from speech, occupational or physical therapy. Our ability to offer services that cross disciplines can be extremely beneficial to our families who need multiple services.

“Our interdisciplinary team of autism experts are here to provide services that are individualized and collaborative in order to best serve our consumers. We hope to create a safe and supportive environment that also feels like home to our consumers,” said program director Karrie Veteto.

How to Obtain More Information

Contact us for more information about autism and behavior services at Easterseals Crosroads.

The Community Day Supports program includes adult day services, day habilitation and recreation therapy for individuals with disabilities.

Adult Day

The adult day program is a blended model of social and medical services for adults with disabilities who are 18+ years of age. Supervision and assistance with daily living are provided by skilled nursing staff. Social and skill building activities such as group exercise, current events, games, skills training/education and community outings are offered. This program is offered at our north location where we have been providing this service for 22 years.

The goal of adult day services is to encompass both health and social service needs to ensure the optimal functioning of each individual through person-centered planning. The program focuses on areas of daily living skills, socialization, leisure activities, self-advocacy, independence skills and community engagement.

Day Habilitation

Services are community and facility-based and support learning and assistance with self-care, sensory/motor development, socialization, daily living skills, communication, community living and social skills. Services are delivered with a 4:1 client to staff member ratio to allow for small group learning and community exploration. This program is offered at our south location for those with disabilities who are 18+ years of age.

The goal of day habilitation is to support learning and assistance in the areas of: self-care, sensory/motor development, socialization, daily living skills, communication, community living, self-advocacy and social skills. Activities are intended to build relationships and natural supports.

Recreation Therapy

Recreational therapy is a systematic process that utilized recreation and other activity-based interventions to address the assessed needs of individuals with illnesses and/or disabling conditions, as a means to psychological and physical health, recovery and well-being.

Services ae provided or directly supervised by a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). Services include providing treatment services and recreation activities to children, teens and adults by using a variety of techniques including arts and crafts, animals, sports, games, dance and movement, drama, music and community outings.

The goal of recreation therapy is to improve an individual’s functioning and independence. Participants may engage in adapted sports, dramatics, arts and crafts, social activities and other recreation services designed to restore, remediate or rehabilitate. Participants include children, teens and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Program participant Jessica enjoys recreation therapy with our staff. As part of the program’s walking club, she enjoys walking outside with her friends and recreation therapists. In addition to getting a great, healthy workout through walking, Jessica has also made changes to her diet and her level of physical activity at home and in the community. With all of her hard work, Jessica has lost 10 pounds, which she is so happy about.

“Not only does my body move better after walking, but it feels so much better after! This didn’t start until after I started walking more,” said Jessica.

Who Benefits from Community Day Supports Programs

Adult day services, day habilitation and recreation therapy all benefit individuals who are looking for a person-centered approach to develop or improve skills related to socialization, independence, motor skills, physical skills, leisure skills and community engagement.

Our programs are unique because of the activities available including self-advocacy groups, volunteerism, art therapy, focus on independence, adaptive exercise and more.

More Information

Contact us for more information about Community Day Supports options available.

The Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (MVRP) at Easterseals Crossroads has begun its 10th year in providing solutions for veterans who are experiencing homelessness. Our mission within the program area is to provide training options, employment opportunities, resource connections and other community necessary supports.

Each year we serve 100 people in this program and we provide information and options to many other veterans within central Indiana. We hold stand down events, resource fairs and other veteran-centered events regularly.

Who we Serve

We have three criteria to qualify for services from the HVRP program. First, the participant must be a veteran. Minimally, this means the individual must have completed one day of active duty not including training. Those who served in the National Guard or Reserves must have been deployed on Title 10 orders. If a National Guard or Reservist has obtained a disability rating through the VA, they are eligible without a deployment.

Second, an individual must be experiencing homelessness. Homelessness in the broader sense encompasses everything from living in a vehicle to staying with friends or family. This also includes a veteran who might be getting assistance with rent/mortgage through another organization, whether community-based, faith-based or a government assistance program.

Finally, an individual must be seeking employment opportunities. We work with veterans who are driven and committed to an employment goal. We will partner with our veterans who qualify for the program and will will be there to assist at all levels within the employment search.

The veterans we serve range in age from 21 through 75 plus years of age.

How we Serve

Once a veteran is committed to the program, we provide case management, individualized support and training resources based on needs. We actively assist in job seeking and we have some dedicated community partners. We work on skill building, networking, skills presentation and more. We provide employment-supportive services, which can include the purchase of work clothes, bicycles and gas cards to assist in obtaining and maintaining employment. This extra service makes our program unique in the veteran community.

Our staff has almost 50 years of combined experience in workforce development and case management with all populations. We pride ourselves on being highly organized, motivated and goal-oriented. Many of our staff are veterans themselves and we understand the challenges that service members face.

Veterans need to know that it is okay to ask for help when coming home. I honestly feel that when you’re at the door at Easterseals Crossroads, your help is just one step away.

~Deanna, Army Veteran and HVRP Participant

Who Benefits from HVRP

Employing veterans who have served our country and who are experiencing homelessness benefits our community. Veterans have proven to be highly skilled, dedicated, driven and loyal employees. Once a veteran completes our program, an employer can be assured that we have pre-screened and prepared this person to rejoin the workforce.

We will continue to work with a veteran who has been gained employment as well. Our relationship can continue as long as there are goals to achieve and needs to be meant on the job.

Who to Contact for Information

Veterans can call our office at 317.466.o000 to speak with one of our career coaches to discuss eligibility for the HVRP program. Veterans can also complete this form and it will be directed to a career coach.

Interns involved in our Project SEARCH Indiana program located at Community Hospital North continue to benefit from a digital literacy program made possible through a grant from Comcast NBCUniversal.

Jill Rusk – our Project SEARCH instructor at this location says that this 20-hour program has helped young adult learners by enhancing their current digital skills and learning new ones.

“The program helps our interns build confidence and improve life skills in preparation for employment. Not only that, but I have seen it improve conversation skills for this group. They have truly grown from the program so far,” said Jill Rusk, program instructor.

Easterseals Crossroads, a local nonprofit organization providing disability services, was awarded a one-year $75,000 grant from Comcast NBCUniversal in April 2023 for the Comcast NBCUniversal Digital Literacy and Employment Program. This marked the second year that Easterseals Crossroads has received funding for this project. The grant will help build digital skills for transition-age youth with disabilities.

The Comcast NBCUniversal Digital Literacy and Employment Program is provided to Project SEARCH interns ages 18-24 who have a diagnosed disability and who are preparing to work in a competitive work environment. The project focuses on delivering targeted digital skills curriculum in the classroom combined with an internship that will allow each participant to demonstrate what they are learning in a real work setting.

“Digital literacy skills are crucial for young adults as they transition from school to adulthood where they need to know how to manage both their work and personal lives. Comcast NBCUniversal’s commitment to our youth has made a huge impact for individuals who will soon be established in our community’s workforce,” said Marjorie Duryea, Director, Employment Programs, Easterseals Crossroads.

Easterseals Crossroads is pleased to partner with national Easterseals and affiliates in Arkansas, Colorado, Greater Houston, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Washington by sharing resources and best practices in offering digital learning opportunities for young adults with disabilities in our community.

Digital literacy and access to technology are two areas of strategic investment at Comcast NBCUniversal that empower people and create opportunities for those who need it most. Easterseals and affiliates throughout the country have been chosen by Comcast NBCUniversal for many grants and programs throughout the years.